The 1988 Education Reform Act shook the English education landscape, creating an urgent need for professionals to stay informed, quickly, and clearly. Enter the Document Summary Service (DSS). Launched in 1989, the DSS delivered ten concise, two-page summaries of key education reports every month (except August). Packaged in boxes, they were sent to subscriber’s addresses. These reports were pulled from heavyweights like the Department for Education, Ofsted, Sutton Trust, and Ofqual. Subscribers included universities, schools, governors, inspectors, and local authorities.
Fast forward to 2010, the DSS embraced the digital era, offering subscribers a choice between the classic monthly box or a convenient email version, complete with links to full reports. The reports were then uploaded to a hidden webpage on the University of Bristol website. By 2013, the service had fully transitioned online.
In September 2021, with physical boxes now history, DSS rebranded as the Education Policy and Research Service (EPRS), introducing new benefits and an updated focus.
Despite its evolution, the pandemic and tightening education budgets forced the service to close in August 2024. However, the School of Education is excited to offer the entire online EPRS database as a free, searchable resource for the 2024-2025 academic year. This invaluable archive can be easily accessed and referenced in academic papers.
Explore the database here: https://edn.bristol.ac.uk/eprs/
Alongside the database, two specialised toolkits once part of EPRS, are now available for purchase:
The EPRS Toolkit: Educator Research Resource – First launched in 2020, this toolkit supports teacher training, CPD, and mentoring, featuring over fifty activities based on key report summaries. Updated annually, it’s also available in individual subject or thematic bundles.
The Core Content Framework (CCF) Toolkit – Tailored for initial teacher training, this toolkit breaks down the 139 research articles aligned with Teachers’ Standards, offering summaries, quality ratings, and activity/discussion prompts. The toolkit is available complete with activities, without activities, or by teaching standard.
Learn more about the toolkits here:
https://www.bristol.ac.uk/education/expertiseandresources/core-content-framework–eprs-toolkits/
You can download samples on the website too.
Finally, don’t miss out on the Handbook for Education Professionals: Bristol Guide 2024-2025. Available in limited print stock or as a PDF/eBook, it’s an essential resource.
Get your copy here:
https://www.bristol.ac.uk/education/expertiseandresources/bristolguide/order/
If you have any questions or would like more information, you can email us on
eprs-admin@bristol.ac.uk