The Difference

The Difference & Impetus

The need: Permanent exclusions have risen 20 per cent compared to before the pandemic, and there has been a 40 per cent year-on-year rise between 2021/22 and 2022/23. 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, and they raise awareness and provide systemic solutions for the challenges surrounding school exclusion with key policymakers.

Our impact: With The Henry Smith Charity, 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.

Impetus’ experience and strategic insight, on aspects of our operational delivery and in supporting the leadership of our organisation, are already seeing us become a stronger charity and more potent force for change on the issue of exclusion.

Kiran Gill, CEO, The Difference


Year joined
Year joined
2021
Investment phase
Investment phase 
Build
Income
Income (2022/23)
£1.5 million
Teachers enrolled
School leaders supported
202
Young people supported
Young people reached (indirectly)
72,864
Age range
Age range
14-16
Location
Location

Nationwide

Find out more

Engage Fund

We’re tackling the rising number of school exclusions and improving outcomes for young people in alternative provision (AP) in England.
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Impetus launches £3m 'Engage Fund' to tackle school exclusions

New partnership with The Henry Smith Charity to back charities tackling school exclusions
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Educational attainment

Only 43% of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds pass English and maths GCSEs, compared to 73% of their better off peers. This attainment gap is one of the most persistent challenges facing the English education sector, and it’s only grown since the pandemic. But we believe that with the right support, all young people can succeed.
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