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Spring is definitely here, daffodils, blossom and crocuses are all basking in the bright sunshine. There is still a chill in the air in the shade but it's happening and all the seeds that were sown over the last few months are coming to fruition. At the Foundation, we have been planning the year ahead and our Positive Periods and Prevention of Gender Based Violence programmes got underway this weekend in Haiti and Ghana. These projects will have a long-lasting effect on the lives of the women and girls who take part: tackling the root causes of gender-based violence and enabling girls to attend school every day when they have their period, to feel safe at school and know how to take action when they are faced with violence. These are the first of many projects planned for the year ahead as we continue to work towards Education for All children everywhere.

The outlook for the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4) on global education is far from rosy. But a gloomy future isn’t inevitable. Disappointing statistics are the result of political choices that can be shifted and there are thousands of youth, grassroots activists and civil society organisations across the UK advocating for global education to make these changes. We need more people involved to build the momentum, we need to make a difference in challenging circumstances. You can help! Here’s how; Making global education a UK priority The UK is an important donor and champion for global education. However, education has been gradually deprioritised on the development agenda. Global education spending has plummeted from 13.5% of Official Development Assistance (ODA) in 2013 to just 3.5% in 2023, and education was one of the sectors hit hardest by the abandonment of the 0.7% gross national income (GNI) target for ODA. With Labour’s annual budget confirming another reduction in the aid budget, funding for global education is under threat of being cut even further unless we stand together to say this can’t happen. While education is a domestic priority for the new Government, it has yet to emerge as a strong theme in their development agenda. As the Labour Party continues to develop their approach there is a unique opportunity for advocates to connect these dots and make the case for why education must be a key part of the Government’s international plans. For the Government to take action it needs to hear demand for change. There are many issues MPs recognise are important, but if they do not hear about these issues from constituents it can be hard for MPs to be vocal about them in Parliament. Following an election where many parliamentary seats were won with tight margins, MPs need to hear from the people they represent that global education must be on their agenda. With over half of MPs elected for the first time this year, many are actively looking for a steer on what issues to work on. We can give them one! How to Get Involved Write to your MP about why global education needs to be a bigger priority for the UK Government and encourage members of groups you are a part of, such as your union branch or a local community group, to do the same. This can have a real impact on your MP’s interest and ability to act for global education. You can also connect with other grassroots activists and get resources for taking action from international development advocacy organisations like Results UK. You can learn more about Results UK’s grassroots network on our website. If you are a teacher, get your school involved in the Send My Friend to School Campaign (SMF). Send My Friend is a UK civil society coalition advocating for SDG4 which supports a mass UK schools campaign to amplify student voices calling for universal quality education in solidarity with their peers around the world. Free campaign packs are available on the SMF website for primary and secondary levels with everything teachers need to run the campaign in their school. Parliamentarians can learn more about education issues and how to act by joining the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Global Education, a cross-party group that brings together Parliamentarians interested in the right to education and provides them with knowledge and resources to be champions of the issue. By joining our voices through collective action, we can make a real difference in moving the needle on this issue. Together we have a chance to rechart the course for the realisation of quality education for all. BIOGRAPHY Hannah Frisch is the Senior Policy and Parliamentary Advocacy Officer for Education at Results UK and a Co-Chair of the Send My Friend to School Policy and Parliamentary Working Group. She is a policy advisor for the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Global Education in the UK Parliament.

