The Brilliant Club joins leading social mobility organisations to call for new funding for less advantaged students in 16-19 education
Today, alongside 14 partner organisations, The Brilliant Club is launching a campaign calling on the government in introduce a Student Premium for young people from less advantaged backgrounds in 16-19 education.
Modelled on the existing Pupil Premium grant, a Student Premium would provide targeted funding to support students from less advantaged backgrounds. It would expand access to learning beyond the curriculum programmes and other evidence-based interventions at pivotal moment for young people – as they prepare for university or to enter the world of work.
Currently, when students from disadvantaged backgrounds leave secondary school, the funding available to support them falls by £980 per year. This cliff edge leaves schools and colleges with significantly less resource to invest in specialist, evidence-based interventions such as tutoring, enriched learning experiences, and tailored academic support.
This withdrawal of support comes despite the fact that disadvantage continues to shape education outcomes beyond age 16.
Introducing a Student Premium would provide an estimated £420m of new funding per year for less advantaged young people in 16-19 education – supporting them to progress leading universities and into rewarding employment.
Speaking about the launch of the campaign, The Brilliant Club’s Chief Executive, Susie Whigham said:
“At The Brilliant Club, we see at first-hand how enriching learning experiences can transform young people’s academic attainment, confidence, and self-belief. A post-16 Student Premium would introduce vital investment to ensure that those from less advantaged backgrounds are not locked out of these opportunities at a crucial stage of their education, helping to give them a fair chance to progress to leading universities and enter rewarding employment.”
For more information, visit the campaign website.
[i] DfE (2025), Widening participation in higher education