Sage, the leader in accounting, financial, HR and payroll technology for small and medium-sized businesses, and Newcastle Rugby Foundation have today published the 2025/26 impact report for Tackling Insights, the schools programme that brings rugby, STEM and enrichment learning into classrooms across the North East.
In its fourth year, the programme delivered 90 sessions across 13 schools and 30 classes, reaching 694 young people in Bishop Auckland, Gateshead, Ashington, Blyth and North Tyneside.
Almost two thirds of participants attend schools in the 20 per cent most deprived areas in the country, and 40 per cent are in IMD 1, the most deprived decile in England. Average free school meal eligibility across the 13 schools was 39.5 per cent, well above the national rate of 26.5 per cent. Every class received three strands of delivery: a STEM classroom session, a rugby session and an enrichment session, either an after school club or leadership and character development.
Because Tackling Insights is delivered to whole classes in curriculum time rather than as an opt-in club, participation reflects the real make-up of these schools. Nineteen per cent of participants had a disability, 10 per cent were from Black, Asian, mixed or other ethnic backgrounds, and 341 girls took part, almost exactly half of the cohort. That matters in a country where only 16 per cent of girls believe engineering is suitable for them, against 44 per cent of boys, and where women make up just 16.9 per cent of the engineering and technology workforce.
After only three sessions, more than half of participants said they had improved or learned new skills in maths and science, up 24 percentage points on the previous year. Fifty per cent felt more confident with maths and numbers, up 19 points, and 50 per cent said the STEM lessons made the subjects more exciting. Nearly half reported feeling prouder of themselves, and 43 per cent said they are now playing more sport than before the programme started.
The report also surfaces a finding the partnership intends to act on. When participants were asked whether they had access to any device at home, a phone, a tablet or a computer, fewer than one in four said yes. The appetite for STEM is clearly there. The access is not.
The impact of the Tackling Insights partnership has also been recognised beyond the programme itself. Last week, Sage and Newcastle Rugby Foundation were named winners of Corporate Charity Partnership of the Year at the North East Charity Awards, celebrating the strength and impact of the collaboration.
The award recognises a partnership that has, over four years, combined Sage’s commitment to expanding access to technology and STEM with Newcastle Rugby Foundation’s reach into schools and communities across the North East. Together, the organisations have built a programme that goes beyond traditional enrichment, using rugby as a gateway to learning, confidence and new opportunities for young people.
Every school on the programme was linked to a local community rugby club, so children finish with a named club to join rather than the memory of a one off session. Participants were also invited to Kingston Park for Foundation Day in May, where they met Newcastle Red Bulls players and took part in strength and conditioning and performance analysis sessions. For most of them, it was a first visit to a professional stadium.
Mel Magee, CEO of Newcastle Rugby Foundation, said: “Over four years, Tackling Insights has grown into a proven model for getting children excited about STEM. Sage has backed us to go where the need is greatest and to reach whole classes rather than the children who would have put their hand up anyway. More than 2,500 young people have now been through the programme, with an almost even gender split. That is a real legacy and we are proud to keep building on it.”
Chris Gallon, Sage Foundation Lead UKIA, said: “Every young person should have the opportunity to explore technology and build skills that can open doors. Tackling Insights makes STEM feel relevant and achievable, helping children imagine new possibilities. For Sage, it matters that young people across the North East can see those opportunities and know they are within reach.”
Across the four year collaboration, Tackling Insights has engaged more than 2,500 children in the communities of greatest need. The full 2025/26 impact report is available now.
