The Elephant Group was founded by a group of headteachers who wanted to ensure that talented young people had access to the knowledge, skills and opportunities to succeed. They knew the problem was bigger than any one school and that tackling it would require schools, universities and other partners to work together.
Since then, we have grown from a local collaboration into a national charity working across three regional hubs. Our programmes have evolved in response to what students and partners tell us they need, but our purpose remains the same: to help ensure every young person has the tools and opportunities to take their next best step, wherever their potential leads them.
Our vision
Every student's success should be defined by potential, not circumstance.
Our purpose
We exist to build the attainment, skills and knowledge that empower every student, whatever their potential, and wherever it leads them, to take their next best step.
Our values guide everything we do:
We challenge — the inequalities and assumptions that limit what young people can achieve, and ourselves to keep learning, improving and finding better ways to create change.
We are collaborative — because educational inequality is too complex for any one organisation to tackle alone. Lasting change comes from schools, universities, employers, charities and young people working together.
We are impact-driven — we listen to young people and our partners, test and evaluate what we do, and use evidence to understand what works and where we can do better.
Jayne Taylor
Chief Executive
Adilla Allebone-Parish
Head of Development and Operations
Oonagh Shiels
Head of Programmes
Jo Ormond
Programme and Business Support Manager
Hannah Redzimski
Programme Coordinator
Kate Storey
Programme Coordinator
Eve Spink
Development and Delivery Lead
Matt Jones OBE (Chair)
Executive Principal Ark Globe Academy
Paul Cleal OBE
Head of Strategic Development u0026 Operations, Men’s Technical Directorate, The Football Association
Lord Hampton
Teacher, Mossbourne Community Academy
Peter Hughes
CEO - Mossbourne Federation
Chris Kelly
Director - Newton Europe
Sabiha Laher
Associate Executive Principal Outwood Grange Academy Trust
Lucy Walsh
Head of Corporate Engagement at The National Trust
Tom Wood
SME leader, former CEO, Board Advisor
Kieli Bibbings, Mirror Smith
Graphic design, marketing materials
Dr Luke Graham
Content assessment and revision masterclass delivery
Lindsey Smith, Alter Higher
Delivery and evaluation support
John Wallace
Photographer, Videographer
The Elephant Group is committed to transparency and good governance. Our key governance documents are available below: