The need: Permanent exclusions have risen 30% compared to before the pandemic, including a 15% rise between 2022/23 and 2023/24. We know that young people from disadvantaged backgrounds are five times more likely to be permanently excluded than their better-off peers.

Our portfolio partner: The Difference trains tomorrow’s school leaders in inclusive education, working with mainstream and alternative provision schools and multi-academy trusts to reach thousands of young people across the country. They identify inclusive best practice and share this across the education sector through their flagship Inclusive Leadership Course for school leaders, and they raise awareness and provide systemic solutions for the challenges surrounding school exclusion with key policymakers.

Our impact: With The Henry Smith Foundation, we’re providing The Difference with funding to support their ambitions to get stronger, better, and bigger. In 2023/24, 58% of school leaders on The Difference’s programme reported reduced formal exclusions in their schools within the first year.