Since SHINE was established in 1999, we have invested more than £34.5 million in projects helping over 1.4 million children from 20,000 schools. Almost 200,000 of these children have been reached by SHINE-funded programmes in schools; and in addition, more than 1.2 million disadvantaged children have benefitted from access to SHINE-funded programmes online. Scroll down to read about our most recent work.
Children in disadvantaged areas currently leave school with lower grades, on average, than those in locations with higher levels of privilege, and the pandemic has only amplified these disparities. SHINE projects are focused on schools in the most deprived parts of the North, where the greatest impact can be made.
SHINE programmes have helped 29,811 children in the classroom and a further 11,377 children online.
We have worked hand-in-hand with some of the North’s best teachers to develop new and impactful projects that support the region’s most disadvantaged children.
Meanwhile, established projects have been expanded so they now benefit many more students.
Read SHINE CEO Fiona Spellman’s reflections on the year here.
This year, SHINE funded projects across the following subjects and educational stages:
We focus on boosting qualifications in the core academic subjects to unlock the greatest choice for children in their future lives.
We focus on early support to help get ahead of the issues, with some targeted interventions later on.
SHINE supports innovative work at some of the most important stages in a child’s educational journey: in the early years, as children get ready for school, and in the crucial period when they make the switch from primary to secondary school.
In the last 12 months, SHINE projects focused on these critical phases have reported excellent results among children from disadvantaged backgrounds. We are determined to build on this progress so that many more children can benefit.
Evidence shows that schools engaging with parents results in an average of 4 months’ additional progress.
SHINE recognises that this is particularly important among disadvantaged families and so we encourage our partner schools to make increased parental involvement a key part of their projects.
As a result, this year, SHINE has helped thousands of parents, both in the classroom and at home.
Ever since starting reception, Eva had been very shy. She always avoided eye contact with adults and never put her hand up in class to share ideas. Both Eva’s mum and her teacher were acutely aware of how reluctant she was at school.
Read Eva’s Story
Each year, through our Let Teachers SHINE competition, we invite teachers to put forward their new project ideas for tackling educational inequality. The best receive funding and support to help make their ideas a reality.
In 2022, Let Teachers SHINE backed eight talented teachers, awarding grants of more than £100,000 to develop projects aimed at raising the attainment of disadvantaged children in the North of England. Click here to read more.
Past winners also received follow-up grants to help them scale up their projects.
SHINE is able to support the disadvantaged children of the North thanks to our incredibly generous donors and trustees. In the past year, SHINE is proud to have been able to invest £1.7 million in projects aimed at boosting the life chances of children.
This funding is allowing teachers to develop and evaluate fresh and exciting educational approaches which target the barriers facing the disadvantaged children that they teach. The funding is also helping teachers to expand their projects into other schools, so that many more children can benefit.
Together with partners, we are on target to meet our ambitious goal of investing £25 million by 2025.
Ever since starting reception, Eva had been very shy. She always avoided eye contact with adults and never put her hand up in class to share ideas. Both Eva’s mum and her teacher were acutely aware of how reluctant she was at school.
Read Eva’s Story
If we are to nurture and protect vulnerable learners, we need to work with the whole family, not just the child in isolation, and do so at an early stage.
Read Debi’s story