Dr William Cook
Dr William Cook
Reader in Policy Evaluation
My profile
Biography
Will holds a PhD in quantitative social science from the University of Manchester, a master’s degree from the University of Cambridge, a bachelor’s degree from the University of Manchester, and was a visiting research fellow at Harvard University in 2012.
Prior to his academic career, he worked for four years as an economic adviser to the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit and the Home Office. He has also worked in the government and public sector practice at PwC and for GHK Consulting and has conducted a number of externally commissioned research projects in partnership with the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) where he is an associate research fellow.
Expert reviewer for external funding bodies
Nuffield Foundation
British Academy
Membership of professional associations
Member of the Royal Economic Society
Personal website address
https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&pli=1&user=6bGbjbcAAAAJ
Research outputs
Labour economics, economics of education, health economics, applied econometrics.
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Chapters in books
Clifton, J., Cook, W.A.J. (2013) 'The Achievement Gap in Context.' Excellence and Equity: Tackling Educational Disadvantage. London UK: IPPR, pp. 17-28.
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Reports
Ellison, M., Cook, W. (2024) Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) Administrative Data Guidance: pilot study report. Youth Endowment Fund.
Cook, W., Shaw, B., Morris, S. (2020) Disadvantage in early secondary school. Nuffield Foundation.
Cook, W. (2020) School disruption and pupil academic outcomes - evidence from the 2001 foot and mouth epidemic in England. CEPR.
Thorley, C., Cook, W.A.J. (2017) Flexibility For Who? Millennials and mental health in the modern labour market. Institute for Public Policy Research.
Cook, W.A.J., Thorley, C., Clifton, J. (2016) Transitions at 14: Analysing the intake of 14–19 education institutions. Institute for Public Policy Research.
Cook, W.A.J. (2013) How Intake and Other External Factors Affect School Performance.
Cook, W.A.J., Schmuecker, K. (2013) Beyond Bricks and Mortar Boards: Universities' Role in Building Regional Economies.
Schmuecker, K., Cook, W.A.J. (2013) Making it Happen: The Contribution of the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Sectors to Local Economic Partnership Objectives.
Cook, W.A.J. (2013) Vocational Education in English Schools: Protecting Options for pre-16 Pupils.
Clifton, J., Cook, W.A.J. (2012) A Long Division: Closing the Attainment Gap in England's Secondary Schools.
Platt, R., Cook, W.A.J. (2012) Green Streets, Strong Communities.
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Journal articles
Smith, A., Roberts, A., Krzemieniewska‐Nandwani, K., Eggins, L., Cook, W., Fox, C., Maruna, S., Wallace, S., Szifris, K. (2024) 'Revisiting the effectiveness of cognitive‐behavioural therapy for reducing reoffending in the criminal justice system: a systematic review.' Campbell Systematic Reviews, 20(3)
Cook, W. (2021) 'Does funding targeted at improving the management of schools increase school performance over the long term?.' Economics Letters, 204pp. 109871-109871.
Cook, W., Giovanis, E., Gobey, M. (2020) 'The Effect of Furloughing Workers on Mental Wellbeing.' SSRN,
Cook, W. (2020) 'A Natural Experiment in Expanding the Scope of High Stakes Testing in Schools.' SSRN,
Cook, W.A.J. (2018) 'The Effect of Personalised Weight Feedback on Weight Loss and Health Behaviours: Evidence from a Regression Discontinuity Design.' Health Economics, 28(1) pp. 161-172.
Cook, W., Whittle, R. (2015) 'Do Individuals’ Risk and Time Preferences Predict Entrepreneurial Choice?.'
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Conference papers
Whittle, R., Cook, W. (2015) 'Do individuals’ risk and time preferences predict entrepreneurial choice?.' In ISBE Conference. Glasgow, 11/11/2015 - 12/11/2015.
Cook, W.A.J. (2014) 'Forecasting in Public Services.' In LARIA Annual Conference. Local Authority Research and Intelligence Association (LARIA), Manchester, UK, 3/11/2014 - 3/11/2014.
Cook, W.A.J. (2014) 'Modelling Peer Effects on School Attendance Using The Pupil Absence Module of the National Pupil Database.' In PLASC Users Group. Department for Education/ESRC, Bristol, UK, 1/5/2014 - 1/5/2014.
Cook, W.A.J. (2013) 'Inclusion and Pupil Achievement Revisited, A Comparison of Methods.' In International Conference on Multilevel Modelling. Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands, 27/3/2013 - 28/3/2013.
Cook, W.A.J. (2012) 'The Pupil Premium.' In TeachFirst 10 Year Anniversary Conference. TeachFirst, London, UK, 22/9/2012 - 22/9/2012.
Cook, L.J., Debnath, D., Martin, T., Karat, I.C.F., Daoud, R., Laidlaw, I.J., Cook, W.A.J. (2012) 'EXCISION OF EXTRA MARGINS IN BREAST-CONSERVING SURGERY AT THE TIME OF PRIMARY OPERATION - ARE THERE ANY CLINICAL OR PATHOLOGICAL FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH CORRECT DECISION-MAKING?.' In 4th IMPAKT Breast Cancer Conference. 23. Brussels, BELGIUM, 3/5/2012 - 5/5/2012. OXFORD UNIV PRESS, pp. 34-34.
Cook, W.A.J. (2012) 'The Effects of Pupils With Limited English Proficiency On Their Classmates.' In Harvard University Migration and Immigrant Incorporation Workshop. Harvard University, Boston, USA, 5/4/2012 - 5/4/2012.