*

Big Education’s vision is for every young person to receive A Big Education, one that is broad, balanced and focuses on the whole child. To achieve our mission, we are:

• Rethinking Practice by running our own schools and supporting other schools to change
• Challenging Mindsets by showing there is another way to ‘do’ school and pushing for change
• Shaping Futures through the difference we make

*

There are three ways to engage with Big Education: be curious & learn more about what we’re up to, be connected & support Big Education through volunteering, in-kind support and donations, be brave & become a long-term strategic partner through funding and joining our advisory groups.

*

Our three fundraising aims

1. Develop brave and innovative leadership across the education sector by further scaling the Big Leadership Adventure programme

Leadership is crucial for systemic change in education. Courageous leaders must address complex problems and create a culture of belonging and safety to empower students and teachers. So far, we have reached 180 leaders through this programme. We aim to double the amount of school leaders we reach each year (425 educators by 2026), alongside reducing programme costs for schools, and reaching coastal and hard-to-reach areas.

2. Developing and shining a light on bold and courageous schools by scaling the Next Big 10 network to the Next Big 50

The Next Big 10 is a national network of schools, led by Big Education, that serves two purposes: 1. Connect schools to help them share and grow their innovative practice through a professional learning community 2. Create materials and supports and training for implementation of new approaches to leadership, curriculum, pedagogy and assessment for the whole system. We now have a waiting list of schools who are interested in joining the national network and our aim is for 50 schools to act as lighthouses of A Big Education by 2028.

3. Working with our community to positively impact the wellbeing & lives of children, young people and their families through the Old Kent Road Family Zone

You may know the Old Kent Road, from the Monopoly Board. You probably know it as the “cheap square”. However, we recognise the Old Kent Road as a beautifully diverse and eclectic neighbourhood, with untapped and unrecognised talent and capacity. The community is connected, supportive and close-knit, with innate resilience of the people despite deep-rooted social issues. The Old Kent Road Family Zone is a Surrey Square (a school within the Big Education Trust) led initiative that aims to strengthen and celebrate the community. We do this through; actively listening and building genuine relationships with and between different individuals, groups and organisations, celebrating the great things and co-creating solutions to make things even better.

Over the next 5 years, we intend to; strengthen and build the team and governance structure, further develop our different approach to community development and increase our delivery services within the community.

*

There is lots more we can share about this! Get in touch with Ellie Lister, Head of Strategic Partnerships for an exploratory conversation, by using the contact form