Regional growth

Support us to reach the schools and communities that need us the most

Where children grow up has stark consequences for their future success. This summer, 71.6% of London GCSE entries achieved a standard pass (grade 4+), compared to only 62.9% in the West Midlands. At A level, a third of London entries gained A/A*, compared to less than a quarter in the North East. These gaps aren’t just statistics: they dictate university access, career opportunities, and life chances.

We are so grateful to the funders and supporters who have enabled us to expand the impact of our work since we launched our Grow for Good strategy in 2023, which set out ambitious plans to benefit half a million pupils annually by 2027. At the mid-point of our strategy we are well on track:

• 420,000 pupils reached by December 2024 (50,000 more than in 2022)
• Almost 40% of schools in high-deprivation target regions (up from 31%)
• Average 31% of pupils eligible for Free School Meals in our schools vs 24% nationally

Our work already benefits around 130,000 pupils eligible for Free School Meals each year and we are looking to grow this to at least 200,000 by 2030, with a particular focus on the North East, West Midlands and other areas of high disadvantage.

We are seeking support to accelerate the impact of our work: spreading best practice across regions, equipping every child with opportunity, and transforming communities by extending educational excellence. Our focus is on reaching disadvantaged communities and schools serving higher-than-national proportions of pupils with Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND). 

Support could look like:

• Sponsoring a powerful regional recruitment event focused on local priorities; with a strong keynote speaker, meaningful knowledge exchange opportunities and information about Challenge Partners.
• Start up funding for a new local hub, which would enable them to invest in resources, access high quality speakers and training, and support schools in more challenging contexts to engage with the hub, for example, subsiding cover for teachers to be out of school.
• Investing in our CRM upgrade, which will enable us to best identify and engage schools and trusts in greatest need.

Email alice.malivoire@challengepartners.org or click the button to our contact page below to find out more.