Nikki is a Research Fellow and has been at the Rees Centre since its launch in 2012.
She has a PhD in Developmental Psychology, focusing on the perceptions of self and others and how this relates to peer relationships for children in care. At the Rees Centre she has used mixed methods and systematic review techniques to explore a range of topics relating to the support of children in care and children with a social worker. She is a co-founder of the Children’s Social Care Data User Group, and was also part of the Evaluation Coordinators team on Wave 1 of the DfE’s Children’s Social Care Innovations Programme. Her recent research has fallen under three main themes:
- Supporting the well-being of children in care and care leavers. A 3-year study funded by NIHR trialled a model of training, assessment and feedback that brought together foster carers and designated teachers to support the well-being of children in care across the home and primary school contexts. A current study funded by Become seeks to understand what ‘success’ means to care leavers, and how this might be measured.
- Improving educational outcomes for children in care and children in need. Two studies funded by the Nuffield Foundation explored how experiences in care and education are linked to GCSE outcomes; Nikki led the analysis of national datasets. She is now part of the team evaluating the extension of Virtual School Heads’ duties and the Pupil Premium Plus.
- Supporting local authorities to make the best use of data and other information to inform services for children and families. On the Nuffield-funded Children’s Information project Nikki is mapping how information is collected, collated, analysed and used, and works with sites to identify how this can be improved.
Research
Books
Coleman, J., Vellacott, J., Solari, G., Solari, M., Luke, N., & Sebba, J. (2016). Teenagers in Foster Care. Rees Centre/University of Oxford/University of Bedfordshire/University of Gothenburg.
Journal articles
Sinclair, I., Fletcher, J., O’Higgins, A., Luke, N., & Thomas, S. (2021). ‘Closing the gap’: the conditions under which children in care are most likely to catch up in mainstream schools. Oxford Review of Education, 48(2), 252-269.
O’Higgins, A., Luke, N., & Strand, S. (2021). Children in care in education: who is entered for exams and who reaches critical thresholds of success at age 16?. British Educational Research Journal, 47(6), 1522-1539.
Sinclair, I., Luke, N., Fletcher, J., O’Higgins, A., Strand, S., Berridge, D., Sebba, J., & Thomas, S. (2020). The education of children in care and children in need: Who falls behind and when?. Child and Family Social Work, 25(3), 536-547.
Sinclair, I., Luke, N., & Berridge, D. (2019). Children in care or in need: educational progress at home and in care. Oxford Review of Education, 45(4), 443-460.
Sebba, J., & Luke, N. (2019). The educational progress and outcomes of children in care: editorial. OXFORD REVIEW OF EDUCATION, 45(4), 435-442.
Luke, N., & O’Higgins, A. (2018). Is the care system to blame for the poor educational outcomes of children looked after? Evidence from a systematic review and national database analysis. Children Australia, 43(2), 135-151.
Luke, N., & Adams, P. (2018). Good practice in parent and child fostering. International Journal of Birth and Parent Education, 5(2), 27-32.
Braithwaite, E., O’Connor, R., Degli-Esposti, M., Luke, N., & Bowes, L. (2017). Modifiable predictors of depression following childhood maltreatment: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Translational Psychiatry, 7, e1162.
Weistra, S., & Luke, N. (2017). Adoptive parents’ experiences of social support and attitudes towards adoption. Adoption and Fostering, 41(3), 228-241.
Sebba, J., Luke, N., & Berridge, D. (2017). The educational progress of young people in out-of-home care. Developing Practice, 47, 18-35.
Luke, N., & Banerjee, R. (2013). Situating maltreatment in the social context: Challenges for research. Developmental Review, 33(3), 279-284.
Luke, N., & Banerjee, R. (2013). Situating maltreatment in the social context: Challenges for research. Developmental Review, 33(3), 279-284.
Luke, N., & Banerjee, R. (2013). Differentiated associations between childhood maltreatment experiences and social understanding: A meta-analysis and systematic review. Developmental Review, 33(1), 1-28.
Luke, N., & Banerjee, R. (2013). Differentiated associations between childhood maltreatment experiences and social understanding: A meta-analysis and systematic review. Developmental Review, 33(1), 1-28.
Luke, N. (2013). Teaching Psychology Online: Tips and Strategies for Success. PSYCHOLOGIST, 26(10), 766-766.
Banerjee, R., Bennett, M., & Luke, N. (2012). Children’s reasoning about self-presentation following rule violations: the role of self-focused attention. Child Development, 83(5), 1805-1821.
Luke, N., & Banerjee, R. (2012). Maltreated Children’s Social Understanding and Empathy: A Preliminary Exploration of Foster Carers’ Perspectives. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 21(2), 237-246.
Luke, N., & Coyne, S. (2008). Fostering self‐esteem: exploring adult recollections on the influence of foster parents. Child & Family Social Work, 13(4), 402-410.
Reports
Luke, N., Sinclair, I., Woolgar, M., & Sebba, J. (2018). What works in preventing and treating poor mental health in looked after children?. In Rees Centre. Rees Centre.
Meakings, S., Sebba, J., & Luke, N. (2017). What is known about the placement and outcomes of siblings in foster care? An international literature review. In Rees Centre Publications. Rees Centre.
Sebba, J., Luke, N., Rees, A., Plumridge, G., Rodgers, L., Hafesji, K., & Rowsome-Smith, C. (2016). Evaluation of the London Fostering Achievement Programme. In Evaluation of the London Fostering Achievement Programme. Rees Centre.
Sebba, J., Berridge, D., Luke, N., Fletcher, J., Bell, K., Strand, S., Thomas, S., Sinclair, I., & O’Higgins, A. (2015). The educational progress of looked after children in England: linking care and educational data. In REES Centre Reports. University of Oxford Department of Education/University of Bristol.
O’Higgins, A., Sebba, J., & Luke, N. (2015). What is the relationship of being in care on the educational outcomes of children? An international systematic review. Rees Centre.
Cosis Brown, H., Sebba, J., & Luke, N. (2015). The recruitment, assessment, support and supervision of LGBT foster carers: an international literature review. In Rees Centre. Rees Centre.
Cosis Brown, H., Sebba, J., & Luke, N. (2014). The role of the supervising social worker in foster care. In Rees Centre. Rees Centre.
Luke, N., & Sebba, J. (2014). Effective parent-and-child fostering. An international literature review. In Rees Centre Research Reviews. Rees Centre.
Höjer, I., Sebba, J., & Luke, N. (2013). The impact of fostering on foster carers’ children. In Rees Centre. Rees Centre.
Sebba, J., & Luke, N. (2013). How are Foster Carers Selected? An international literature review of instruments used within foster care selection. In REES Centre report. Rees Centre.
Sebba, J., & Luke, N. (2013). Supporting each other: an international literature review on peer contact between foster carers. In Rees Centre. Rees Centre.
Luke, N., Sinclair, I., & O’Higgins, A. (n.d.). The Educational Progress of Looked After Children in England. Technical Report 2: Relating Care to Educational Attainment and Progress.
