When it comes to education, it should not matter where you grow up or your family circumstances. Every young person should have a fair chance at success. However, the following barriers to progressing to university persist:
Regional disparities in entry to higher education are stark. In the academic year 2024/25, 28% of 18-year-olds from the least advantaged postcodes entered university compared to 49% from the most advantaged. The entry rate gap between London and the North East is over 20%.
The participation gap between free school meal eligible students and their peers is now 21%, the highest on record. Research also shows the intersection between ethnicity and socio-economic background. White working-class pupils are severely underrepresented at competitive universities, with just 2.6% of White British pupils eligible for free school meals progressing to competitive university in 2023/24.
Parents and carers from all backgrounds have a big influence on the future outcomes of young people. The Institute for Fiscal Studies has shown that parents and carers account for almost 50% of the factors that influence the socio-economic gap in education at age 11.
Despite these challenges, we know a fairer system is possible. To drive growth, power social mobility, and unlock brilliance we must break down these persistent barriers to a university education.
Between 2026-29, Backing Brilliance will work in the following way:
You can read the Backing Brilliance strategy here, or watch our short animation to understand our approach.
We want to create a society where a young person’s opportunities should never be limited by where they grow up or their family circumstances.
Now is the time to back brilliance.
There are many ways you can get involved with the work of the charity. Explore them here.
Our Theory of Change sets out how we turn the vision of Backing Brilliance into reality. It outlines the ways in which we are tackling the barriers that exist and how we support less advantaged young people to access and thrive at leading universities by working in partnership with PhD researchers, schools, parents, and the wider education sector.
A living and evolving framework, our Theory of Change underpins our strategy. It has been designed to guide our work, inform our decisions, and help us measure and strengthen our impact over time. We are committed to maintaining a clear and consistent focus on our outcomes and to measuring the impact of our activities and programmes.
I learned to think critically, to write with purpose, and to speak with intention, and these are skills I'll carry with me into whatever I do, because they go beyond the classroom.