Working with schools

More than a school trip

At UKSA we are so much more than education; we focus on the growth and development of young people. Our aim is to remove barriers, both financial and social, to enable any young person from any background to achieve their very personal best and gain life enhancing experiences, qualifications and employment.

We know that many children and young people are missing out on life changing opportunities because schools, local authorities and parents simply cannot afford to pay for them. Our aim is to remove both financial and social barriers to enable young people from any background to achieve their best and gain life changing experiences, qualifications and employment.

Young children smiling and putting their thumbs up on a sail boat
Children being splashed with water

Did you know?

In 2017/18, nearly 30% of school children in England were eligible for free school meals or ‘pupil premium’. Research published by the Education Policy Institute (EPI) in the summer of 2018 found that young people eligible for pupil premium in England were, on average, 18 months behind their peers in terms of academic attainment by the time they reached their GCSE’s. In some places, including the Isle of Wight, they were over 27 months behind.

In their report, the EPI recommend participation in adventure learning as a key strategy to counter this gap. They cite research that pupils who participated in these activities made four additional months’ academic progress over the course of a year compared to those who did not; they attributed this to the development of life skills which are positively linked to attainment, such as resilience and self-esteem. However, as outlined by the EPI, these activities are more likely to be accessed by more affluent children due to the costs attached, meaning disadvantaged pupils do not have the same opportunities to develop these life skills.

  • £191 will fund a child for a 3 day residential trip
  • £5,730 will help fund an entire class (30 children)
  • £19,100 will fund 100 disadvantaged children

“ The funding enabled us to bring a group of 20 students, most of whom would definitely not be able to afford anything like this otherwise. Our school has a very high percentage of Pupil Premium students (72%).

Funding and experiences like this enable our students to have access to experiences that build their confidence, resilience and social and cultural capital. Funding towards trips and activities at UKSA has a huge impact on our students. A highlight for me was seeing certain students really grow in confidence and show very supportive qualities to some of the other students” Teacher, George Green School