BSix Embarks on University Tour
Students at BSix have been taking part in a tour of some of the UK's top universities as part of the college's programme to widen access to higher education and strengthen academic achievement.
The award winning Raising Aspirations Programme pairs each A'Level student in Year 12 to a university for a subject based programme of activities. Each programme aims to arm students with the information and tools to make an application to the university which best matches their academic potential, while at the same time getting them ready for life at university and pushing them to their academic limits.
The unique relationship formed between each student and the university is proven to increase the likelihood of a student applying to a top university. Successful applications to Russell Group universities by BSix students is up 333% on last year and students at the college have been successful in securing places at Oxbridge each year for the last three years in a row.
As part of the programme, each student visits their partner university for a campus tour, introduction to HE workshop and some academic activities in the form of a lecture and seminar.
Introductory visits have already taken place on the Physics (Imperial), Biology & Psychology (York), English, Sociology & Law (York), Cambridge (STEM) and Oxford (Humanities) programmes.
Over 100 BSix students made their first visit to University of York campus before Christmas, the largest ever university visit organised by the college. Students were surprised to learn York was two hours by train from London and for many students it was their first venture outside the capital. Upon arrival the group started straight into an overview to the UCAS application process followed by a subject based admissions briefing by admissions tutors in Biology, Psychology, English, Sociology & Law. Students and teachers alike found the time with the admissions tutors really useful to get their questions about different course types answered. Later in the day the group took part in a rigorous two hour academic session in their chosen subject and also had lunch in the university canteen with current undergraduates.
A group of 20 students from schools and colleges across the borough embarked on their first day of activity at the University of Cambridge as part of the high performing Cambridge STEM programme. Students were selected for this programme if they were on track for an Oxbridge or Russell Group application in the areas of Science and Maths. Students were really excited to get the opportunity to take a look around Clares College, Cambridge and speak to undergraduates at the college and take part in the first lecture of their series on Climate Change. Teachers reported the group returned to Hackney extremely motivated and inspired by the visit to Cambridge.
Students on the Politics (QMUL) programme will make their first visit to Queen Mary this Wednesday for a tour and lecture by the Head of the School of Internation Relations Prof. Jeremy Jennings, a former governor of the college.
At the conclusion of the tour, students from BSix and Hackney will have visited over 15 universities across the UK as part of the Raising Aspirations Programme. This will further contribute to the college's continuing commitment to improving the quality of university application made by each and every student and also our desire to bring university academics into the classroom to raise achievement.
Further information about each subject programme can be found here: http://www.bsix.ac.uk/bseven/raisingaspirations.htm
Click here to see the photos from the York visit.
Click here to see the photos from the Cambridge visit.
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