Information for Schools
Thank you for being part of TIMSS 2027
Your school’s participation is vital to the success of this important international study. By taking part, you help England understand how our pupils’ maths and science achievement compares globally and the important impacts of context in pupils’ outcomes. Schools and pupils provide crucial data to improve teaching and learning nationwide. We truly value your contribution.
Your school’s contribution in a prestigious global study
Being selected for TIMSS 2027 means your school is part of a carefully chosen sample representing England in one of the world’s most respected education benchmarks. You join schools across 60+ countries in contributing to world-class educational research that shapes policy and practice.
We’re here to support you
The NFER team is committed to making your participation as smooth and straightforward as possible. We’ll work closely with you to schedule the study at a time that fits your school day, our staff will administer the study and we have technical support on-hand. We are available to answer any questions throughout the process.
Benefits of participating in TIMSS
- Contribute to national policy: your data directly informs Department for Education policy decisions on curriculum, teaching methods, and resource allocation for maths and science education.
- Represent England globally: your pupils have the opportunity to represent England in an important global study, contributing their voice to international education research alongside students from over 70 countries. The digital format and varied question types provide pupils with an engaging, low-stakes assessment experience.
- Join our research community: participating schools become part of an exclusive research community with access to special webinars. Share insights from TIMSS, explore how findings connect with other maths and science research in England, and collaborate with fellow educators on practical classroom applications.
What to expect
Who takes part?
Pupils in Year 5 and Year 9 are assessed. Your school has been randomly selected as part of a carefully chosen sample representing all of England. When invited schools participate together, we achieve the high-quality data needed for meaningful international comparisons.
Your contribution is vital to the study’s success.
Pupils are asked to complete an online assessment of maths and science. Pupils also answer a short questionnaire about themselves and their schools.
Headteachers and class teachers of participating pupils each receive a questionnaire to provide important background information to help better understand what makes successful learners.
Parents of Year 5 pupils complete a questionnaire to gain information about home learning environments.
Flexible scheduling
We work with you to find assessment times that suit your school timetable and minimise disruption to your normal routines.
Study day duration
The school session will take around two and a half hours. We help you plan this into your school day.
No preparation needed
TIMSS assesses what pupils know from their regular lessons. No special preparation or revision is required.
Full technical support
NFER provides complete technical assistance, from initial set-up through to the assessment day, ensuring everything runs smoothly.
Dedicated support team
Your school will have a dedicated NFER contact who will guide you through the entire process and answer any questions.
How NFER supports your school
Before the assessment: We will work with your school contact (the School Coordinator) to make sure we have all the information we need, and will check your IT. We'll also work with you to identify the best dates and times for your school.
During the assessment: Our team is on hand to provide support, if needed. We ensure everything runs according to plan and address any issues immediately. Our trained Study Administrators, who all have teaching experience, will deliver the study in your school. Our administrators bring everything to the school and run the session. All marking will be done by NFER.
After the assessment: We handle all data processing and follow-up. You'll receive confirmation that your school's participation was successful, and we’ll keep you informed about when national results will be published.
How NFER looks after the data
NFER takes data protection very seriously and complies with the General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018. Any personal information we collect will be held securely. The information NFER collects is used to compare how well pupils around the world learn.
No-one will see pupils’ answers except the researchers involved in the study. Names and other data which can be used to identify an individual or school is not shared with the international study centre, or included in any reports.
The final data available on the IEA website will be anonymised in order that no school or pupil can be identified.
Please view the TIMSS 2027 privacy notice for further details about the information we collect and how we use it.
See FAQs for schools for more information.