PROGRAMME OF ADDITIONAL ACCESS MEASURES. 4.1 Widening participation and outreach programme 4.1.1 In 2012-13 ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ will target expenditure on an outreach programme that will focus on raising student aspiration and achievement and on providing appropriate information, advice and guidance to support students in making the right choices for successful progression to higher education. It will combine projects involving a wide range of schools and colleges with the development of long-term structured interventions with a smaller number of partner schools. Work will focus mainly, though not exclusively, on schools and colleges in east and north London and in the wider Thames Gateway area. Many of the activities will support the Level 3 attainment of students in the target cohorts, and help them either to achieve the grades required for competitive programmes at ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ or to secure access to other appropriate higher education programmes. 4.1.2 Full details of this programme can be found in ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇‟s 2010-15 Widening Participation Strategy and 2009-12 Widening Participation Strategic Assessment. Activities will include: a summer school programme aimed at students in Years 9-12 an evening revision programme in a range of subjects targeted at AS and A2 students Year 10 and Year 12 masterclass programmes in a range of subjects a school visit programme for primary and secondary school students that will include taster lectures in a range of subjects and question-and-answer sessions with student ambassadors specific curriculum-related activities such as a Physics Practical School to stretch and challenge A2 level physics students 4.1.3 Widening participation at ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ is fully integrated into our overall recruitment objectives. The widening participation team sits within the Education Liaison and Access Office, which in 2012-13 will deliver a range of activities that support and complement the widening participation programme. These will include general information and advice and guidance talks to students, parents and carers on a range of themes. About 25% of these talks each academic year will be delivered in schools and colleges with a high percentage of widening participation cohort students. ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ students will work as mentors in schools and colleges in east London that have a high number of students in widening participation target groups. A separate scheme will place ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ students as classroom assistants in primary and secondary schools in Tower Hamlets, an area of high social and economic deprivation. 4.1.4 ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ is one of the country‟s top research institutions, and this strength will be used to enhance widening participation and access through the role of academic schools. Schools will develop and deliver an extensive range of widening participation activities in addition to the projects offered through the central widening participation team. These will include taster days and lectures, summer schools, targeted workshops and activities organised around events such as National Science and Engineering Week. Other activities will include cs4fn (computer science for fun), an innovative widening participation campaign that uses the web, printed magazines and a programme of school outreach activities to inspire young people about computer science and its interaction with other disciplines such as mathematics, physics, biology, philosophy and psychology. 4.1.5 ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ is committed to working with partners in the community to drive regeneration and to raise the aspirations and academic attainment of young people in socially deprived areas. This is supported by a number of initiatives, including the following long-term interventions with schools and colleges in areas of low progression to higher education and considerable social and economic disadvantage: (i) ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ is the lead education partner in St ▇▇▇▇‟s Way, which is Tower Hamlets‟ first Foundation Trust School. Senior members of staff from the College chair the Trust Board and the Governing Body. In 2012- 13 we will continue to support the school in its aspiration to become a centre of excellence in science and in the visual and performing arts. We will do this through a tailored programme of activities including student mentoring and tutoring projects, curriculum support through taster sessions, master classes and a school visit programme, and continuing professional development support for teachers. We will support the school in its development of post-16 provision from September 2011 through curriculum support activities and professional development sessions for staff. (ii) The College works with the Drapers‟ Company as co-sponsor of the Drapers‟ Academy school in Havering, a science and mathematics specialist school that aims to improve educational standards in an area of high worklessness, economic deprivation and low participation rates in higher education. Our support will include the provision of three governors and the involvement of academic staff. We support the development of the sixth form from September 2012, and will provide INSET sessions for the sixth-form tutors. Progression to higher education will be supported by the development of a progression agreement for students from the new school who meet the appropriate academic requirements. (iii) ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ has a well-established partnership with the Bridge Academy School in ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, and we will continue to support the school through a range of activities including a one-to-one-mathematics tutoring scheme and a series of „maths challenge‟ activities. (iv) We will also work in partnership with other targeted local school sixth forms and post-16 institutions. We will offer support through a range of activities including information, advice and guidance talks to students and their parents and carers, mock university interviews and personal statement workshops, INSET sessions for teachers, attendance at partner college in- house careers and higher education events, subject taster afternoons at ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ and research skills workshops to support students studying for the extended project qualification. These activities are targeted carefully, and research has demonstrated that a high percentage of students admitted to ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ from partner schools and colleges are from widening participation cohort groups. 4.1.6 The College will continue to host and support the Centre of the Cell, an innovative bioscience education centre at the heart of its medical school. This is a resource for schools to stimulate awareness and understanding of bioscience and the careers to which it can lead. Academic departments at ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ will work with the Centre of the Cell to deliver outreach activities that will inspire young people to study bioscience subjects, and appreciate the opportunities that they offer.
Appears in 2 contracts
Sources: Access Agreement, Access Agreement