A charity founded by a lawyer to support young people from disadvantaged backgrounds is providing ‘welcome packs’ for new Year 7 pupils, including uniform vouchers, stationery, a school bag and other academic resources.
The Be the Ladder Foundation was launched last year by Trevor Sterling, a senior partner at south of England law firm Moore Barlow, to create better opportunities for children who may not be achieving full academic potential, along with practical tools and support.
Sterling – a major trauma and personal injury specialist who has conducted high-profile cases including the Westminster terror attack and Croydon tram crash – founded Be the Ladder after overcoming what he describes as ‘so many obstacles’ to establish his career.
Writing in the Law Society Gazette in October, Sterling explained how, as the son of Windrush generation parents who emigrated to the UK from Jamaica, he left his ‘low-achieving school’ with four GCSEs.
After studying to become a legal executive while working full-time, completing additional diplomas before taking Law Society finals, and making history as the first Black senior partner of a top-100 law firm, he wanted to ‘be the ladder’ that would give children a step up on their chosen career path.
The Welcome Packs have been developed in partnership with Frogmore College in Hampshire, where the first pupils will receive them this summer. Each pack is worth around £137 and aims to ease the financial burden on families as their children start at a new school.
‘Research shows that children from under resourced families are at a higher risk of falling behind early on in secondary school, often due to a lack of basic resources,’ Be the Ladder explained.
“The Welcome Packs are designed to remove those barriers discreetly, giving pupils the tools they need to feel part of their new school community from day one.”
Initial funding for the Welcome Packs is being raised through sponsorships linked to awards staged by Be the Ladder and donations to the foundation.
Sterling commented:
“Starting secondary school should be an exciting time, not a stressful one. Every child deserves to walk through the school gates feeling proud and prepared. Through the Welcome Packs, we hope to offer practical support that makes a real difference to young people and their families.”
Matthew Burrell, assistant principal at Frogmore College, said:
“Transitioning to secondary school can be a daunting experience, especially for families facing financial challenges. The Welcome Packs will go a huge way to helping our students feel valued, included, and ready to succeed from the very start.”
The initiative is part of Be the Ladder’s broader mission to tackle educational inequality by providing targeted, meaningful support to young people at key stages of their development. The pilot may be rolled out across more schools in future years.
