From high performing schools to vibrant youth centres, Ealing Council is backing the borough’s next generation with opportunities to learn, create and thrive all year round.
Able to learn and thrive
Your children get some of the best education in London right here in the borough, with 98% of our maintained schools rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted. That quality shows up in results, too – our schools regularly perform above national averages, with statistics consistently showing pupils are making exceptional progress through primary and into secondary education.
Councillor Josh Blacker, the council’s cabinet member for a fairer start, said: “We’re ambitious for every child and family. From excellent schools to the right support beyond the classroom, our focus is on giving young people the skills, confidence and care they need to succeed.”
More than just the school day
Learning doesn’t stop at the final bell, and neither does the support children have, with nearly 80% of local schools having full wrap-around care, provided from 8am to 6pm. And the council is working towards having this in place at every school in the borough.
Over the school breaks, the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme provides free, enriching clubs during school holidays for children on benefits-related free school meals. In each of the last 4 years, around 4,000 children have benefited and been able to take part in fun ranging from sport and drama to arts and cookery, with a healthy meal provided at each session. According to parents and carers, most of children learned new skills at HAF sessions and took part in a physical activity each day, while two-thirds said the children learned about nutrition and tried new foods.
More SEND places
The council has been investing to allow more children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to learn locally with the specialist support they need. The council has surpassed its SEND places target, with more than 30 new specialist places created at schools during 2025/26 as part of a wider plan which has created more than 200 places 2022.
Recent projects include new additional resource provision (ARP) at Fielding Primary (27 places) and expansion at Havelock Primary, with specialist classrooms and sensory spaces designed around pupils’ needs.
Spaces to belong
After a £2million refurbishment, the Southall Young Adult Centre (YAC) reopened in 2025. Designed with young people’s help, it now offers a multi use games area, indoor sports court, gym, gaming zone and kitchen. And the upgrade is set to boost its use, with a double digit percentage increase in visits expected by March.
Evening youth sessions, run by the council’s Young Ealing service, also run across centres throughout the week, giving 11–19 year olds (up to 25 with additional needs) safe places to socialise, get active or try creative activities, from studio time and gaming to box fit and cooking.
Support when it’s needed most
Since 2022, the council has invested around £2million in youth services, such as mentoring and outreach programmes.
Youth violence is being tackled through early intervention and positive engagement. Programmes like LION, delivered in secondary schools, has been helping vulnerable pupils at risk of exclusion see the value of education and stay connected. In the community, initiatives such as My Ends in Northolt, football at Rectory Park, music sessions and other activities have also been giving young people safe spaces and positive alternatives to getting into trouble.
Targeted support through schemes like Your Choice and the Turnaround Programme, which has already supported more than 100 children, has seen reoffending rates for these young people fall well below the national average.
Standing by care leavers
Leaving care should never mean leaving support behind. That’s why the council has achieved 96% of the pledges made since spring 2023, when we made care leavers a protected characteristic – meaning it is unlawful to discriminate against someone because they are a care leaver. This made Ealing one of the first local authorities in the country to implement this. Other pledges covered housing, employment, wellbeing and tailored support, strengthening our local offer.
Since then, there has been an annual Care Leavers’ Takeover Day, where dozens of young people step into senior roles at the council (including the chief executive and cabinet positions) to influence decisions and open doors to opportunities, such as apprenticeships, mentoring, free gym memberships and sign ups to the Ealing Cares app.
It’s turning lived experience into service improvements that last beyond the day.
Caring for foster carers
The council has been continuing to grow the local fostering service, ensuring carers get the support they need to provide stable loving homes for our children.
This support to foster carers has extended to improved fees, council tax exemption and free parking. While ‘Mockingbird constellations’ have been creating extended family-style support networks for carers and children. Additionally, the council is working with Now Foster to introduce weekend carers, giving children another trusted adult in their lives and providing foster carers some respite.
Find out more about fostering in the borough from the link below.
Family hubs: simplifying support
The national Best Start in Life Family Hubs programme, launching this year, will strengthen the council’s support for families with children aged 0–19. These hubs, both physical and online, will make it easier for parents to find advice, guidance and practical help, alongside proven parenting and home-learning activities that boost early years development.
Building on the great work of local children’s centres, the hubs will add targeted support for families who need it most, helping to tackle inequalities and ensure every child thrives by age 5 and beyond.
Creativity, culture and confidence
Opportunity is about more than grades. From performances by local schoolchildren at iconic venues like the Royal Albert Hall to youth led community events, the borough’s cultural life is key to building confidence and a sense of belonging.
The New Gen Festival, introduced in 2022 and getting bigger every year, showcases music, dance, spoken word, gaming and creative workshops, offering stages for emerging talent and pathways into creative industries through year round open mics and career sessions. The festival has provided a platform for a new generation of artists who have built their following online to make the transition to festivals and live audiences.
Councillor Blacker said: “Whether it’s a first performance, a new qualification or simply a safe place to be yourself, we’re investing in the moments that matter. That’s how we help the next generation grow up healthy, hopeful and ready to shape our borough’s future.”
