Yellow Brick Road - Closing the Education Gap in Harlow
Yellow Brick Road CIC is a Harlow-based social enterprise providing free one-to-one maths, English and science tuition for disadvantaged secondary pupils. Working in partnership with local secondary schools, the project focuses on GCSE preparation in core subjects to boost confidence, raise attainment and narrow the achievement gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers.
What will the Kao SEED Fund support?
The Closing the Education Gap in Harlow project will expand its existing programme of high-quality, personalised tuition for disadvantaged Year 11 students. The funding will support 70 hours of additional one-to-one tuition in maths and science.
Who is the project helping support?
The project targets disadvantaged young people in Harlow’s secondary schools, with a particular focus on Year 11 pupils preparing for GCSEs in maths and science. Many of these students have the potential to succeed but lack access to private tuition, leaving them at risk of underachievement and widening the attainment gap. Through free, personalised one-to-one sessions, pupils will deepen subject understanding, improve exam readiness and build confidence. Families, schools and the wider community benefit as students become more engaged, motivated and better prepared for further education, training or employment.
Impact of the project
The project will improve academic progress, GCSE results and self-confidence for these pupils, helping their outcomes match or exceed those of non-disadvantaged peers. Impact will be measured using attendance and completion data, GCSE progress and attainment supplied by schools, and pre‑ and post‑tuition surveys capturing confidence and subject understanding. Drawing on evidence that one-to-one tuition can add several months of progress, the project seeks to boost social mobility and strengthen Harlow’s future skills base.