Progress is possible, change can happen
SHINE CEO Fiona Spellman speaks at the Social mobility symposium 2025
Charities, supported by thoughtful philanthropy, have the freedom to experiment, to take risks that others cannot, and to imagine what is possible. They can try new approaches, innovate where systems are stuck, and respond quickly to needs that others might overlook. And there is perhaps no area where that freedom is more vital than in education.
Before joining SHINE, I was a teacher in Moston, not from where we sit today. I taught students who brought hair straighteners to school but not a pen, who had cigarettes in their pockets and chewing gum plugging holes in their shoes. Every morning, I’d arrive ready to do my best with children who had already been let down in so many ways. And every day, I was reminded that these children hold enormous potential — potential that often goes unseen because the support around them is fragmented or absent.
Since then, I have had the immense privilege of seeing what works, and helping support effective approaches that make a tangible difference. What I have learned is this: when students receive the right support at school, it is not just their grades that improve. It is their confidence, their outlook, their sense of possibility. It is about more than exam results, it is about helping young people see themselves as capable, valued, and full of potential. But alongside this, we must also measure outcomes. We must understand what works, for whom, and why. Without evidence of impact, good intentions are not enough. Measuring tangible results ensures that innovation leads to real, lasting transformation, and that resources are used where they can make the biggest difference.
Across the North of England, we are beginning to see the seeds of promise. Teachers are being equipped with new tools, schools are closing opportunity gaps, and children are starting to see and feel their own potential. There are countless stories of small changes, a new teaching approach, a mentoring programme, a new way to design support around school, that give us the opportunity to celebrate successes and build on those foundations.
Of course, significant challenges remain. Inequalities are deep rooted, resources are stretched, and the pressures on schools are immense. But we should never forget that there are already highly effective people making positive change in communities. These are the teachers, school leaders, charities, and philanthropists who dare to try new ideas, who invest in evidence, and who hold fast to the belief that every child can thrive.
Even as we acknowledge the scale of the challenges before us, we should never, ever forget that progress is possible, that change can happen, and that every child is capable, whatever their backgrounds or starting points.
If we choose to believe in that possibility, to back it with evidence, and to act with courage, then together we can build an education system that unlocks the potential of every child.