Press

This week’s release of the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper marks an important step forward in creating fairer routes into work and lifelong learning. We are pleased to see several announcements that reflect long-standing asks from the FEA and our members. 

We’re recruiting for three Head of Collaboration Partnership roles- one for each of our Mayoral Combined Authority areas. These roles will sit at the heart of our place-based work spending time embedded in their region each week, enabling deep cross-sector collaboration and driving system-wide change.

Following last week’s reflections from Labour Party Conference, this week we’re turning our attention to the other party conferences we attended this season - Conservative, Liberal Democrat and Reform UK.

Each offered insight into how education, skills and opportunity are being discussed across the political spectrum - and what that could mean for the future of young people in England.  

Youth Steering Group member, Thomas, shares his reflections on Labour Party Conference.

Our Director of Collective Action, Janeen Hayat, shares key themes from Labour Party Conference and what they mean for our work going forward.

Thank you to every member who submitted their Ecosystem map data this year. Your contributions mean we can now share the latest update to the Ecosystem Map - giving us the most up-to-date picture of where we’re working, who we’re partnering with, and the difference we’re making together. 

Last Friday, 52 judges, mentors and supporters of the Innovation Award gathered at Bloomberg for the End of Year Celebration, an intimate event that highlighted the power of our networked approach to supporting innovation. Discussions sparked practical ideas for innovation for systems change, nurturing future leaders, and breaking down silos.

Today, we launch Fair Education in 2025: England’s Report Card — a shared milestone in our journey to ensure every child and young person thrives. The Report Card highlights the inequalities that continue to hold young people back, and the actions we can take together to close these gaps.

Our new strategy, From Neighbourhood to National, is rooted in systems change - tackling not just policies and practices, but also the resources, relationships, power and mental models that hold inequity in place.

By taking this system-wide approach, through our three core strands – Collective Voice, Collective Action and Collective Strength – we can bring lasting change.  

We’re excited to welcome the new Fair Education Alliance Youth Steering Group, a dynamic mix of returning and brand-new members bringing diverse experiences and fresh perspectives. From reflections on their first training day to honest insights about the pressures of GCSE Results Day, these young voices remind us why youth engagement is central to our mission to tackle educational inequity.