How we’re challenging current funding practices
By Imogen Morrall , Partnerships Manager, for our series ' Philanthropy as a Catalyst'
Thought Leadership
Rewiring education needs to be underpinned by a bold vision inspired by changemakers
By Kathryn Scott, Trustee and Hannah Cohen, Head of Community at Big Change
For over a decade, Big Change has been calling for an end to the one-size-fits-all approach to education. As Lucy Powell and her team talk about rewiring the education system, we encourage them to be as bold as the people already creating change.
The leaders we back, across the generations, in school and beyond, explore what a more human, more ambitious education system could look like. Together we ask the big questions that Government must also ask:
- How do we build an education system where every young person can thrive?
- How do we move beyond one-size-fits-all approaches and recognise that young people have different strengths, ambitions and pathways to success?
- How do we ensure education prepares young people for life, helping them develop purpose, agency, relationships and the confidence to navigate an increasingly complex world?
This is not a new debate but the case for change is increasingly urgent. As Lucy Powell put it, school is a “straitjacket that has left too many being branded a failure — again and again — instead of being able to realise their potential … We must expand the ambition of education so that it works for every child. This means giving more children a passport to success wherever their passions lie.”
We only have to look at the one million young people in the UK not in education, employment or training to know that change is urgent. Thousands of families with children who have special educational needs and disabilities describe an intolerable fight for support. Why are they having to wait until challenges reach crisis point before their children are given the right support?
We hear, time and again, school leaders who describe a culture of accountability anxiety. The pressure around assessment and inspection leaves them little space for innovation, creativity or courage.
Young people consistently tell us that one-size-fits-all education isn't meeting their needs. They want schools to recognise their different strengths, interests and pathways to success. It is unacceptable that any young person leaves education feeling disconnected from learning, opportunity and their own potential. It is vital that reforms centre young people’s experiences.
It’s encouraging to see the seeds of reform being planted, but there’s a long way to go and the stakes are high.
Holly Branson, founder of Big Change
Let’s learn from the people already creating change
We encourage the Government to be brave and bold and face the difficult questions with hope. Listen to the leaders, particularly the young people in our community who are already demonstrating what is possible. Let them into the conversation to help shape what comes next.
- Their work shows what is possible when you don’t frame education around binary choices of academic success or wellbeing; knowledge or skills; excellence or inclusion.
- They are creating learning experiences that extend beyond classroom walls and strengthen the communities around them.
- They are showing what’s possible when young leaders have the trust, time and confidence to challenge the status quo.
- They know transformation isn’t easy but they are shifting the systems around young people to create deep rooted change.
- And they are demonstrating how education can support a broader set of outcomes, recognising purpose, agency, relationships and growth alongside academic achievement.
Jonathan, founder of CanTeam, imagines schools that are “more real world, more connected with the world around it… a place where whole communities can come together, thrive and everybody can feel a part of it.”
Ali Durban, founder of Gesher School, sees the importance of “building emotionally healthy systems” so that the structures surrounding young people help them develop into emotionally healthy adults. Her words reflect what many in our community have learned: that wellbeing, belonging and relationships create the foundations for young people to achieve and thrive.
Lucy Bailey, founder of Bounce Forward, believes: “We need to shift from reactive to preventative systems, from fixing problems too late to building psychological fitness early. If we want better outcomes across education we have to invest earlier."
What comes next
No one has all the answers, but we now have an opportunity to connect policy makers with the expertise, ideas and innovation already happening across education, to shape what comes next. So, if the Government is serious about creating an education system where every young person can thrive, they need to listen to the people creating change today and give them a meaningful role in shaping the education system of tomorrow.
We are keen to work closely with the Government, and we invite Lucy Powell to talk to our intergenerational community of changemakers to shape better futures for all young people.
