At Challenge Partners, we believe in a society where every child has the opportunity to flourish, where vibrant, resilient communities thrive alongside a strong economy, and where education equips young people with the skills, confidence, and curiosity to shape their futures.
Yet persistent inequalities continue to limit opportunity. A child’s background, postcode, or individual needs still too often determine their life chances. Some schools overcome these barriers brilliantly, but too often, their excellent practice stays trapped within their school walls. Knowledge of what works doesn’t spread, and many schools serving disadvantaged communities are isolated from high-quality professional development and peer support.
Our mission is to change that, providing systemic solutions to the systemic problems that hold pupils, schools and the education system back.
Since 2011, Challenge Partners has helped schools across the country collaborate, share what works, and spread excellence through a proven, evidence-backed approach. Independent analysis shows how, over the last five years, schools in Challenge Partners have improved outcomes for disadvantaged pupils against a backdrop of national decline. Combining this evidence with external evaluation of our programmes, inspection data, and school feedback paints a powerful picture of the efficacy of our approach.
In 2023, we announced our ambition to reach 500,000 pupils annually by 2027. We are on track, reaching 420,000 pupils - including around 130,000 eligible for Free School Meals - by December 2024. Our new strategy builds on this success and extends our ambition to 2030, with an even sharper focus on tackling disadvantage, strengthening inclusion, and shaping the wider education system. Additionally, at the insistence of our Education Advisory Group, a major focus of our strategy is strengthening our influence on policy and the wider education system.
Our aim is to embed our approach in some of the country’s most deprived communities and schools, with an initial focus on accelerating the growth of Challenge Partners Hubs in the North East, West Midlands, and South Yorkshire. This will complement our already-strong presence in the North West, East Midlands and across the South.
Our 2030 strategy, which you can read here, will:
- Benefit at least half a million pupils each year
- Target schools in areas of higher deprivation and those supporting pupils with special educational needs and disabilities
- Sustain innovation and excellence in our programmes and networks
- Strengthen our influence across education policy and practice
- Build long-term organisational resilience and impact
Realising this vision depends on the collective strength, insight, and commitment of our community - the school and trust leaders, teachers, Lead Reviewers, Programme Facilitators, strategic partners, and supporters who share our belief that every child deserves the chance to flourish. Their engagement, collaboration, and advocacy turns ambition into impact.
Learn more about how you can support our strategy here.