Published On: April 25, 2025|299 words|1.5 min read|

Recently, a group of Progress Schools students took part in the CENTURY Spring Challenge and landed in the top five globally!

Running from 3rd to 30th March, this global challenge encouraged students to engage with CENTURY – an online learning platform that uses artificial intelligence to deliver personalised lessons in English, maths, and science. The platform breaks learning into small, interactive chunks called “nuggets,” helping students progress at their own pace while giving teachers real-time insights into their learning journey.

During the challenge, 20 of our Community Learning students from the Thrapston area actively participated, answering an impressive 4,500 questions in total. These students are currently unable to attend a physical educational site due to a range of barriers – whether mental, physical, or personal – that make traditional learning environments inaccessible to them. Our Community Learning Programme provides them with an essential stepping stone back into education in a way that suits their individual needs.

Chris Jones, Director of Teaching, Learning and Assessment at Progress Schools commented:

“I’m thrilled to see the engagement of our students so far, with the percentile rank being particularly impressive. This is a competition that ranks us against similar size/profile organisations worldwide. In our category, we were fifth overall!”

Charlotte Barton, Managing Director of Progress Schools, added:

“A huge congratulations to all the staff and students who took part – their commitment, effort, and enthusiasm have truly paid off. This recognition shows how powerful engaged learning can be, and we couldn’t be prouder.”

This impressive achievement is a true testament to the need for personalised learning experiences, built around a core national curriculum. As a result of our student’s determination and the tailored support that they received, they placed in the 11.58th percentile worldwide, a remarkable achievement given the number of schools and learners taking part.

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