Supporting underrepresented groups
Strategic outreach focuses on delivering sustained engagement intervention programmes in areas identified by the Office for Students as 'cold spots' and with students who are in underrepresented groups – meaning these students are statistically less likely to progress into Higher Education.
The Office for Students considers underrepresented groups to include students from: areas of low HE participation, low household income or low socioeconomic status; some Black Asian and Minority Ethnic students; mature students; disabled students; care leavers; carers; people estranged from their families; people from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities; refugees; and children from military families.
We provide a range of activities which includes information, advice and guidance as well as collaborative programmes that aim to address some of the additional barriers to progression into Higher Education for these students by bringing together the expertise and specialisms from our University and College partners, as well as third sector organisations. These activities are often bespoke and tailored for individual needs.
Who is eligible?
This outreach is for students in Year 7-13 (or equivalent) and adult learners.
Which schools/Colleges are eligible?
Under-represented learners from any state secondary school of further education college in Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough can apply to our programmes.
Supporting Care-experienced young people
What? Future You is a free programme of outreach activity designed to support young people from a care-experienced background, and their supporters, to make informed choices about their education progression opportunities, particularly those related to higher education (HE).
How? The programme is aimed at care experienced young people from Year 9 to Year 11, or Year 9 - Year 13 for unaccompanied minors across Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, and will consist of a structured series of age appropriate experiences, information and guidance that will allow them to sample FE and HE campus life and lessons. It will also provide them with the tools and skill set to support them with their education and a career goals.
The programme offers the opportunity to take part in a series of campus sessions at our five East Anglia Universities as well as our Further Education College partners to find out more what uni and college life is really like.
Future You has been developed by our university and further education college partners with input from Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire virtual schools.
Why? Care experienced students face many life challenges and how lower progression rates to HE (Moving on Up report, NNECL 2017). We want to provided a targeted and bespoke programme of activity that goes some way to addressing the imbalance by introducing knowledge, skills and opportunities to students and their supporters.
When? The programme will take place at regular intervals throughout the 2024-2025 academic year.
To find out more, sign up to one of our upcoming webinars, or access an application form for your young person please visit our webpage below or email us at neaaco@admin.cam.ac.uk
Future YouBespoke programmes
There is also the potential for schools and colleges to work with us on bespoke projects that will address the specific needs of an underrepresented group within your school or college.
If you are one of our strategic outreach partner schools contact your Higher Education Advisor to discuss your needs.
For other secondary state schools in please contact us at neaco@admin.cam.ac.uk