Tom McBride is Director of Evidence at the EArly Intervention Foundation. Before joining EIF he was based at the Department for Education , where he led the Strategic Analysis function which provided analytical support across all areas of DfE policy. Much of his work focused on the performance of disadvantaged children, and the role of education in improving social mobility. Prior to that he was at the National Audit Office for 8 years where he developed and led the ‘Decision Analysis and Modelling group’ as well as designing and delivering multi-method evaluations across a range of government activity, including end-of-life care and the collapse of the West Coast rail franchise.