- A trio of teachers established Reach Academy, an all-through school in the deprived inner-city town of Feltham, west London, in 2012, driven by the belief that all young people, regardless of background, could achieve great things. The co-founder and managing director Ed Vainker was awarded an OBE in 2020 for services to education.
- The school gained national attention in 2014, when it became the first all-through free school to be judged outstanding by Ofsted in all categories.
- It consistently records strong GCSE results, and now more than 100 schools have subscribed to Reach’s history and geography curriculum. The academy also works hard to support pupils with Send.
- The founders believe that all children should have the opportunity to go to university, and Reach supports its pupils in this endeavor through its innovative “cradle to career” scheme.
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