15 minute read
South East England
Best Practice
University of Reading
STUDENT CASE STUDY Reading Scholars Scheme
Hazem Ahmed, 21, from West London, is in his final year of a degree studying Business Management and IT.
Hazem started the Reading Scholars programme when he was 16, in Year 12 of King Solomon Academy in Marylebone, London, where he studied for an A-level in Economics and a Level 3 BTEC in Business.
While Hazem felt an expectation from school and family that he should go to university, the experience of the Reading Scholars programme helped him to gain an understanding of what life on campus would actually be like.
“I already had my heart set on going to a university outside of my home city, so the Reading scheme seemed like a good way to find out about what uni was like,” Hazem said.
“Everyone seemed to be saying, going to university is much harder than school – it will be much more serious. But the programme showed me that studying at university isn’t that different from being at school in lots of ways. It made it seem much less daunting and more realistic.
“The programme involved meeting up every two months, meeting up with mentors, and then there was a residential scheme in the summer with activities and seminars based on the courses we were interested in.
“At the end there was a party so we could meet up with the friends we had made and meet other people who had signed up for the course. “It was helpful because when I got to uni in my first year I met up with some of my mentors so there was a sense of familiarity.”
Reading Scholars has been running since 2012, growing from 35 attendees to more than 400 in 2020, all of whom come from backgrounds where attendance at university is lower than in the general population. The free scheme is designed to build confidence and understanding among attendees across a range of measures, developing skills and social and academic knowhow about life on campus.
By the end attendees on the programme report higher levels of understanding about university courses and student finances, among other measures.
Hazem feels that while the scheme was helpful to him and others who have been through it, it’s important to highlight to young people the range of options that are available to them – which doesn’t have to include going to university.
That’s a message he is happy to pass on as he has now become a Reading Scholars mentor himself, helping the next generation to see life on campus as it actually is.
Hazem says his experience at university has helped him, building his confidence to make contacts and forge networks that will help him after he graduates, when he hopes to build a career in music and media production.
“Social mobility is a tricky subject. it can’t just be about getting people to go to university,” he said. “It has to come from improving all education for everyone, at primary and secondary level. That’s important to me.
“In many ways social mobility seems harder than ever, and university isn’t always the answer. The solution needs to be much deeper than that. Otherwise it just reinforces class identities.”
Best Practice
BEST PRACTICE CASE STUDY Whitley Researchers Project
By many measures, Reading is an affluent southern town. At the heart of the M4 corridor, gleaming offices of global accountancy firms vie for space with pharmaceutical and computer companies.
Yet Reading also has very high disparities within its own borders. Close to the blue chip HQ buildings in south Reading is Whitley. Variously described as ‘working class,’ ‘disadvantaged’ or ‘deprived,’ Whitley is mostly home to people categorised in ONS socio-economic groups C2, D and E.
As with other similar communities, Whitley is often to be described in the language of ‘deficiency’, with a focus on the attributes it lacks. This can be interpreted as a catalogue of weaknesses among its residents. The stigma arising from this kind of approach can act as a real drag on the way people feel about themselves and about their future.
The Whitley Researchers was formed as a partnership between Whitley Community Development Association, local residents and the University of Reading. The programme involves local residents conducting their own research, voicing their own needs and devising solutions to local issues. Putting knowledge generation in the community itself, rather than among academics or policymakers, allows people to directly shape the process of change. It’s vital for relevant, long-term impact.
The research seeks to engage with and build upon the community’s strengths and assets. It partners with existing community groups, and it focuses on Whitley’s people. It is committed to working together in a friendly and inclusive way where everyone’s work is equally valued. This encourages the whole group to speak up and to grapple with genuine issues, rather than getting superficial responses to the wrong questions. The University of Reading assists local residents with participatory research methods, and strengthens their networks with local service providers. The local residents use their personal connections to access the opinions and experiences of a much wider cross-section of the community. All this gives voice to the local community, puts ownership into local hands, and builds channels of communication through which all parties can engage with change.
The Whitley Researchers team has achieved success, leading to better public transport links, improved understanding about raising young people’s aspirations, and how people use community gardens and allotments to stay healthy. Members of the group themselves have grown their skills and confidence, with many moving on to new full-time jobs.
The Whitley Researchers, in their own words:
“The project gave me a boost as an individual which made me feel better about myself.” “My boss has put more responsibility on me in my other job which I have embraced; before the project I would have said, “no I can’t do that!”” ”Working together breaks down barriers and shows how we can help each other.” “Using this research obviously benefits the recipients but being a part of the process empowers us as residents – we feel as though the whole project belongs to us.” “Every time I undertake a research project I thoroughly enjoy the experience and it makes me feel I have ‘come alive’. It feels great to be part of this researcher’s team.” “I became a Whitley Researcher after I heard about the work they had done in conjunction with Reading Buses to provide a bus to the hospital. I was very excited when I saw how the Researchers were able to make a positive change and was keen to find out how I could get involved in finding out more about a community I have lived in for the past 10 years.”
