New Philanthropy Capital_image_Community Links A good education puts children on the path to good employment prospects and healthier personal relationships. Yet when education fails young people, we should not just shrug our shoulders and say it is the government's problem.

NPC's report, On your marks, highlights for donors and funders the work of charities that are running vital services alongside schools and colleges.

Did you know?

Half of all primary schoolchildren are bullied.
9% of 16 to 18 year olds are not in any form of education, employment or training

The report discusses whether funding academies is a good investment for donors and highlights other areas where donors could shape a child's educational life, including:

tackling bullying
providing out-of-school activities, and
providing support for children with special educational needs.

'One charity told us that a child had said to them 'verbal bullying isn’t taken seriously by our teachers. If you have some bruises they might take notice".'

John Copps, Senior research analyst

Charity insight

"250,000 children at schools in England and Wales are functionally illiterate.''

SPRINGBOARD FOR CHILDREN provides one-to-one tuition to struggling primary schoolchildren in inner-city schools. It intervenes early to help children catch up with their classmates.