ResearchED: where does the money go?

Conference organisation, controlled by a single person, is said by its director, Tom Bennett, to have had 1,300 people attend its flagship event last month in London, for which it paid no venue hire costs. Two years ago, Mr Bennett emphasised that the organisation was not-for-profit, and not paying salaries. But questions remain about its funding and set-up.

Questions are being asked afresh about how money raised by one of England’s most prominent education conference organisations is being spent, as Education Uncovered reveals that a school donates its premises for its flagship annual event for free.

ResearchED, set up in 2013 by the government behaviour adviser Tom Bennett, has not had to pay for the use of Parliament Hill School in North London as the location for its annual conference over the past four years, the school has disclosed in freedom of information responses.

With Mr Bennett having said on social media that the conference attracted more than 1,300 people this year, and with researchED saying it does not pay its speakers and relies entirely on volunteers, questions arise as to how entrance fees of up to £64.88 are being spent.

ResearchED has only one director, Mr Bennett, after five others resigned in quick succession in December 2022 and January 2023, a few months after Education Uncovered started reporting that the organisation was no longer calling itself a charity. Mr Bennett alone is in ultimate control of its governance.

Mr Bennett has never responded to requests for comment from Education Uncovered. He did not do so after being sent questions in relation to this piece. Two years ago, in a passionately-argued series of posts on twitter/x, he wrote that researchED events “were, and have always been, non profit”.