By Sam Matthews (Oompah)

Last week, Artis attended the Fair Education Alliance (FEA) Summit in London. As new members, we were excited to meet fellow members and learn about the alliance’s future priorities.

The challenge ahead

The FEA’s goals aim to ensure no child’s success is determined by socioeconomic background. However, over a decade later, the gap remains unchanged. This reality highlights the need for new strategies to achieve sustainable results in the next ten years.

• Children from low-income households start primary school 4.8 months behind their peers.
• Children receiving SEN support are 12.4 months behind, the largest gap since 2014.
• By the end of primary school, children from low-income households are 12.2 months behind.
• This gap widens to 22.7 months by the end of secondary school.

An electrifying atmosphere

The summit gathered over 300 passionate individuals dedicated to fair education. The event began with a powerful performance by Impact Dance. The speakers’ energy and passion were evident, creating a sense of unity.

A message from Sir Lewis Hamilton

Sir Lewis Hamilton emphasised education’s importance in a pre-recorded message, stating, “Education is where it all starts. Together we can change the education system.” His words reinforced the need for collective action.

The call to action

A key theme was the need for immediate, collaborative action. Speakers stressed that everyone has a role in driving change within the education system. The concept of power was highlighted, emphasizing our ability to effect change.

Insights from the FEA Youth Steering Group

The FEA Youth Steering Group shared their personal experiences and ideas for change. They emphasised schools’ evolving roles as community hubs addressing needs beyond education, such as welfare and crisis support, despite lacking resources and training.

Collaborative efforts for change

Zulum Elumgo, Vice Chair of the FEA, spoke about education’s transformative power and the need for collaborative and creative efforts. His call for teamwork was echoed by many throughout the summit.

Rethinking education

Bronwyn Lee from Learning Creates Australia shared her vision for a different education model, where teachers are facilitators rather than authority figures. She questioned the traditional one-teacher-per-30-children model, sparking discussions about innovative practices.

A journey of self and collective transformation

The summit highlighted that change begins with individuals and requires collective effort, innovation, and rethinking traditional models. Together, we can create a more equitable education system.

What will Artis do?

We are excited to contribute to the movement towards a fairer education system. Our mission is to nurture creativity in every child and help shape a thriving society.

Our inclusive approach ensures we work with every child in the classroom, with a significant focus on children from the top 20% of the most deprived areas. We aim to provide these children with access to creative education and the arts, opportunities they might not encounter otherwise.

We will amplify our storytelling to share our impact widely, showcasing our collective achievements. Artis will support schools in raising children’s aspirations and confidence, making learning joyful and accessible. We aim to expand our reach, partnering with more schools and children in deprived areas.

Pro Bono Economics estimates that for every £1 invested in Artis, there is a potential lifetime benefit of £32 for children, government, and society.

We look forward to working together to tackle education inequality.

You can read more about the summit here.