Jed Merrington

Web developer Jed Merrington had the idea for Dacture Education while helping his girlfriend study to become an early years teacher. He read through the national curriculum assessments at Key Stage 2 (KS2) and was shocked to learn that girls outperformed boys significantly in reading, writing and maths.

Jed struggled with reading and writing growing up, and realised that there needed to be a more engaging way to improve these skills. However, when he researched other education software providers’ websites, the pricing models were expensive and most websites weren’t accessible for people with disabilities.

Dacture Education aims to improve the success rates of core subjects in KS2 through a “short story creator” platform. It will also reduce the cost of websites for schools and nurseries, and make these sites more inclusive for individuals with disabilities.

Jed hopes that the Young Innovators Award will help him develop his business and marketing skills.

He says:

“Without the Young Innovators Award, I don’t think I would have had the courage to turn my idea into reality. I’m confident in my abilities from a technical perspective but I’m a novice in business and marketing, so getting this support has provided a confidence boost. It really is a game changer.”