A milestone year
SHINE CEO Fiona Spellman's End-of-Year Reflections
This year marked a significant milestone for SHINE as we celebrated the 25th anniversary of our first projects. For a quarter of a century, we have worked alongside teachers, schools, and communities to improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged children. Reaching this anniversary has prompted not only celebration, but also honest reflection on what we have learned through years of investing in educational innovation.
Over the past 25 years, SHINE has supported hundreds of teachers and innovators, and our journey has included both successes and setbacks. Innovation in education is never risk-free, and not every approach delivers the impact we hope for. These experiences have reinforced the importance of high-quality data and evidence in guiding our decisions, helping us understand what works, for whom, and under what conditions.
We have also learned that achieving impact at scale is rarely straightforward. Many of the most promising innovations emerge from specific local contexts, shaped by the unique needs of communities and schools. For those innovations to succeed more widely, they must be accompanied by meaningful engagement, practical support, and sustained relationships with schools. Scaling impact is as much about people and practice as it is about programmes.
Time and again, we have seen that even the strongest ideas rely on the commitment, skill, and resilience of the teachers leading them. This understanding has shaped our approach over time, with greater investment in supporting the development of teachers who lead SHINE projects, recognising that long-term change depends on supporting exceptional people on the ground.
Perhaps most importantly, our experience has taught us that progress is possible even in the most difficult of circumstances. Children from disadvantaged backgrounds are fundamentally capable of learning, and with the right support, they can and do thrive. There are no silver bullets that can solve barriers to educational progress alone, but there is enormous power in a network driving change together.
We were proud this year to launch SHINE Sunderland and Hartlepool Reads, two important new initiatives that reinforce our commitment to tackling educational inequality in communities where the need is greatest. These programmes reflect SHINE’s belief in the power of collaboration, ensuring that local partners are central to creating lasting change for children.
SHINE has also continued to play an active role in shaping the wider system. Our participation in key educational conferences and our continued advocacy for increased and sustained funding for children experiencing long-term disadvantage reflect our commitment not only to supporting schools directly, but also to influencing the environment in which they operate. Lasting progress depends on both effective practice and the right investment at a national level.
It has also been heartening to see the continued impact of our established programmes across the North. These achievements are a testament to the dedication of the teachers we support, the strength of our partnerships, and the generosity of our donors. We are sincerely grateful to everyone who shares our vision and helps make this work possible.
While there is much to celebrate, we know that significant challenges remain. Too many children continue to face barriers to learning that limit their opportunities and life chances. SHINE remains steadfast in its ambition to remove those barriers and unlock the potential of every child, regardless of background or circumstance.
From the very beginning, SHINE has existed because difficult problems are worth taking on. When the going gets tough, we do what we have always done — we double down, we recommit, and we push for more.
SHINE’s 25th anniversary year has given me an even bigger spring in my step. It strengthens my resolve to go further and faster, and to ensure that we deliver a fairer future for children.
- Click here to read more about SHINE’s 25 years of impact.