About Aspire Foundation

Aspire Foundation, previously known as Gardners Lane and Oakwood Federation, is a registered charity (1155305) founded to support children and families ‘aspire and achieve’.

We have over 20 years’ experience of delivering successful, high-quality early intervention services and educational programmes to families with young children. These include local Sure Start programmes, family support services, children’s centres, primary schools and early year’s settings.

We aim for children and families to achieve their potential together through the provision of support, information, learning and play opportunities.

Our history

1998 Gardners Lane Primary School was established and took over the running of Elmfield Family Centre, previously a social services provision
2000 Gardners Lane Family Centre is awarded Early Excellence status by Department of Education
2005 Gardners Lane Early Excellence Centre is designated as a phase 1 Children Centre, part of the delivery arm of the local Sure Start programme
2009 Oakwood School is built and Gardners Lane and Oakwood Federation (GLOW) is formed. Oakwood Children’s Centre joins the Federation.
2013 GLOW is awarded a contract to run the 7 Cheltenham Locality Children’s Centres
2016 Gardners Lane and Oakwood Federation is awarded the contract to run a Targeted Family Support Service across Cheltenham and Tewkesbury districts including 5 Children and Family Centres and 5 registered Early Years settings
2021 Gardners Lane and Oakwood Federation becomes Aspire Foundation.
2024 Aspire Foundation awarded the contract to run the Children and Family Centre contract in Cheltenham and Tewkesbury, which includes 5 children and Family Centres and a requirement to develop community capacity in these areas
2024 Aspire Foundation received approval and Ofsted registration to open new Early Years settings in Treetops in Dursley and Parliament in Stroud, which brings the number of Early Years settings operated by Aspire to 7

Our Vision & Plan

Aspire Foundation has a vision that children, their families and communities are supported to aspire and achieve. Through a whole-family approach we seek to harness aspirations and capabilities to achieve a confident, well-balanced next generation.

We currently provide high quality education and family support services in pursuit of this vision. We work in partnership with other agencies such as health colleagues, housing, social care and local charities to offer easy access to services at the earliest stage, when children and families require help.