The Apex Project tackles the single most important issue in education:
elimination of avoidable early literacy failure
20%
Early literacy failure affects 20% (150,000) of pupils and is a determinant of low attainment throughout school-age education.
Analysis of the cohort shows that the system is failing those that do not access first teaching in the first years of school, which compounds existing economic disadvantage or other disadvantages that children face, such as relative age in the year and having special educational needs.
Early identification and an intervention system for pupils falling behind would have a huge return on investment, likely saving more than £2 billion per year within the education system, largely through reduction in the cost of poor quality.
The Apex challenge
The challenge of the Apex Project is to turn what some brilliant head teachers and staff teams can do to eliminate early literacy failure, into the knowledge and understanding of the system that’s achievable in all schools.
Ensuring that all children are age-appropriately literate is the biggest single step that the country can take to break our cycle of deprivation.”
Mike Fischer – Founder and Chairman, Fischer Family Foundation