London Challenge

The London Challenge was a school improvement programme launched by the UK's Labour Government in 2003. The policy document "Transforming London Secondary Schools" set out the aims of the programme, which was designed to create a "step change" in the performance of London secondary schools.

The initiative has been credited by Ofsted and others for a significant improvement in London's state education system. More recent studies have identified the London Challenge as one factor in several that contributed to significant enhancements in pupil outcomes.

The London Challenge programme was initially aimed at secondary schools and was intended to run until 2008. However, it was subsequently extended until 2011, and expanded to include primary schools, and two additional City Challenge areas; Greater Manchester and the Black Country.

In 2002 the British Government created a new set of policies focusing on London's state secondary schools,which were at that time performing poorly in comparison to the rest of the country. The policies were collectively known as the London Challenge and their objectives were:

The London Challenge depended on close cooperation with Local Authorities, and in particular five Key Areas were singled out for close attention, Tower Hamlets, Newham, Lewisham, Hackney, Westminster.

One of the distinctive features of London Challenge was a focus on partnership and shared purpose between schools, whilst avoiding stigmatising schools through the use of negative language. The term "Keys to Success" was used to identify those schools that would require the most intensive intervention. A series of "sector led" support mechanisms were put in place. Independent, experienced education experts, known as London Challenge Advisers, were appointed to each of the Keys to Success schools to provide tailored help. The advisers were supported by an administrative team in the Department for Education (DfE). They worked closely with experienced education professionals, appointed by the DfE, known as National Leaders of Education (NLE) or Local Leaders of Education (LLE), as well as local authority appointed School Improvement Partners (SIP) and other local authority officers to develop a bespoke intervention programmes. The cost of the support and the services brokered by the adviser came directly from the DfE. In some areas school improvement services were outsourced to consultants, though from 2007 specialist services to the Keys to Success schools were supplied by a single education consultancy company under a Challenge Service Contract.

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