Impetus is pleased to announce new partnerships with Co-op Academies Trust and The Two Counties Trust. These organisations join our portfolio through the Engage Fund, which, in partnership with the Henry Smith Charity, is dedicated to improving outcomes for young people who have been or are at risk of being excluded from school.

Investing in these organisations is central to our efforts combating the negative outcomes associated with school exclusion — a challenge that has deepened post-pandemic as school exclusions and suspensions continue to rise. In the 2022-23 school year alone, students across the country lost 32 million days of learning to suspensions and unauthorised absences, a sharp increase from 19 million pre-pandemic.

We know that this crisis disproportionately affects young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, who are four times more likely to be excluded than their better-off peers. These students are also over-represented in alternative provision (AP) settings, where disparities are striking: over 40% of AP students receive Free School Meals, compared to 14% in mainstream schools, and half have social, emotional, or mental health needs, compared to one in 50 in the general school population. Only 5% of young people who sit their GCSEs in AP pass English and maths. These negative outcomes can persist into adulthood: young people who have been suspended even once are twice as likely to not be in education, employment, or training (NEET) at 24 than their peers.

Together with The Henry Smith Charity, we’re backing innovative organisations pioneering high-quality interventions to tackle school exclusions and create more inclusive schools, so young people from disadvantaged backgrounds can get the qualifications they need to succeed in work and life.

Why these organisations?

The long-term impacts of school exclusions are profound, not only for the young people directly affected but for their communities and the wider UK economy. But we need more research to understand what actually works to keep these young people engaged in school.

Through our Engage Fund, Impetus is stepping in to bridge this gap. We’re investing in organisations implementing high-potential interventions, commissioning high-quality policy research, and using the insights we gain to develop best practices for the sector.

Co-op Academies Trust and The Two Counties Trust are both making intentional strides towards becoming more inclusive trusts. They have made significant commitments to developing high-quality internal alternative provision (IAP), which is increasingly regarded as a high-potential intervention for young people at risk of exclusion and lost learning. Done well, IAP can provide the additional support these young people need to thrive, ensuring they do not lose learning, and they leave school equipped to succeed in life.

By partnering with these trusts to develop and refine their models for high-quality, inclusive IAP and roll it out across their respective schools, we hope to make a meaningful difference in lives of the young people in these schools, but also to demonstrate the positive outcomes these approaches can deliver to the wider sector.

Through these new partnerships with Co-op Academies Trust and The Two Counties Trust, we’re excited to expand our portfolio to invest in IAP as an intervention for young people at risk of exclusion. Both trusts embrace an inclusive and wholistic approach to IAP, designing their programmes to ensure that all students have the support they need to succeed in school and life. We are eager to work alongside them as partners to build high-quality programmes that both improve outcomes the young people they serve and provide insights on IAP’s potential across the UK.

- Sebastien Ergas, Impetus Portfolio Director

Co-op Academies Trust

We are very excited to partner with Impetus and The Henry Smith Charity through the Engage Fund to further develop our Internal Alternative Provision model across our secondary schools. At Co-op Academies Trust, we believe that every young person deserves the opportunity to succeed, regardless of their background or challenges they face. This partnership will allow us to enhance the tailored support we provide to students at risk of exclusion, ensuring they remain engaged in their education and feel a continued sense of belonging in our school communities. We want all our students to have positive school experiences preparing them for their future as we develop successful inclusion practises.

- Chris Tomlinson, CEO of Co-op Academies Trust

Co-op Academies Trust is a multi-academy trust (MAT) with 37 schools across the North of England. Established in 2010, the trust includes Primary, Secondary, and Special schools and a College, many of which are located in disadvantaged areas. Its student population is more ethnically diverse and socioeconomically disadvantaged than the national average, making them among the most vulnerable to exclusion.

Impetus is partnering with Co-op Academies Trust to enhance its IAP programme, which is already in place across the trust’s 10 secondary schools. Built on eight evidence-backed guiding principles, the trust’s IAP model emphasises reintegration into mainstream education as a key goal. Students are provided with tailored academic support, special educational needs and disability (SEND) services, and a continued sense of belonging to the wider school community throughout their time in IAP. Schools like Co-op Academy Grange and Co-op Academy Failsworth have already been identified as examples of best practice, with promising early outcomes.

CEO Dr. Chris Tomlinson is personally passionate about this initiative and has given it the highest priority within the trust. Chris has a strong track record of school improvement, having doubled the number of schools in the trust during his tenure and overseen three successful school turnarounds in the past year. Chris, Director of Behaviour and Attendance Phillipa Sadgrove, and the wider team have already demonstrated real commitment to the Impetus partnership and to rolling out high quality IAP trust-wide.

Partnering with Co-op Academies Trust is an exciting opportunity to develop a truly impactful intervention for their most vulnerable pupils. It will also be an opportunity to learn, as we look to design a model for IAP that can meet the needs of a diverse and geographically disparate school population.

- Adam Alagiah-Glomseth, Impetus Investment Director

The Two Counties Trust

We are delighted to be working with Impetus and The Henry Smith Charity to support the implementation of Internal Alternative Provision across our family of schools. The expertise and guidance from their Investment Team will be instrumental in helping us establish nine effective IAPs that provide essential support for some of our most vulnerable students. We are committed to enhancing the life choices of students and this project will help us achieve our mission.

- Wesley Davis, CEO of The Two Counties Trust

The Two Counties Trust (TTCT) is a MAT with nine secondary schools across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. With Impetus’ support, TTCT plans to expand its IAP centres from one-third of its schools to all nine within two years.

TTCT’s IAP model is rooted in inclusivity, foregrounding support for students with the highest needs. Rather than a sanction for poor behaviour, IAP is used as a pathway to offer increased support for at-risk students. TTCT has made rolling out high-quality IAP a top priority, with investments in new buildings for the centres, allocation of senior staff to these programmes, and efforts to centre inclusive language in its approach, promoting respect for all students.

CEO Wesley Davis has overseen significant improvements since joining the trust in 2021, including three Ofsted upgrades in just 18 months. His commitment to inclusive leadership is evident in his team’s training and focus on IAP, with many senior staff completing the Inclusive Leadership Course from fellow Engage Fund member, The Difference.

We’re really looking forward to working with Wesley and his team to design and roll out high quality IAP across their schools. They have a powerful combination of passion and expertise, and with our support we believe they can set up truly impactful IAPs.

- Adam Alagiah-Glomseth, Impetus Investment Director

Next Steps

In addition to core funding of £100,000 per annum, Co-op Academies Trust and TTCT will receive the support and expertise of our dedicated Investment Team and access to our world class pro bono network. We will work shoulder-to-shoulder with our new partners to design and implement consistent, high-quality, inclusive IAP models across all their schools, transforming the lives of the young people they serve and unlocking key insights on IAP’s potential.