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Blog posts to support schools in identifying more able learners and providing effective support throughout the learning journey, including at key transition points. Includes guidance on effective approaches to identification and transition – and pitfalls to avoid – with inspiring examples of effective identification and transition support initiatives shared by NACE member schools.

 

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7 ways to support university progression and success for underserved students

Posted By Zoe Morgan, 06 May 2025

Zoe Morgan, Director of Marketing and Communications, The Brilliant Club

The Brilliant Club has been working with students aged 8-18 across the UK on our programmes for over a decade. Our mission is to increase the number of less advantaged students progressing to and succeeding at the most competitive universities. We do this through two core programmes: 

  • The Scholars Programme inspires a love of learning and raises attainment in students, provides practical experience of higher education and helps develop the skills needed to thrive in academia and careers.
  • Join the Dots is a university transition programme designed to support students facing the greatest challenges in making a successful transition to university. Year 12 and 13 students have access to UniPrep, a series of live webinars run in collaboration with other organisations in the industry designed to break down the barriers of life at university. Recent webinars have been run with BlackBullion, UpReach and Bloomsbury. 

Our experience has shown that there are several important ways in which you can support your students to apply, progress to and succeed at the most competitive universities. 

1. Establish positive transitions from primary to secondary

It’s important to start early, as young people from disadvantaged backgrounds are less likely than their more advantaged peers to start thinking about higher education in primary school. Developing important skills, like critical thinking and independent learning, will support positive transitions to secondary school. Learning about university can open pupils’ minds to a love of learning, inspire them with the knowledge of the opportunities available to them, and promote curiosity about the wider world. 

2. Offer attainment-raising activities outside the classroom

GCSE attainment is the biggest predictor of progression to university. Data from the Higher Education Access Tracker (HEAT) has shown a positive association between The Scholars Programme and better scores in GCSE maths and English, showing that learning outside the classroom can have a positive impact on core curriculum attainment too. 

3. Create a pathway of possibility

By exposing students to higher education throughout their school journey, you can ignite a fire that fuels their efforts in the classroom. Paul Bhatia is Executive Headteacher at Wembley High Technology College, which has been running The Scholars Programme since 2013. He told us: 

“I’ve seen children who, when I’ve spoken to them and said ‘what do you want to be?’ and they’ve said ‘I want to be a footballer’. Five years later you speak to them, and you ask them what they’re doing and they’re applying for a career as a researcher in a university, they’re going to study history at Warwick, or they’re on a medicine course, or they’ve just got their interview at Oxford. You see that transformation happening with [the programme].”

4. Foster the development of important skills

Alongside academic attainment, there are certain essential skills which support progression to the most competitive universities. The Office for Students references these skills in their Equality of Opportunity Risk Register, comprising 12 sector-wide risks that may affect less advantaged students in accessing and succeeding in higher education. Last year, Scholars Programme students progressed significantly in written communication (+24%), subject knowledge (+25%), and critical thinking (+26%), on assessment before and after the programme.   

5. Facilitate visits to universities

A visit to a university offers students the chance to imagine what life might be like for them at university, and fuels their burgeoning ambition yet further. By hearing from current undergraduate students, pupils can understand the process of choosing which university might be right for them, as well as the application process. University trips are engaging, offer practical experience and contribute to a wider world perspective for students. 

6. Build “university self-efficacy”

University self-efficacy is a student’s belief in their ability to succeed in higher education. Put simply, students need to know that university is a viable option for their future. Through The Scholars Programme, we build academic skills, university knowledge and sense of belonging in students. We monitor progress pre- and post-programme, and Scholars Programme students increase their self-efficacy score by 7%. Why not start the discussion with your students by creating a display about the university journeys of school staff?

7. Provide access to information, advice and guidance 

To help students make an informed decision about their future and understand whether higher education is the right choice for them, it is important to present them with a range of resources explaining the application process, university finances and university-style learning. Recent Join the Dots webinars for Year 12 and 13 students have focused on mental wellbeing at university, learning strategies and preparing for results day. 

Get involved… Join the Dots is free to schools, colleges and students. You can register your school here. If you’d like to learn more about partnering with us on The Scholars Programme, complete our short enquiry form

Tags:  aspirations  CEIAG  enrichment  KS5  parents and carers  project-based learning  transition  university 

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Transitioning from Year 11 during a global pandemic

Posted By Renata Joseph, 10 June 2020

Renata Joseph, NACE Trustee and Headteacher of Saint Cecilia’s Church of England School

Students in Year 11, like those in Years 6 and 13, are acutely feeling the impact of the pandemic. More than anything, what came across in the early days of lockdown – from learners and their families alike – was the loss of closure: not being able to complete courses and in some cases not having a chance to say goodbye to friends and teachers.

Supporting this year group has raised additional challenges: this is a group of young people who at the time of lockdown were developing maturity and independence through revision, refining decisions regarding next steps, and who now will go on to study for A-levels without ever having sat a formal exam. Whilst assessment centre grading may continue to play a part next year, there are important rites of passage that these young people will not experience. The exam system brings with it the opportunity to develop and demonstrate a number of key skills: independent study, prioritising learning and being able to perform in a traditional way.

How do we then bridge that emotional and academic gap for current Year 11s?

At Saint Cecilia's Church of England School in London, we’ve given a great deal of thought to this.

First, we have signalled to all Year 11 learners that we will honour the offers we have made to them and are looking forward to welcoming them into our sixth-form community. We believe asking learners to start afresh somewhere unfamiliar in September would be completely the wrong thing to do. So much of what they “know” has been changed over the past few months.

Making our learners feel part of this community is key, and we’ve spent time talking about our “going for green” scheme – which focuses on individual learners’ responsibilities when they join, ensuring that attendance, attitude and focus are established early on.

We have therefore built our bridging work programme with a focus on self-motivation and learners engaging in their passions – with a mix around building knowledge and articulating views.

Our wider reflection is that, like all schools, we won’t get everything right. We have work to do in the new academic year around ensuring the wider independence of these learners – and around further raising our knowledge, understanding and use of technology. But acknowledging gaps and making improvements is part of this journey that we are all currently on.

This article was originally published in the summer 2020 special edition of NACE Insight, as part of our “lessons from lockdown” series. For access to all past issues, log in to our members’ resource library.

Tags:  KS4  KS5  lockdown  motivation  remote learning  resilience  transition 

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