YELLOW Brick Rd, a Harlow-based Community Interest Company (a special type of business that exists to benefit the community rather than private shareholders), is aiming to make a powerful impact on local education by providing free one-to-one tuition to disadvantaged secondary school pupils.

Founded in response to the widening attainment gap that has grown since the COVID-19 pandemic, Yellow Brick Rd is committed to ensuring every student has the opportunity to succeed academically, regardless of background.

Yellow Brick Rd, founded by Russell Perrin an Assistant Headteacher at Stewards Academy, works by raising private donations from individuals and businesses. These funds are then distributed to schools to support targeted, high-quality one-to-one tuition. This model has already demonstrated exceptional results: research by the Education Endowment Foundation shows that such tuition can deliver up to a full grade of progress per programme.

Statistics highlight the urgent need for such support. Government data shows that just 25.2% of disadvantaged pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in their GCSEs, compared to 52.4% of all other pupils.

This stark contrast illustrates how two pupils of equal intelligence can have vastly different academic outcomes based solely on their socioeconomic circumstances.

Russell Perrin said “Government funding for these initiatives has ceased, leaving a critical void in school funding. I established Yellow Brick Rd to ensure that financial hardship doesn’t translate to educational disadvantage.

We are currently seeking backing from local organisations and individuals to help us achieve our aims. I am grateful to those businesses and individuals that have already put their trust in us.
We believe that education should be a right, not a privilege. With continued support, we can help break the cycle of disadvantage.”

To support Yellow Brick Rd, visit www.yellowbrick-road.co.uk, follow them on social media, or scan the QR code below to make a donation.

You can also contact Yellow Brick Rd by emailing: [email protected]