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Whitney Crenna-Jennings

Associate Director, Mental health, Wellbeing & Inclusion

About Whitney

Whitney Crenna-Jennings is Associate Director for Mental Health, Wellbeing and Inclusion. Prior to joining EPI in 2017, she was involved with several research projects focused on health inequalities and social determinants of health at University College London, Public Health England and FPA UK.

At EPI, she has led on research exploring access to child and adolescent mental health services, drivers of young people’s wellbeing and mental health, and the exclusion of vulnerable learners from the education system.

Recent Publications

Reporting

Youth degree apprenticeships: An alternative to university?

“Youth degree apprenticeships: An alternative to university?”, funded by AL Elevation , examines access, participation, and outcomes for young people aged 18–24 on level 6 degree apprenticeship courses in England. Using linked administrative data, the report provides evidence on who…

By David Robinson, Whitney Crenna-Jennings, and Education Policy Institute

Article

No room for battle of the sexes: Why boys AND girls matter

In recent years, public debates on gender have increasingly focused on boys and men falling behind. Data from Western countries consistently show long-term gaps in educational attainment, university enrolment, and degree outcomes. Boys are behind girls on every official child…

By Whitney Crenna-Jennings, Emily Hunt, and Education Policy Institute

Reporting

Children Missing from Education

A new report by the Education Policy Institute finds that up to 300,000 children may be missing from education entirely. By comparing GP registrations with school registrations and data on pupils in registered home education for the first time, EPI finds…

By Whitney Crenna-Jennings, Jo Hutchinson, and Education Policy Institute

Reporting

Non-specialist mental health support for young people in England

This new report published by the Education Policy Institute, funded by The Prudence Trust and in partnership with Youth Access, finds significant gaps in early mental health support for young people across England – and a rise in the number…

By Whitney Crenna-Jennings, Jo Hutchinson, and Education Policy Institute

Reporting

Early adult outcomes for suspended pupils

This new report published by the Education Policy Institute, funded by youth education charity Impetus, has identified a ‘suspension employment gap’ with young people who are suspended at secondary school experiencing a range of poorer outcomes in late adolescence and…

By Whitney Crenna-Jennings and Education Policy Institute

Article

Outcomes for pupils suspended in primary school

Executive summary   Suspensions, or temporary removals from school, form part of an array of sanctions used to manage pupil behaviour . In this research note, we investigate the link between suspensions in primary school and Key Stage 2 (KS2)…

By Whitney Crenna-Jennings and Education Policy Institute

Reporting

Outcomes for young people who experience multiple suspensions

In this report, we examine the relationship between the number of suspensions, or temporary removals from school, in secondary school and outcomes for pupils in England. We studied a cohort of 585,827 pupils who were registered in a state school…

By Whitney Crenna-Jennings and Education Policy Institute