Gospel Oak School leads the way in Shaping a Brighter Future for Tipton
Gospel Oak School has officially launched an ambitious new community engagement initiative, ‘Shaping a Brighter Future for Tipton’, aimed at tackling local deprivation and creating long-term opportunities for young people across the area.
Unveiled at an event held at the Black Country Living Museum, the launch brought together more than 40 local business leaders and the Mayor of Sandwell, Syeda Khatun MBE. The event served as a powerful call to action, inviting the community to unite behind a shared vision for meaningful, long-lasting change.
Developed in partnership with Intensive Engagement, an organisation supporting community engagement plans, this pioneering initiative marks the first time the organisation has partnered with a school as the lead agency. The project uses Intensive Engagement’s structured eight-step approach to drive sustainable community action and build strong, interconnected local networks.
The project’s launch included a thought-provoking video created by Year 12 students, sharing their lived experiences of growing up in Tipton and their hopes for the future. Several of those students attended the event in person and will now form the foundation of a student leadership body to help guide the next steps of the initiative.
Commenting on the project, one Year 12 student said: “It meant a lot to stand in front of local leaders and share our perspectives. We want to be part of something bigger – something that gives people hope and shows what Tipton could be. This project is our chance to do that.”
Gospel Oak School’s leading role in the initiative is in line with the Central Region Trust’s vision of ‘social justice through exceptional schools’.
The school is now moving into the next phases of the project – engaging the wider community, identifying local assets and building stakeholder networks. A new working party is being formed, made up of school leaders, parents, sixth form students and community partners.
The six Year 12 students involved in the launch will lead the newly formed student body, representing voices from across the school and supporting the development of future student leaders. Their work will ensure that students remain central to the project.
Helen Tanner, Senior Vice Principal at Gospel Oak School, is part of the working party. She said: “This project is about giving power back to the community – starting with our young people. Their insight, ambition and lived experience are driving this work forward. We are proud to be part of a school and Trust that recognises the importance of investing in places like Tipton and creating models of change that are built to last. The response from the community so far has been incredible, and we’re only just getting started.”
Stephen Brownlow, Principal at Gospel Oak School, said: “We are so proud to see this project come to life, with staff and students from Gospel Oak School.
This project is about creating real change – where aspirations become opportunities, and young people are empowered to help shape their own futures.
“At Gospel Oak, and across the Central Region Schools Trust, social justice is at the core of what we do. We believe in our students, we believe in our community, and we believe that change happens when we come together around a shared purpose.”
For more information about ‘Shaping a Brighter Future for Tipton’ or to get involved, please contact Gospel Oak School.
