THE ACCESS PROJECT
1 in 10 UK school leavers wins a place at a Russell Group university. They are joined by only 1 in every 100 students on Free School Meals. How do we fix this?
What is our mission? To help motivated students from disadvantaged backgrounds win places at top universities. Why? 1 in 10 UK school leavers wins a place at a Russell Group university. They are joined by only 1 in every 100 students on Free School Meals. The Access Project is founded on the belief that many disadvantaged students have the ability to access an excellent university education, but they need extra support to be able to compete with their more privileged peers. The spark for The Access Project was a class of students aged between 12 and 13 at Highbury Grove School who seemed to have the intellectual ability that would eventually enable them to get into top universities. We turned to the expertise of teachers, university admissions tutors, recent graduates, and researchers in social disadvantage to draw up a programme for students that would help them to close the gap with their more privileged peers. Now in their GCSE year, the students from whom the idea originated were the first to benefit from The Access Project.
‘My Tutor makes me work so hard. He gives me homework, even in the holidays! I have to write a 2000 word essay on Nazi propaganda! I think he thinks I’m at degree level already!’ Michael
In pursuit of academic rigour, students are matched with recent graduates, who they meet each week for an hour’s tutorial. Students travel to meet their tutor at their tutor’s workplace.
What do we do? The Access Project matches each participating student with a graduate who they meet for an hour’s tutorial every week. We also organise for: authors filmmakers scientists journalists expert debaters lawyers mathematicians to run weekly workshops, which students choose according to their interests. We also take students on visits to universities, exhibitions, and foreign countries. ‘The Access Project channels the expertise and will-to-help of teachers, recent graduates, and other charities, and the determination to succeed of students, into a concerted effort to help able students get into excellent universities. I wish it all the best.’ Michael Gove MP, Secretary of State for Education
‘I want to study medicine at Oxford, but I don’t think I’ll do punting again.’ Ann
The Access Project organises at least one university visit each term. Students and parents meet undergraduates and lecturers, and find out about admissions and finance.
How does it work? Academic Support
We have five key areas of support
Pastoral Care
Broaden Horizons
1-1 Tutorials.
Culture & The Arts
Every week participants meet their tutor for an hour at the tutor’s workplace, to do an academic tutorial. Students stay with the same tutor from year 10 until year 13. The tutorials help the participant become a rigourous thinker, support them in their work at school, and offer them pastoral support.
Students discuss music and art.
Creative writing Each week a published author leads a creative writing class.
Med Soc Crime & Punishment Every week our budding doctors meet to present on medical topics, discuss current events in medicine, and hear talks by invited medical experts.
With the help of trainee barristers, students examine the legal system. This includes mooting at court.
Trip Abroad Accelerated Economics Students take a look at macroeconomics in lecture based sessions which mimic how economics is taught at universities.
A four day cultural study trip which rewards students for their hard work in their studies and on The Access Project.
Social & Leadership Skills
Exposure To Universities
Mentoring Year 7’s
Interview Masterclasses
Students mentor year 7s who are new to English for an hour each week.
Workshops on how to do well in university interviews.
Personal Statement Masterclasses Blastbeat Students form a company to organize a music concert, which needs to turn a profit.
Students are matched with a volunteer from a city firm, who mentors them through writing an outstanding personal statemenent.
Presentation Masterclass
CV Masterclasses
Workshops in how to deliver presentations.
Workshops on how to write an excellent CV.
Debating: MUN/Debate Mate
Tailored Trips To Top Universities.
Students debate against other schools in two different debating formats.
Students visit top universities in small groups, guided by graduates from that particular university.
Journalism Course Students learn how to be radio, print, and TV journalists, on a course run by journalists.
Students. 60% of the students with whom we work are on Free School Meals, more than 80% are from Black and Minority Ethnic backgrounds, and the vast majority will be the first in their family to attempt to get into university. Students become Access Project participants at the age of 14 or 15, when they begin their GCSEs. They stay on the programme until they finish their A Levels in year 13. Our participants are selected by filling in an application form, attending an interview, and passing a probation period during which they have to prove their motivation to succeed. Students can also ‘earn’ their way onto the programme by attending at least two activities per week for six weeks. Almost all the students are at Highbury Grove School, where most of our activities take place. Currently there are 80 students in four different year groups who participate daily in Access Project activities. However, all students at the school are encouraged to take part. Our aim is not just to work with one group of students, but to transform the whole school’s attitude towards higher education.
‘It’s good because I’ve learnt a lot of things about making films that I didn’t know before. And everyone in the school has watched one of the films I have made!’ Dwayne
Students can pick from a wide variety of extra curricular activities put on by The Access Project. In filmmaking club, students have made horror films set in school, and promotional videos about Highbury Grove’s after school activities.
