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Education action zones (EAZs)

What are EAZs?

Education Action Zones are built around groups of schools which are determined to raise educational standards in some of our most challenging areas. There are usually around 15 to 25 schools in each zone.
The aims of EAZs are:

  • to create new partnerships involving business, parents, local authorities, schools 
    and their communities
  • to raise standards
  • to generate innovation from which the whole educational system can learn

Because they set themselves demanding targets for improvement, each zone receives around £1million in additional funds each year.

  • up to £750,000 comes from the Department for Education and Skills
  • the remainder is raised by the zone from private sector partners

Zones are run by an Action Forum of local partners and managed by a project director.

Current zones

There are currently 47 EAZs in operation. They are based in all areas of the country, both urban and rural, and are working with a wide range of partners and objectives. EAZs were created by the Schools Standards and Framework Act 1998 with a maximum lifespan of five years.  As a result, all zones will be transformed into Excellence in Cities action zones or Excellence Clusters. 

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