Best Practice
Solent University
BEST PRACTICE CASE STUDY Health 4 Her
Solent University’s Faculty of Sport, Health and Social Sciences offers a number of programmes and activities that support staff, students and the wider community.
This includes Health for Her (H4H), a weight loss programme designed to provide an appropriate and safe exercise environment to facilitate an increase in physical activity participation for Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic women from low socio-economic areas of Southampton.
Providing an all-female, non-intimidating environment which caters for cultural and religious restrictions, it has so far enabled women to experience and enjoy a variety of sports and physical activity.
The project teaches health literacy, encourages a healthier lifestyle, supports behaviour change, boosts confidence and increases social cohesion. The programme encourages healthy eating as well as weight loss due to the high risk for obesity development and comorbidities such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes which is more prevalent in the BAME demographic.
Thanks to the University’s Covid Response Fund, equipment for the participants to take home and keep was purchased, so they could exercise at home throughout the pandemic.
Having the equipment at home enabled the programme to continue by switching to online provision through a Facebook Group. The funding enabled 33 women to continue on their health and fitness journey throughout the second and third lockdowns. Three students have also benefited from the project which, through real world learning, provides opportunities to learn new skills, gain confidence and improve their employability. Two of the students have already secured a job opportunity based upon the work experience gained through the project - with one due to soon start work at Watford FC Community Sport and Education Trust as their Lifestyles Project Officer.
Another, Health, Nutrition and Exercise student Hayley James, has secured her dream role as Lifestyle Advisor with Onside – a charity that provides support services to vulnerable and disadvantaged members of the community in Worcestershire and Herefordshire.
Hayley said: “As I grew in confidence, I became more adaptable, which improved my employability. My confidence continued to increase when I received positive feedback from the ladies. Knowing the ladies are enjoying the sessions, gives me a sense of accomplishment.”
H4H has been awarded further funding from the ‘This Girl Can Community Fund’ so that the project can be delivered across the city, continuing to benefit both the local community and students.
Best Practice
BEST PRACTICE CASE STUDY Leadership programmes to help small business grow
During 2020/21, Solent Business School was one of 20 business schools working with the Chartered Association of Business Schools to deliver the specialised Government funded programme for leaders of small businesses. Part of a £20million government-provided package to help small businesses, it has already helped thousands across England.
Working with businesses across the southern region, from Cambridge to Truro, Solent Business School has supported over 140 businesses which actively enrolled on the programme, of which more than half are Hampshire-based. Caroline Walsh, Director of Solent Business School, says: “We’ve received really positive feedback from the organisations who have participated in the programme. They have said that it is helping them think differently about their business and how they can emerge from the pandemic stronger and more resilient.”
To aid business resilience and future growth in the current climate, the Small Business Leadership Programme has created peer groups that drive innovation and help small business owners in making the key decisions that will lead to sustainable growth.
“The events industry has been so severely impacted by Covid-19, however the Small Business Leadership Programme at Solent Business School has provided me with the ideal platform to reassess our focus with a view to ensuring we remain resilient in order to survive these challenging times,” says Sarah Moss, Director, Jack Up Events.
Wendy Moffat, Director, John A Ray & Associates Ltd goes on to say, “We provide executive car services to the business community, consequently the effect of the pandemic has been significant. Participating in this course has provided the opportunity to take a critical look at our business model and how we operate. More importantly, it is giving us the tools to make changes right now, not just to see us through these challenging times, but to create a vision for the long-term future success of our business.”
Building on the success of this programme the Solent’s Business School is now helping to deliver the 90% Government subsidised Help to Grow Management programme.
Designed to be manageable alongside full-time work, modules cover financial management, strategies for growth and innovation, leading a high-performance workplace and digital adoption. By the end of the programme, business leaders will develop a tailored business growth plan to help lead your business to its full potential with access to mentoring and an alumni network.
The 12-week programme is 90% subsidised by the government as part of its Plan for Jobs to help businesses to drive growth and protect jobs, and is aimed at senior leaders of small and medium businesses.
Best Practice
University of Southampton
BEST PRACTICE CASE STUDY Ignite
The University of Southampton has launched a new social mobility programme: Ignite, which uses different strategies to level up student’s experiences from Successful School Years through Post-16 Education and into Fair Career Progression. Elements of the levelling up agenda are embedded throughout to ensure that students have the skills to succeed.
