Communities in the lead: opportunity, inequity and the power of local change
Yesterday, the Sutton Trust published its Opportunity Index, the most detailed analysis to date of how geography continues to shape opportunity and social mobility across England. The findings are clear: where a child grows up still has a profound impact on their future.
At the Fair Education Alliance, we’ve long recognised the power of place. Over the past five years, we’ve explored how systems-level, community-led collaboration can transform outcomes for children and young people. In 2024 we convened a series of workshops on Systems and Place-Based Change to reflect on what’s working across our membership, and what’s needed.
We’re also proud to support innovation in this space. Our 2024 Innovation Award winner, PLACE, is embedding place-based approaches to better understand and tackle inequality in the Tees Valley, with a particular focus on child poverty. Ten years prior, our Innovation Award winner Right to Succeed, started their journey to support and strengthen collective work in communities across the UK. Their partnership with the Liverpool City Region on Cradle to Career is a great example of cross-sector collaboration with communities, funders, and local authorities.
Graeme Duncan, CEO, Right to Succeed
“The Cradle to Career programme is starting to demonstrate what can happen when communities are collectively put in the lead of defining and delivering the change they need and want. The pilot programme in North Birkenhead has seen the closing of a 15-month reading age gap across all 8-16-year-olds, significant reductions in the number of children in care or on the edge of care, and the community going from the worst to the best in Wirral for early years 30hrs offer take-up.”
“Liverpool City Region is a region of opportunity. Our strength is our people, and our potential is within our young people.”
“Our investment in the innovative, community-led, place-based Cradle to Career programme exemplifies our vision that no child’s success should be limited by their socioeconomic background. Supported by Right to Succeed, the collective impact of a multitude of partners is transforming outcomes for children, young people and their families. Cradle to Career is a shining example of what can be achieved in local areas if we have the focus, funding and fortitude to make it happen.”
Emma Dickinson, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
Our recent strategy workshops brought together members to explore how we can better support place-based approaches to systemic change. One focus of our discussions was the rising role of Metro Mayors and mayoral combined authorities, following the recent elections and the addition of two new authorities. The insights shared, particularly from conversations in Manchester and Newcastle, have reaffirmed member appetite for us to put place and regional collaboration at the core of the new Fair Education Alliance strategy, so that every child, in every part of the country, thrives.
Watch this space as we continue to develop our strategy and put insights from member consultations into action.
Gina Cicerone
CEO
