Pursuing the Sutton Trust Gold Award: Improving access for all pupils

“Orion Education have recently been awarded the Sutton Trust Fair Admissions Gold Award in recognition of their work to implement fairer admissions policies in their schools. Following this achievement , their CEO, Simon Garrill, discusses how they champion opportunity and inclusion across their multi-academy trust and school community. The Sutton Trust Fair School Admissions Award is a benchmark for schools and trusts determined to widen opportunity (particularly for children from disadvantaged backgrounds) through admissions that are transparent, inclusive, and rooted in social mobility. Orion Education has 4 primary schools and 4 secondary schools, and exists for a compelling purpose: to improve outcomes, transform lives, and enable social mobility. When I joined (then Education for the 21st Century) in 2020, we were not yet a group of schools united by a clear and consistent vision. Today, our mission is explicit: if we get it right for the pupils who need us most, we get it right for all. We exist to improve outcomes, transform lives, and enable social mobility. Pursuing the Sutton Trust Award is a natural step in that journey, both to test our practice against an external standard and to accelerate our work on educational equality. Why we applied: Aligning with our mission We applied because we believe admissions should never be a barrier to opportunity. The Sutton Trust’s fair admissions work highlights a persistent gap: disadvantaged pupils are less likely to access high-performing schools, even when those schools are nearby. We wanted to take a clear, public step to address that challenge: reviewing our own arrangements, increasing consistency across our schools, and making sure our policies actively support social mobility. Over the last five years we have focused relentlessly on school improvement. We are proud of the progress made, and clear-eyed about what still needs to improve. One area where our practice did not consistently match our mission was admissions. Across the trust, arrangements varied: some schools used banding, and in a small number of localities we were seeing very low proportions of pupils eligible for Free School Meals, reflecting wider patterns of disadvantage and access in the community. We want every Orion school to be genuinely open to the most vulnerable children, not only in principle but in practice. Contributions across areas: Supporting disadvantaged pupils Over the years, we have worked hard to ensure that children from all backgrounds feel welcome and supported in our schools. Our initiatives have included targeted academic support, enrichment activities, transition and summer schools, mentoring programmes, and robust pastoral care. We have also prioritised outreach to families, making sure they are informed and involved in their children’s education. These efforts have made a tangible difference, helping pupils develop confidence, resilience, and a love for learning. Why the Sutton Trust fair school admissions approach A central part of our work has been introducing (or strengthening) priority for children eligible for the Pupil Premium (PP) within our oversubscription criteria, where this is permissible and appropriate for the school’s context. We have been influenced by the Sutton Trust’s work on fair admissions and by evidence-led voices such as Professor Lee Elliot Major, alongside learning from trusts that have demonstrably improved outcomes for disadvantaged pupils. Prioritising disadvantage in admissions: using PP eligibility as a clear, objective criterion to widen access. Reducing unintended barriers: reviewing banding and other arrangements to ensure they do not disproportionately exclude disadvantaged pupils. Clear communication: making our admissions arrangements easy to understand for families, with proactive outreach where needed. Consistency and accountability: aligning practice across the trust and monitoring outcomes so the policy delivers real change, not just compliance. How we approached our application After discussing with trustees, we invited the Sutton Trust team to speak with our leaders. I had previously met Charlotte, the Sutton Trust’s Senior Schools Engagement Manager (who leads their work to reform admissions). At Orion, our leaders are involved in major decisions, and this was no exception. The team quickly agreed that the award matched our mission, so they led the effort to earn the Bronze award in 2024. This reflected our initial efforts to reduce the cost of attending our schools and improving how we communicate so that all parents can make informed schools choices. Many had already considered how our admissions approach supports vulnerable students, while others needed to reflect further. We chose to review our admissions policies — not for the award, but because it was right. After consulting trustees and governors, drafting a shared policy, and completing statutory consultations, we handled the process thoughtfully. Local authorities in both regions supported our approach. We are now proud to say that all our schools prioritise children eligible for the pupil premium for 20% of our school places. As such we have been able to celebrate this with a Sutton Trust Fair School Admissions Gold Award. Conclusion: Looking Ahead Reflecting on our Sutton Trust Award journey, we are proud of the progress we have made, while recognising there is always more to do. Our commitment to educational equity remains unwavering. We know that we have much more to do to ensure equity for those that need it most but we are well on way. The post Pursuing the Sutton Trust Gold Award: Improving access for all pupils appeared first on The Sutton Trust .

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