Last year the Steve Sinnott Foundation supported the work of The Federation of Drama Schools by providing financial aid to new graduates, enabling them to take part in an industry showcase at The Abbey Theatre in Dublin. The showcase is an annual event for Irish graduates who have completed a professional training at one of the Federation’s partner conservatoires in the UK, introducing young actors to the industry they hope to work in. The Federation of Drama Schools partners are institutions that provide conservatoire vocational training for those who want to be professional performers, theatre makers and technical theatre practitioners. The courses they offer are for students of eighteen years and over, who have completed their school level education. In November (2024) fourteen young Irish graduates took part in the showcase and the SSF provided financial support to two graduates who may not otherwise have been able to take part in this showcase, which is a bridge between training and their professional career. Melanie Lavery from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama is one of those who benefitted from this support. Melanie writes of her experience. I would like to say a huge thank you to the Steve Sinnott Foundation for the support I received, making it possible for me to take part in the Dublin Showcase 2024. The opportunity allowed me to work with graduates from across FDS schools and widen my contacts in the industry. Coming from a socio-economically deprived area, I’ve often missed out on opportunities available to my peers. I have had to spend a lot of energy during my three years in drama school working to support myself and this has meant I often don’t have time to follow up network opportunities. In receiving this sponsorship and taking part in the showcase I have been able to connect with other Irish creatives - the people I am acting opposite, directors, casting directors and agents in the industry. These industry showcases are so important for graduates. It gives us the possibility of networking with industry professionals and hopefully the opportunity of taking that first crucial step into the profession we have trained for. As I studied in Wales, it gave me the chance to return to Ireland and to reach out to creatives there. The Foundation gave me this amazing opportunity to kick start my career in my home country. On the day of the showcase, I had such pride watching my fellow Irish peers performing on stage at Ireland’s National Theatre. Working together throughout the rehearsal period, I got to know them individually and we all helped each other to grow as performers. This showcase has helped me to create my own community of actors around me. When it came to talking with other creatives after the show case, I became so much more aware of how large and welcoming the industry is in Ireland and how much work is being produced here. I think this show case is so important as it highlights how vibrant and growing the industry is in Ireland. I feel so lucky that I was able to take part thanks to the help of the Steve Sinnott Foundation. For more information on the Federation of Drama Schools, professional industry showcases, and it’s partner schools please visit www.federationofdramaschools.co.uk

Since 2015 we have developed and supported self-help groups for caregivers of children with disabilities in a rural part of Kenya. Currently we have 12 self-help groups with a membership of around 135. Through their participation in the self-help groups, the caregivers are empowered to take control of their lives by speaking up, supporting each other and acting to bring about positive changes. An extension of university-based research and development, we registered our work on self-help groups with the UK Charity Commission in August 2023. Our in-country partner is Walezi Foundation- a non-government funded organisation. The aim is to further develop the potential of selfhelp groups in Kilifi County, one of the poorest areas in Kenya, and to grow the number of groups supported. Long-term caregiving has been associated with fatigue, distress and poverty. Many feel helpless in the face of such challenges and very much alone. A combination of superstition, stigma and discrimination marginalises these families. Not only can these children be excluded from education, employment and contact with other villagers, the level of stigma is such that the caregiver’s shame may lead them to deny their child’s existence. This creates social isolation for both the caregiver and the child. In the beginning we listened to what people told us about their lived experiences: “People at home have very little to do with the child. The child is lonely most of the time and there is little assistance from family members and the community.” What do the self-help groups do? The self-help group members meet regularly. They share their experiences as caregivers and provide support for each other. Our partner NGO – Walezi Foundation – visits all the groups at regular intervals. The caregivers are supported to talk about: their personal situation and consider ways to support each other in the group; the inclusion of persons with disabilities in home and community events; encouraging more positive attitudes towards disability in the community; the importance of accessing education and health services; and practical solutions to relieve the challenges faced by them all in everyday life. Working together they register formally as a self-help group with the Kenyan government department of Social Development and embark on livelihood activities to alleviate their financial challenges. Since 2023 we have provided start-up funds for capital projects to expand the financial capacity of each group. Some of the projects that have been started include: livestock rearing, hiring large tents and chairs for community events and building a water tower for storing and selling water. Through this work we have shown that membership of a self-help group can bring about dramatic changes to the caregivers’ lives and those of their children with disabilities, including: development of essential skills for livelihood activities; growth in family income; increased social support; better access to health for all; more children with disabilities in education. Over the next three years we aim to expand our coverage of community-based self-help groups in Kilifi County, Kenya and roll out our mentorship scheme across other African countries. If you want to find out more about our work, please go to our website: www.walezi-caregivers-kenya.org