The Ignite Programme is split into three stages. Firstly, Ignite Your Journey works with care experienced and looked after children in year 11, offering mentoring from current University of Southampton students with lived experience of the care system as well as focused English and maths tuition to support attainment at GCSE stage. It is recognised across the sector that GCSE attainment has the real impact on care experienced children accessing and succeeding in higher education and Ignite Your Journey aims to provide positive, on campus experiences to start to change this.
The University of Southampton will have 10 students joining the first Ignite Your Journey programme in October 2021 with an aim to increase this in the following academic year. The aim is for the University of Southampton to be a hub of the community for looked after children and will be using its excellent facilities to expand aspirations and increase participation.
The second stage of the programme, Ignite Your Success launched in October 2020 works with first year undergraduate students who either have a Care Leaver background or who come from IMD Q1 areas on admission. This group of 31 students join the Ignite Community in their first year and complete a series of workshops exploring their journey to higher education and the unique skills and experiences they bring. They have a safe space to discuss matters that might make them feel different from their peers including financial matters, identity and how to make connections which can help them in their future careers. All students undertake a guaranteed internship in their first year, an international opportunity in their second and a mentor in each year of study. They also all receive additional financial support.
After a year of the programme none of the 2020/21 cohort have withdrawn, with 81% progressing to second year. Students have reported high levels of satisfaction with 89% saying they had been inspired or had their aspirations raised by the Ignite workshops. Additionally, 94% were either satisfied or really satisfied with the workshops and 94% said they found the alumni speakers either helpful or very helpful when thinking about their future. Students engaged whole heartedly, with 97% completing their internship in their first year - the final student will complete this in their second year. 78% said that the workshops provided them with careers information they wouldn’t otherwise have been aware of and 73% have completed follow up research on jobs and careers outside of the sessions.
From 2021/22 the university will be more focused on recording the impact of the programme through two areas: high level data (retention, awards, graduate outcomes, completion) and deep level impact (self-esteem, efficacy, selfdetermination, engagement and belonging).
The University has also received very encouraging feedback from the students about their experiences, from the supportive network (“[the] social aspect of the Ignite Programme… enabled me to meet other students from different year groups across the University, especially during lockdowns and not being able to meet anyone. It also gave me the opportunity
Best Practice
to be able to discuss student experience, support students and make friends”) to the employability enhancing opportunities (“I have had the opportunity to apply and be accepted for an internship, which has given me a chance to boost some of my workplace skills. The weekly sessions we have expose us to a range of speakers who provide us with some great advice for a range of topics”) and the financial stability the bursary provides (“Receiving the funding has lifted a huge weight off my shoulders! It meant that I could focus on my studies instead of worrying and feeling guilty about how much the things I needed was going to cost me”).
The University will build on these successes in the final stage: Ignite Your Future, which will focus on improving progression to graduate employment and further study and is currently in development.
STUDENT CASE STUDY Maleeha Mahmuda
“I’m a first year student studying environmental science. Despite getting used to a new normal, it has been a learning experience overall. I love studying at this university because I just felt that this university stands out from the others in terms of putting students’ needs first and making them the priority.
“I felt that going to university opens so many doors, both academically and nonacademically. As well as expanding your knowledge and interests by being taught, you get the opportunity to have practical experience in your field, (work experience, internships, etc). Even if you feel like you’ve not gained much academically, the people you meet are completely different from people you meet in primary/ high school, yet with a similar academic mindset. Engaging in conversations with fellow students is always really exciting!
“The situation was quite stressful because my dad was out of work for a long period of time due to him having and recovering from a heart operation. I needed a lot of textbooks and a laptop to support advanced computer programmes for my course. I was invited [by the Ignite programme] to apply for the bursary by email.
“Receiving the funding has lifted a huge weight off my shoulders! It meant that I could focus on my studies instead of worrying and feeling guilty about how much the things I needed was going to cost me.
“My favourite part has simply been the people. My fellow ‘Igniters’ are a great bunch of people, studying different subjects and from all different backgrounds, have become good friends of mine. Getting to know everyone who are outside of my course has been a really positive experience and when someone from our little group goes onto achieving something, it becomes our achievement too as everyone is incredibly supportive.
“It was through one of the talks from Ignite, I found out about the ‘Student Innovation Project’ which I ended up taking part in. It is a 6 week project that anyone, from any subject and any year can do as an extra thing, which can be related to your course or not! You are given a real client with an issue that you have 6 weeks to research about before presenting them with your solutions that they can possibly implement into their business.
“Despite the current situation with COVID, you can still make the most out of your university experience, only if you choose to do so. You can either let the negativity of online learning consume you or you can be proactive and seek out interesting and exciting opportunities for yourself by reaching out to other students through email, LinkedIn, SUSU, etc. I decided to choose the latter and because of this, I have been fortunate to get involved in some amazing experiences all in my first year!”
