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A Holistic, Year-Long Programme

Our programme starts in the summer after Year 10. Combining two university residentials and regular coaching, our programme is designed to help raise students' aspirations, gain familiarity with university, develop their confidence, and boost attainment at GCSE.

What We Do

Our Programme

Our annual programme starts in the summer of Year 10 and supports students from non-selective state schools throughout Year 11.

Our programme involves three key elements:

Six-day Year 10 residential at a highly-selective university;
Monthly remote coaching;
Three-day Year 11 GCSE revision weekend.

We aim to help raise students' aspirations, attainment, and the likelihood of their making a successful application to university by providing an authentic experience of what it is like to be a university student.

Our Year 10 Residential

Universify participants are introduced to our year-long programme through a they six-day university residential in Year 10.

This residential gives participants a snapshot of life as an undergraduate university student as they attend academic seminars taught by university lecturers, complete a group work project, and take part in various social activities. Participants live in student accommodation and explore the city, helping them to feel comfortable in the university setting and easing concerns that they might feel out of place. The Year 10 residential brings together students from across the country to develop a supportive community of peers.

An Undergraduate Experience

We run lectures and seminars delivered by academics in a range of subjects to highlight what the disciplines may entail at university-level. In addition, participants experience subjects they may never have encountered before, such as Philosophy, Medicine and Economics, providing them with knowledge to make informed decisions about future subject choices and career paths.

Achieving Academic Goals Through Coaching

Each Universify participant will have their own Universify coach. Their coach works with their coachee to set goals, outline actions to work towards them, and review their progress. After meeting their coach on the Year 10 residential, participants catch up remotely with their coaches online, so they can continue to work towards their goals until participants complete their GCSEs and get their results in August.

Preparing for GCSEs

Participants return to their host university in March or April of Year 11 for a three-day revision residential. Over the weekend participants receive eight hours of revision classes in a core subjects focusing on exam technique and course content, and a workshop on exam preparation. Our Year 11 residential is also about looking towards the future after the Universify programme, with sessions from follow-on programmes participants can apply to, and a careers fair to explore the range of opportunities a university degree can offer.

What Makes Our Programme Different?

Universify’s programme begins earlier in a student’s journey to higher education than most university access programmes. This way, we can become part of the journey into university, complimenting existing programmes for Year 12 students and increasing the duration of support available to students.

Our programme is future focused. We want to raise participant's aspirations throughout Year 11, to help them work towards the best GCSE grades possible and think beyond school towards making an informed decision about their next steps in education.