It recognises that place has a profound impact on your life chances. The South West peninsula may be a beautiful place to live, but it is characterised by low social mobility. We need to address the specific local barriers that hinder opportunity.
for urgent attention to be drawn to South West social mobility issues, regionally and nationally
innovative models and tools, which we have been trialling using a ‘South West first’ approach. Successful approaches are then shared nationally
key actors to work together to improve opportunity for children and young people across the peninsula
We need every organisation to play their part. Learn more about what you can do.
Our Annual Reports present an update on the state of social mobility in the region, featuring the latest outcomes for children and young people from under-resourced backgrounds. The reports aim to shine a spotlight on key challenges and hold regional leaders to account.
They have been consistently featured in national media, referenced in House of Lords debates, and used as an evidence base to generate over a million pounds in funding for regional social mobility initiatives.
BBC article: The ‘education gap’ hiding in picture-perfect Cornwall and Devon
Our Annual Events convene circa 100-120 civic actors around a theme.
Previous events have included speakers from regional employers Babcock, EDF, Browne Jacobson and Bray Leino, together with young people, and leaders across further and higher education, the schools sector, government, the voluntary sector, and more. Read more about the learnings from our past events in our write-ups, available to read on our blog.
We have developed and trialled scalable, innovative, research-informed initiatives with a ‘South West-first’ approach. We believe there is good reason to trial initiatives in the South West first. The region is the most rural and coastal in England, often meaning added implementation challenges. It is also frequently overlooked in national policy-making.
Our flagship models/tools are:
We have completed several other projects including a report on school-centred cradle-to-career models, a project on careers (within tech, but the findings have wider implications), and a report on early years policy and practice. You can read about them in the More section.
We want every young person in the region to grow up with decent life prospects. Our goals span from cradle to career, recognising that improving social mobility is a lifelong endeavour encompassing both educators and employers. No one can solve these societal challenges on their own.
Early Years (0-5)
Every infant* develops healthily and meets Early Years foundation goals so that they are ready for school.
School (5-16)
Every child* finishes school with foundational English and maths, a broad education and a plan for 16-18 study or training.
FE/training (16-18)
Every young person* is equipped with the skills employers need now and in the future, the qualifications required to progress and a plan for the next three years.
Early Career (18-25)
Every adult* is working towards a further or higher level qualification or in a job with training that lead to skilled employment with decent pay.
* Individual differences may mean this is not possible for every person. However a realistic goal might be 95-100%.
The South-West Social Mobility Commission is generously supported by:
We rely entirely on external funding. To support our work, please get in touch here.
