[3] More recent studies have identified the London Challenge as one factor in several that contributed to significant enhancements in pupil outcomes.
However, it was subsequently extended until 2011, and expanded to include primary schools, and two additional City Challenge areas; Greater Manchester and the Black Country.
[5][6] In 2002 the British Government created a new set of policies focusing on London's state secondary schools, which were at that time performing poorly in comparison to the rest of the country.
[5] Independent, experienced education experts, known as London Challenge Advisers, were appointed to each of the Keys to Success schools to provide tailored help.
[5] The London Challenge incorporated the 14-19 Pathfinders initiative which aimed to define and develop improved "learning pathways" for students in this age group.
[5][6] The 2008 extension of the London Challenge initiative also expanded it to include two new geographical areas – Greater Manchester and the Black Country.
However they noted the difficulty of isolating the specific effect of the London Challenge against a wider background of education policy changes.
Nor could success be fully attributed to resourcing factors such as finance, teacher recruitment and school building quality, although these did help the improvements to "flourish".
The success was instead attributed to a focus on the teaching workforce and on the widespread and sustained availability of support built on ambitious expectations coupled with a willingness to intervene in response to low standards.
"[4] The investigation's conclusions have since been thrown into question by subsequent studies and one of the report's co-authors has written a number of commentaries on developments in the evidence base.
The study concluded that although there were some distinctive cultures and practices in high-performing schools in the capital, these were unlikely to be "necessary or sufficient conditions" for the ‘London Effect’.