Anyone who knows me knows that I am passionate about learning and could wax lyrical about how important education is and how we have to try our best to ‘get it right’. As I started to prepare to write this article; a task that asked me to list successes within education, I was shocked about what I learnt about myself … I lean towards pessimism! Why is this? I launched into research and soon soothed myself by the fact that the human condition favours pessimism over optimism as it sounds more plausible. For example: tell someone that everything will work out fine and you will probably get a polite dismissal or platitude. Tell someone that they are in danger (or something serious is going wrong) and you will have their undivided attention! I brought this insight with me to a recent lunchtime chat with a placement student of mine (who has recently left school) and her mentor. To their credit and good humour, they allowed me to ramble on until I asked them about their views on what has been a success within their own educational experience. Silence. I took this as first hand proof of the human proclivity towards pessimism. But when they answered in joint chorus, “knowing that my teacher cared for me”, I could not help but smile. Pastoral care is a true and lasting success of education. Our children and young people come to our schools from a range of backgrounds and experiences but school is the constant; a place filled with people who are there just for them. Educational debate around the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is huge at the moment. I would champion its use in regards to personalising the learning experience or streamlining processes but it can never replace that which is most important - relationships. We all need and crave a deep sense of connection and belonging no matter what our age and stage. With lunch over I wanted to find out more about the successes there have been within education over the years and with no one else to consult, I turned to my computer; a Large Language Model (LLM) to be precise. Immediately, as soon as I hit ‘enter’, a profound list of accomplishments appeared on screen: More students than ever are in school Technology is revolutionising education Teaching has become more inclusive and innovative We are learning to value teachers more (Are we? Sorry my pessimism needs to challenge this one!) Education is adapting to global changes My screen was positively overflowing with optimism. ‘Definitely not human’ I thought to myself. But the AI’s summary heading made me pause: ‘Embrace Creativity for the Next Frontier”. This made me think. Creativity, alongside relationships, is another success of educational practice. We are all creative, either consciously or subconsciously, in whatever task we are doing and it is our role as educators to help our pupils be creative in design, thought or approach, especially in a world that is embracing technology more and more. As I write, two alternate thoughts swirl within my mind: Does educational progress happen too slowly to notice? Or do topical, educational trends occur too quick to ignore? The latter would always make education a failure by default. All I know is that continued improvements within the education sector must be built upon evidence based research, utilising the learnings from cognitive science. For me, continued success within pedagogy must be formed upon knowing what works. For the sake of having a balanced argument, I will end on an optimistic note: “Rather than lamenting what’s not working, we should focus on what’s been built and how we can expand upon success. Education is not a lost cause—it’s a dynamic force that’s been evolving for the better over the past 15 years. Let’s continue to push it forward, not by fearing failure, but by embracing it as part of the process toward even greater achievements.” LLM 2024 Not too shabby, AI, not too shabby at all. BIOGRAPHY Bernard Noble is an educational consultant and founder of Learning Me. With a background as a school leader, pastoral care lead and SENDCO, he has expertise in pedagogy, educational policy, nurture, neurodiversity and learning disabilities. Passionate about holistic education, Bernard is a strong advocate for making emotional health and wellbeing strategies explicit.

Chess is a low cost, high impact educational intervention. It knows no boundaries of age, gender, faith, ethnicity or disability, and can be played anywhere at any time. The game fosters intellectual and emotional skills crucial to a child’s wider development. Chess in Schools & Communities (CSC) is a nationwide charity founded in 2009 which delivers the educational and social benefits of learning chess to disadvantaged communities across the country. We work in a variety of community settings: libraries, hospitals, youth centres, homes for older people and prisons. Through our Schools’ Programme we currently teach chess in over 300 schools every week and support a further 2,400 schools with tuition, equipment, access to our curriculum and training. In schools, CSC’s unique approach is to run chess lessons during the school day as well as traditional chess clubs after school. Our lessons follow a bespoke 30-week curriculum designed to support other areas of the primary school learning, most notably mathematics. The course is suitable for children with no prior knowledge of board games and takes them from complete beginners to proficient players over the course of an academic year. Lessons are delivered by trained CSC tutors supported by school staff. The lessons are for whole classes of 30 children and typically take place in KS2 in primary school. Teaching during the school day ensures our programme is completely inclusive: no child is excluded from chess activities and children with special educational needs flourish. Girls, often under-represented in typical chess clubs, thrive in our lessons and tend to perform extremely well in our tournaments. In addition to these core activities, CSC also organises the London Chess Classic, a world-class chess tournament with a schools’ festival attended by up to 2,500 of our pupils, and ChessFest, a celebration of the game of chess which culminates in the charity taking over Trafalgar Square for the day to offer free, familyfriendly chess activities to members of the public. On 7th July 2024, a record 23,300 people attended the fourth edition of ChessFest ( www.chess-fest.com ). Our lessons plans contain large amounts of mathematical content particularly relevant to Key Stage 2 in primary schools: Numeracy – children are encouraged to constant keep track of the numerical value of their collection of chess pieces relative to their opponent. Coordinates - it is impossible to describe chess moves without using the coordinates assigned to the squares on the board. Geometry - when teaching in lower KS2, we often find our teaching of the chessboard introduces