Introduction

Who we are

Founded in 1997 by Sir Peter Lampl, the Sutton Trust is not a think-tank, or a straightforward grant-maker, but a "do-tank" that exists to challenge educational inequality and stop the resulting waste of talent. Its unique entrepreneurial approach has established the Trust as the independent voice for children from non-privileged backgrounds, providing expertise on issues of educational access.

Since 1998, the Sutton Trust has spent and committed over £20 million to educational initiatives.

Our motivation

Our most influential piece of research, Intergenerational Mobility in Europe and North America, undertaken by the London School of Economics, showed that social mobility in Britain and the United States is much lower than in other advanced countries, and in Britain has declined over recent decades. In other words, it has become harder for a young person from a less privileged home to climb the social ladder. A major reason for this, the research found, is that those from more affluent background have benefited disproportionately from the expansion of educational opportunities.

In 1981, for instance, 20% of children from the highest quintile of family income had completed a degree by the age of 23, compared to 6% from the lowest quintile. By 2000, the completion rates amongst children from the highest income quintile had more than doubled, to 46%, but for those in the lowest quintile it had risen to just 9% - a shockingly small improvement.

Addressing this - and promoting social mobility through education - is at the heart of the Trust's work.

Our approach

The Sutton Trust is independent and pragmatic, and looks to pursue realistic solutions which have the potential for wider roll out. We develop best practice models based on robust, objective evidence using UK and international sources, and test them rigorously through pilot projects before advocating expansion or policy change.

Where a project has proven its efficacy we work closely with the Government and other grant makers to secure nationwide uptake and funding. Sutton Trust projects developed in this way include Independent State School Partnerships - established by the Sutton Trust in 1997 and now a Government scheme - and university summer schools, pioneered by the Trust and now available at the majority of UK universities through a state-funded programme.

Our policy and project work is underpinned by research, which raises our profile in the media and gives us leverage with decision makers. To date we have undertaken 27 pieces of research, which have made a significant contribution to UK education policy. Following our 2001 report Entry to Leading Universities - the first to undertake a thorough audit of admissions to our top universities - fair access has become a key focus of Government policy and resources. More recently, our work on the social make up of our leading state schools fed directly into the 2006 Education Act and the revised school admissions code. Early in 2007, the Prime Minister acknowledged the valuable contribution of our research in his announcement of a matched-funding scheme to kick-start philanthropic giving at British universities.

See also our Chairman's Statement

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