Funding. As a charity, The Access Project needs to raise funds via charitable donations to pay for the activities it offers. It costs £1000 for one student to participate in The Access Project for one year. We calculate that one of our students needs four years on The Access Project to give them a good chance of winning a place at a top university. In the academic year 2010-2011 we aim to expand to have 100 students doing Access Project activities each day, so we need to raise just under £100,000.
‘Thank you. The trip has given me a love of Rome. I can’t wait to come back.’ Michael
Students can go on at least one trip abroad of four days or more each year. On our trip to Rome, the students were in teams and had to find their own way around! They sketched the Pantheon, performed a play at the Colosseum, and met the British Ambassador.
What can you do? Become a one-to-one tutor Could you spare an hour a week to change someone’s life? If you are a oneto-one tutor you will be matched with a student who you will see for an hour’s tutorial each week. They will travel to your workplace. We will provide text books and support. One-to-one tutorials are the most valuable activity we put on. Let us know if you want to become a tutor. Offer a one-off extra curricular activity Could you come in to school to talk about your job? Run an Interview Skills Masterclass? Help a student redraft their personal statement? Let us know if you want to be involved in a one-off activity which will help our students win a place at a top university. Donate £5 a month pays for photocopying for the weekly Model United Nations club for students in years 11, 12 and 13. £10 a month pays for four weeks of one student’s tube travel to visit their one-to-one tutor. £25 a month enables 12 students to visit a university which helps them believe that higher education really is for them. £200 pays for 15 text books which can be used in the 1-1 tutorials so that the sessions are focused on what will help the students most.
‘In Accelerated Science we learn about a lot interesting stuff, like neuroscience. How can the brain be that complicated?’ Lawrence
The Access Project helps students to stretch themselves. Members of the Accelerated Science club explore areas of science that are only touched upon in the curriculum.
Work by our students. The Access Project organises for a published author to come in to school each week to do creative writing with students, through the charity First Story. Each year the students’ work is published in an anthology.
She Is Everything To me… She is everything to me she carried me she taught me she cares for me she is everything to me she is there when I cry she is there when I laugh she is there when I want her she is there when I need her she is everything to me she shows me things… …things I have never seen she is everything to me when she cries I cry I can’t help it you see when she laughs I laugh unless she laughs at me one day I asked her how I could pay her back and she said: you can pay me back by doing more for your own children than I did for you… Fatos Nacakgedigi
‘I’m so grateful for the opportunities that The Access Project has given to me. I take advantage of everything I can! I’ve become way more confident.’ Fatos ‘It’s amazing to have your work actually published. Something you can hold in your hand! I’m proud of that.’ Daniel
Fatos came to England from Turkey when she was 9. She is now taking A levels and has been an Access Project participant since September 2008. Daniel wants to be the first person in his family to go to university. He aims to study medicine.
Speech To The Fields Hoops, goals, posts & fields. All here. Always in use. Health and safety taking the fun out. All we need? Perseverance, my friends. Let us run, jump, shove & slide. Rejoice in the pain, for we win! Playing fields belong to the children, not to the Government. We must fight for them. I can see the future, we shout in joy & exultation, for our fields, once again, are our own! Comrades, join me, and proclaim: “Us? Not moving!� And let the future begin today! Daniel Williams
What we believe. Our core belief is that disadvantaged students are underrepresented at top universities. We also believe that: At present many urban complex schools do not represent a broad cross-section of society, The education of all children would be better if they did, A major factor in middle-class parents deciding not to send their children to urban complex schools is that they are worried that at this kind of school, their children will not get into top universities. The Access Project is groundbreaking: we think we can help disadvantaged students win places at top universities. And beyond this, we think we can change some parents’ attitudes towards urban complex schools, and help bring about more comprehensive intakes.
‘We as a business have without doubt changed and improved as a result of working with the Access Project children and being part of The Access Project... I can’t help but feel that the work we are doing for The Access Project makes us a more unified and better consultancy.’ Richard Verity, Partner, Booz & Company
‘Thanks to the practise I’ve got at the Interview Masterclass I know what to expect in the admissions process. It sounds strange but I think I’m going to enjoy my interviews!’ Josephine
The future. The target for the coming academic year is to expand into another school. We will do this once we have raised sufficient funds to employ a second full time member of staff. After we have piloted running the Project in a second school, we plan to accelerate our expansion. We think the Project is very replicable, and hope that in five years The Access Project will be working in 10 to 15 schools.
Contact details. 6 Inverness Mews, London, W2 3JQ 07789 870 112 www.theaccessproject.org.uk ake@theaccessproject.org.uk
Our mission is to help motivated students from disadvantaged backgrounds win places at top universities. Please get in touch if you want to be involved! ‘A few years ago I would never have thought of this, but now I want to study English at Oxford University.’ Leyla
Charity Registration Number: 1127870
Designed by Ben Kither: ben@owtcreative.com
THE ACCESS PROJECT Charity Registration Number: 1127870