Boys' Impact

We are a collective dedicated to addressing the gap in GCSE outcomes for young men who receive Free School Meals. Boys’ Impact is evidence-based. We celebrate the richness and diversity of young men’s experiences, and support them on their journey toward a happy, healthy future. Boys’ Impact brings together educational practitioners from across the UK. Established in 2023, the network takes an evidence-based approach to addressing the gap in GCSE outcomes for young men who are eligible for Free School Meals. We undertake strategic activity in research, pedagogy, policy and practice to support the outcomes of young men in their local educational, social, and geographic contexts. We aim to: – To provide a platform for the voices of young men who may be at the sharp end of inequality to be heard, listened, and responded to. – Continue to collate, build and mobilise an evidence base surrounding effective, strengths-based practice in work with young men in educational settings. – To champion the experiences of young men. We will advocate for those in power to create an environment which engages equitably with those experiencing marginalisation. Boys’ Impact was founded by Dr Alex Blower in 2023. Alex is a Research Fellow: Social Justice and Applied Creative Research at Arts University Bournemouth, where his primary focus is creating the conditions for equitable access to Higher Education Having faced his own challenges related to mental ill health and school exclusion as a young man, tackling inequality of educational opportunity is of great importance to Alex both personally and professionally. Alongside his work for the University, he writes regularly for national and international publications, contributing to the national conversation on how to make progression to Higher Education more equitable for groups who may experience structural inequality.