We influence policy and campaign for a fair education

We work to ensure that effective government policy supports the most persistently disadvantaged children in all parts of the country.

In recent years the Fair Education Alliance has been working with organisations across education, business and the third sector to put together a comprehensive plan to tackle inequality in education. 

We have drawn on the expertise, evidence and experiences of our members to create a clear consensus on what a fairer education system needs to look like. This is an education system that:

• gives all young people a rounded education, so that they develop skills, are looked after emotionally and physically, and can achieve academically no matter their personal circumstances;

• engages parents and communities of all backgrounds, so that education does not stop at the school gates;

• supports, incentivises and rewards teachers and leaders to enable all children to thrive – including incentives to work in more disadvantaged areas;

• gives all young people the knowledge, skills and awareness to succeed in life after school, whether in further education, higher education or employment.

We use our collective voice to influence, campaign and create the education system we believe we will create a fairer and more equitable education system for all.

Working with Government

We work collaboratively with government bodies, including Ofsted, the Department for Education and the Social Mobility Commission, to support their strategy development and connect them with the work and expertise of our members. Our work with the Office for Students in 2018 influenced their recommendations to universities on the use of contextualised data in admissions.

Campaigning

We influence policy through targeted campaigns and media opportunities, drawing on the knowledge and expertise of our members to push for solutions we know work. Our 2017 campaign for schools to have designated careers leaders saw £4 million set aside for this in the Government's careers strategy, and our 2018 recommendations for a focus on teacher retention were adopted in the Department for Education's Recruitment and Retention Strategy. We also shared our campaign for a fairer education for all in December 2019 which you can see here.