Around fifty Year 10 students learned about life at Cambridge, its collegiate system and the wide variety of courses available. They also learned about the social side of university life and options for accommodation.

The session also provided an opportunity to dispel some common myths, including the supposed need, or advantage, of studying more than three A-Level, or BTEC equivalent subjects. The reality being that three subjects studied well are better than four or five done with less focus. Along the same lines, students discovered that courses they thought may be unattainable were actually more accessible than they had previously realised.

A more general look at accessing university education was also explored, with particular focus given to entry requirements and suggestions for the best combination of A-level, or equivalent Level 3 qualifications, to study in order to unlock access to highly competitive courses. This was done by means of a card sort game, with students tasked with matching individual subjects to degrees in order of their relevance and benefit to the chosen degree course.

The opportunity for students to experience encounters with further and higher education providers is one of the eight requirements of the Gatsby Benchmarks, a national framework for the delivery of careers education in schools and colleges, where it is stated that: ‘all pupils should understand the full range of learning opportunities that are available to them. This includes both academic and vocational routes and learning in schools, colleges, universities and in the workplace.’

At Withernsea High School, this includes visits to further/higher education providers for taster days and bespoke events, and interaction with representatives from such providers, including the Cambridge Outreach Programme, who regularly visit the school to work with students as part of their five-year careers programme.

Tansy Wickham, Admissions and Outreach Officer at King’s College, said: “It was a delight to visit Withernsea High School as part of the King’s College outreach programme to encourage students from all backgrounds to apply to, and thrive in, Higher Education. The Year 10 group that took part were highly engaged and responded really well to questions – asking many themselves about life at University and the application process.

King’s has a long-standing connection with East Yorkshire as a result of the University of Cambridge Area Links Scheme, enabling schools and colleges across the UK to build strong, effective relationships with the Cambridge Colleges, each of which concentrate their ‘Widening Participation’ efforts in a particular region.

As the King's link area is some way from Cambridge, we find that the best way to encourage and support schools with applications to Cambridge and other competitive universities, is to visit them in person.

Through the scheme, we’re able to develop a better understanding of local educational environments to build lasting relationships with schools and provide tailored guidance for students thinking about Higher Education, helping them to realise their full potential.”

School Careers Leader, Viki Foster, added: “It is important for students to realise that study at Oxbridge, and other Russell Group universities, is achievable and is not something that is beyond their reach.

In recent years, we have had a number of students who have gone on to study at Oxford and Cambridge and we are committed to supporting any students that want to aim for Russell Group universities in the future.

I would like to thank Tansy and King’s College for their continuing support. We look forward to working with them further for the benefit of our students.”

For over twenty years, Cambridge University’s College Area Links Scheme has helped to build strong, effective relationships between its 31 autonomous colleges, and schools and colleges across the UK. This is part of their commitment to widening participation in higher education, and to achieving an intake that is reflective of UK society by providing equality of educational opportunity for all those who study at Cambridge.

To help focus their work, and to create meaningful links with the schools and colleges in the areas they serve, each Cambridge college is linked to a region of the UK – with King’s College taking responsibility for schools in the Yorkshire and Humber area.

Although the Area Links Scheme builds a connection between chosen areas with specific colleges, it does not preclude students from contacting, or being contacted by, other Cambridge colleges. There is no expectation or obligation for students to apply to their relevant link college, and their participation does not influence whether colleges invite applicants for interview or offer them places.

Meanwhile, for the school’s Year 10 cohort, this interaction marked the starting point of a more focussed approach to exploring post-16 options. This will build and continue into Year 11 where they will begin to give serious consideration towards their next steps and go through the application process for post-16 destinations of choice.

Later this academic year, Year 10 will also be given the chance to experience a week of Work Experience. This valuable opportunity gives young people a first-hand experience of a workplace environment, helping them to understand how the world of work operates and how it differs from life in school.

Such experience helps to shine a light on the pathways and progression required to enter a variety of professions, helping young people to understand the routes and qualifications needed to secure their first-choice future careers.

ABOVE: Tansy Wickham, Admissions and Outreach Officer at King’s College, with Year 10 students.

ABOVE AND BELOW As part of the workshop activities, students completed card sorts to grade the relevance of subjects in relation to the study of particular degrees.