children to basic geometric vocabulary: horizontal, vertical, rows, columns, diagonals. In addition, when teaching the tricky knight move, many of our tutors use an L-shaped piece of paper to lay on the chess board and then talk about rotations and reflections of that shape to generate all the possible moves. Algorithms - there are various technical tasks in chess, especially when it comes to forcing checkmate. Our curriculum explicitly describes these as algorithms. For example, when delivering checkmate with a king and queen against a bare king, our pupils learn the Closing the Box method. Basic proofs - when learning how the pieces move around a chessboard, our curriculum sets children various problems that require simple mathematical proofs. For example, can the children find a way to move a knight from the bottom left corner of the chessboard to the top right in six moves? In addition to this mathematical knowledge, learning chess also develops various skills that are critical to STEM subjects in general: problem solving logical thought decision making visualisation concentration skills If you are interested in having chess taught in your school please get in touch! www.chessinschools.co.uk – dan@chessinschools.co.uk BIOGRAPHY Dan has worked for CSC since 2011. He started as a tutor in London and became London Coordinator before moving to Yorkshire. While he still loves teaching chess in schools, he coordinates CSC’s work in Yorkshire and other counties and deals with Tutor Recruitment outside London and Training, is National Library Coordinator and Deputy Safeguarding Lead. He is married and has two children. As well as working with chess he also enjoys playing

A country should judge the effectiveness of its public services through the experiences of those who fare least well. In Scotland, where many acknowledge the education system to be progressive, children from the Scottish Gypsy/Traveller community have been educationally disadvantaged for generations. Frequently, the children receive no schooling or they opt out at an early age. Scottish Gypsy/Travellers are from a tradition of nomadic communities across the UK, which also includes Romani Gypsies, Welsh Travellers and Irish Travellers. A key concern for communities is sustaining their culture. Most believe that schools fail in preparing their children for Gypsy/Traveller lives. Boys often leave at age 11 to take up opportunities offered through family businesses. Girls leave to be trained in domestic skills by mothers. Recent research findings (STEP, 2023) showed that the involvement of women was key to developing culturally relevant school experiences. However, the modest knowledge that women had of the modern education system was largely based on their own past experiences, which included an inflexible curriculum and frequently involved racism and discrimination from fellow pupils and staff. The women in the study were unaware of the changes to the system over the past 10 years. For example, while pre-school nursery is encouraged and places are free in Scotland, few mothers took up the offer—to do so would be a failure in their maternal duties. The research recommended that educators collaborate with communities to increase women’s knowledge of the system, to empower them to make decisions about their own, and their families’ education in line with SDG5. Communities’ members and educators collaborated with STEP to create STEP Starter Sacks, a culturally relevant play-based programme targetting pre-school-aged children and their mothers. A series of Sacks contained materials that encouraged women to participate in learning activities at home to prepare children for school. More strategically, the sacks also encouraged connections between mothers and nursery / school educators. Through these relationships, we hoped, mothers would gain trust and discover the value of education for all their children not to mention themselves. Moreover, staff at participating centres received training about Gypsy/Traveller culture and using appropriate ways to encourage parental participation. Each sack was colour coded for its contents: , literacy (red), science (yellow) and health and wellbeing (green), each designed to address some known barriers, including: Social rules and routines, helping children’s familiarity and confidence before starting school Mitigating barriers presented through low adult literacy, activity cards with QR codes directed mothers to video content on the STEP website To encourage a sense of ownership and belonging, Gypsy/Traveller culture was explicitly represented in the curriculum materials. To encourage sustained engagement, new Sacks were introduced at four-monthly intervals. The programme has been running for three years. Over 400 women continue to be involved. Their knowledge and understanding of the current education system has increased and we have evidence of changes in decision-making, expectations and aspirations around their children’s education, particularly for girls. “Obviously, education is important for anybody but, like years ago, what it was like for Travellers—you'd get married, you'd cook and you'd clean. You'd have kids. That was the women's life. But I don't want that for my girls. I want them to get an education and enjoy their life a little bit. They don't need a man to provide for them. They can do it themself. Obviously, eventually get married, yes. I just don't want that to be their life plan.” Female, 17-40 The programme has had significant impact on the uptake of nursery places as well as school attendance in older children. For the women, they have reported increased confidence in supporting their children’s learning at home. Most importantly, some described an increased understanding of their own agency. They have collaborated with staff, reaching shared understandings of their cultural needs and expectations. We have also extended the programme, opening local opportunities for women to develop their own literacy. These women now have enhanced capacity (resources, skills, social capital and connections), which we hope will lead to future benefits. BIOGRAPHY Maureen began her career as an artist and a teacher in Scotland. She has worked in schools and galleries throughout the UK using the visual arts to inspire new forms of participation and inclusion in education. She has undertaken research and evaluation for national bodies including The Arts Council of England, NESTA, Scottish Book Trust and The Scottish Government. She is currently Director of STEP, a Knowledge Exchange Centre at the University of Edinburgh, which supports sustainable education for traditionally nomadic communities. Maureen’s doctoral research was in digital participative research methods.

