SSAT: 6th formers should study degree modules

The Specialist Schools and Academies Trust (SSAT) has outlined five ways in which schools can work with universities to encourage more students to consider higher education. The tips are based on successful examples from among the nearly 3,000 secondary schools and academies in England that are members of the SSAT.

The top five initiatives being undertaken by schools and HEIs that prepare young people for higher education have been revealed as:

1. Having sixth formers studying university modules alongside their A levels, offering them an insight into higher education study, an opportunity to try new subjects, and providing them with the confidence to study at university level.

2. Encouraging students to think about university right from the start of secondary school and giving them the support they need to do so.

3. Building good relationships with universities. For example, having students attend university lectures and lecturers and undergraduates visiting schools to explain university life.

4. Ensuring students are given personalised support in choosing which institutions to study at and which courses to take.

5. Providing students with the necessary personal, learning and thinking skills that will help them gain entry to and be successful at university.

Elizabeth Reid, Chief Executive of the SSAT, said: “Schools and universities must work together more closely and more effectively if we are to widen participation in higher education and ensure we have a well educated workforce that meets the needs of the 21st century. There are some excellent partnerships in place, providing young people with essential information, advice and guidance. We must now build on these successful practices so that every school is linked to a university.”

The announcement was made at the SSAT’s recent Higher Education Conference, at which David Lammy, Minister for Higher Education, was the keynote speaker. He added: “We want every young person with the talent and potential to go to university to have the chance to do so whatever their background, and schools must play their part and become a driving force for learners’ progression beyond the school gates.”