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Making a Difference: The Impact of Aimhigher Further information If you want to know more please get in touch with those named in the case studies. If you wish to contact someone in your area go to the Action on Access website where you will find contact ACE, taster and other aspiration- details for those responsible for Aimhigher. raising activity www.actiononaccess.org ACE, taster and other aspiration-raising activity This booklet is one in a series of ten, produced by partnerships involved in Aimhigher activities and collated by Action on Access. The case studies provided are illustrative of an extensive and wide-ranging set of Aimhigher activities delivered across England. Other publications in this series include: Progression to HE from vocational, WBL + WRL Masterclasses and other attainment-raising activity Summer Schools Engagement of parents and carers Mentoring, Ambassadors and Student Associates Dissemination of practice Work with specific Widening Participation target groups Work with communities and outreach activities Work with all pre-KS4 pupils, including primary Electronic versions of the above publications are available for download from our website: www.actiononaccess.org ACE, taster and other aspiration-raising activity Contents ACE, taster and other aspiration- raising activity Introduction 2 University taster programme: Saturday Schools, London Borough of Waltham Forest 4 Aimhigher London North Partnership Making a Difference in Humber: HE4U - Aspiration Raising 6 Aimhigher The Humber Maths tasters and masterclasses 8 Aimhigher Derbyshire Oxbridge Students into Schools 10 Aimhigher County Durham Aiming Higher through Drama and Performance in Cumbria 12 Aimhigher Cumbria Aimhigher in schools and colleges: Years 10-13 14 The LIFE partnership: Aimhigher South West region Vocational taster day at Colchester Institute 16 Aimhigher Essex Science Olympics 18 Aimhigher Greater Merseyside Working Degrees taster evening 20 London West Aimhigher Partnership HE/FE awareness 22 Aimhigher Birmingham and Solihull Aspiration-raising in schools 24 Aimhigher Kent & Medway Aspiration-raising using Mood Boards 27 Aimhigher Lincolnshire and Rutland ‘Passport to University’ – an aspiration-raising activity day for Year 7 pupils 29 Aimhigher West Yorkshire University of Cambridge Aimhigher Days 31 Aimhigher Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Oxford Women’s Training Scheme – Technology Taster and HE Bridging Programme 33 Aimhigher Milton Keynes Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Sports Fairs, a taster activity 34 London Aimhigher Sports Partnership Raising aspirations through progressive interventions 36 The Peninsula partnership: Aimhigher South West region Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Access Regional Scheme (STARS) - at Belgrave High School, Tamworth, Staffordshire 38 Aimhigher Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent High School Co-ordinators and Student Advocates 40 Aimhigher Northumberland Community Pathways into HE: Beyond GCSE? - University of Leeds 43 Aimhigher West Yorkshire 1 Making a Difference: The Impact of Aimhigher Introduction ACE, taster and other aspiration- raising activity The case studies in this booklet show the different ways Aimhigher projects and activities have impacted on people’s lives by creating exciting opportunities which operate in every local education authority in England. Aimhigher aims to widen and deepen participation in higher education to help create a higher education system that includes all who can benefit from it – particularly those who might not view learning as an option, or perhaps face social, cultural, economic, or institutional barriers. Aimhigher particularly seeks to redress under-participation in higher education by lower social class groups and by vocational students. These aims continue to be an important government priority. Aimhigher is an excellent example of partnerships bringing together schools, further education colleges, higher education institutions, employers, the skills sector, and others to focus on the core objectives; helping to raise attainment and aspiration and improving progression opportunities. Aimhigher began in August 2004 and builds on existing widening participation programmes. It is still early days and it will be some time before targets of increases in the numbers participating in higher education can be shown to have been achieved. This booklet demonstrates some of the early impact of the Aimhigher programme. The term ACE Days is used to describe a variety of different activities where young people have an organised, facilitated, experience of post-16 education in further or higher education institutions. For some young people one of the perceived barriers to progressing onto a further or higher education course is distrust, misunderstanding or even a fear of the unknown about these institutions. Sometimes it is a deeper perception or fear that it is “not for them”. ACE days, taster days and other activities are events where young people have the opportunity to get a real life understanding of the further or higher education experience, or a particular academic subject or experience. The analysis by Aimhigher practitioners demonstrates that they contribute to reducing possible misconceptions and raising interest and aspiration. 2 ACE, taster and other aspiration-raising activity The criteria for a partnership case study to be included in this booklet were observation of practice, analysis of partnership plans and successful progress in reaching targets by the end of the first year of the programme. The case studies chosen reflect the range of activities undertaken – they are therefore illustrative but do highlight a number of key features which already show the difference Aimhigher is making. They demonstrate the range of under-represented groups in HE who are involved in activities to find out about the possibilities for them in HE. They show the importance of working with different sectors and groups in partnership to address the range of barriers faced by people who have no experience of HE and who are socially disadvantaged in our society. They also demonstrate how in a very short period of time partnerships have got up and running and are delivering an extensive programme of work. There are no claims to ‘best practice’, the term itself is problematic and is contested. However, the case studies are illustrative of the range of activities and processes that have been shown to add value in other countries. As the Aimhigher programme develops, evaluation results will come through1 and it will be possible to have a fuller picture of the impact of the overall programme. 1 The national evaluation programme started in May 2005. Early results will be available by December 2005. 3 Making a Difference: The Impact of Aimhigher University taster programme: Saturday Schools, London Borough of Waltham Forest Aimhigher Area Background and context London North Partnership The series of Saturday classes was designed to give pupils an insight into life at university – and a glimpse into their own potential futures. The curriculum for the taster sessions was Contact details designed by lead teachers from Waltham Forest working in collaboration with university Neil Larkin staff from Queen Mary University of London and the University of East London (UEL) to Saturday Schools Co-ordinator develop the short courses at an appropriate level. The key aim of the programme was to Aimhigher London North introduce students to university level study by giving them a wide range of subject areas to 0208 496 5894 experience whilst not withdrawing them from the school timetable. [email protected] Description of the activity This programme involved 16 participating schools in the Waltham Forest area. Each of the schools sent two pupils per Year 10 class. The two and a half hour taster sessions took place on Saturday mornings, ran consecutively for four weeks, commencing in late lead teachers from > February 2005. Pupils were taken to the Universities on coaches provided. Waltham Forest working in The 200 students that visited Queen Mary University had the opportunity to attend sessions in: collaboration with university staff from • Physics Queen Mary • Biology University of London • Maths and the University of • English East London • History • Languages • or Geography. The 100 that attended UEL were offered: • Sports Science • ICT • Media Studies • Psychology • or Fashion. A key factor was that pupils were not withdrawn from school lessons to attend these sessions, thus were not left behind in school subjects. How the activity made a difference Feedback from these sessions was excellent. Aimhigher Co-ordinator, Neil Larkin, ‘the young people > commented ‘the classes seem to have been very successful again this year with very from Waltham Forest positive feedback from students, teachers and parents’. At the University of East London, have shown that they Widening Participation Officer Yasmin Ashgar commented ‘the young people from have great potential’ Waltham Forest have shown that they have great potential: the university staff have been very impressed with their attitude and work. They have responded well to working in a more adult environment’. Pupils’ awareness and aspirations toward higher education were raised by the project. 4 ACE, taster and other aspiration-raising activity Subsequent or ongoing work Aspects of this activity that were particularly successful included the collaboration This partnership > between teachers in Waltham Forest and the University staff