“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world,” wrote a young Anne Frank, at just 14 years old, during one of the darkest periods in modern history. Her words, penned during war, persecution and loss, continue to resonate today, reminding us that even in times of despair, we possess the power to bring about change—both within ourselves and the world around us. As I reflect on the state of the world today, Anne’s message of hope and determination feels more urgent than ever. It is a call to action, a reminder that no matter the challenges, the possibility for change is always within reach. But what does this have to do with the right to education? In my view—everything. Since it was founded in 2009 to honour Steve Sinnott’s legacy and lifetime of commitment to education for all, The Steve Sinnott Foundation has remained steadfast in its mission to advocate for the right to education for every child, everywhere. Through diverse global initiatives, the Foundation has provided access to quality learning in myriad forms. But at its heart lies a powerful belief: education is much more than simply acquiring literacy and numeracy. It is a lifelong process that fosters creativity, critical thinking, and a deep commitment to justice and equality. No child should ever be denied that opportunity. Over the past two decades, significant progress has been made towards expanding access to education. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and their successor, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), have focused on increasing global enrolment and completion rates in primary and secondary education. Encouragingly, data shows these indicators are improving, signaling a positive trend. Numerous innovative initiatives are breaking down barriers to education, and it’s increasingly recognised that achieving one development goal cannot be done in isolation from others. In my work in the field of reproductive health and rights, the interconnectedness of these challenges is evident. In Sub Saharan Africa, for example, a lack of access to contraception remains a major barrier to girls’ education. Each year, around 4 million girls drop out of school due to pregnancy. Without reproductive health services, many young women are forced to leave the classroom, setting off a cycle of lost opportunities that impacts not only their futures but also those of their communities. Inadequate access to safe and clean sanitation facilities, including menstrual hygiene resources, means girls often miss school regularly. Global crises such as climate change and conflict have displaced millions of children, further disrupting their access to consistent education. The scope of these challenges is vast, but so are the efforts to address them. A growing number of inspirational individuals, organisations, and governments are coming together, recognising that complex problems cannot be solved in isolation. Education, health, gender equality, and access to technology are deeply intertwined, and collaborative solutions are needed, ones that reflect the complexity of lived experiences and ensure that no one is left behind. This brings me back to where I began. The barriers to education must be broken because access to learning has the power to transform lives. It changes hearts and minds, creating spaces for dialogue, reconciliation, and collaboration. There are millions of children and young people who could make this world a better place if only they had the opportunity to realise their potential. Education is the cornerstone of a just and equal society. It enables the formation of ideas, empowers individuals to question the status quo, and equips them with the tools to improve the world. Whether in classrooms or communities, the true power of education lies not just in the transmission of knowledge but in its ability to foster change. It creates ripples of positive transformation that extend far beyond the individual, reaching entire societies. In a world too often marked by division and uncertainty, education holds the key to a brighter, more equitable future. And as Anne so beautifully reminded us, we need not wait a single moment to begin. BIOGRAPHY Sam Tiwari is a dynamic leader in global philanthropy and the non-profit sector, with over 20 years of experience advancing human rights and social justice across diverse regions. Her journey began with community organisations in North India, where she gained firsthand insight into the structural and societal barriers faced by women and girls in social, economic and political participation. Sam has since worked across diverse sectors such as women’s cooperatives, education, health and humanitarian response, connecting resources to causes that are tackling some of the biggest challenges facing people and planet. Currently, Sam leads the Philanthropy team at MSI Reproductive Choices, a global organisation championing reproductive rights and bodily autonomy. She also serves on the boards of the Steve Sinnott Foundation and Dignity Alliance International.