Plantsbrook School BCU partnership: Students are benefitting from a pioneering new scheme which sees them guided through their entire school lives by mentors from a university.
Organised in partnership with Birmingham City University (BCU), the five-year Progressive Programme scheme supports 60 students from Year 7 and 8 and continues until they leave in Year 11.
The programme, which is dedicated to raising the aspirations of young people, sees BCU staff based at the Sutton Coldfield school – which is part of the Broadleaf Partnership Trust – twice each week.
Plantsbrook Careers Advisor Sarah Dullea, who helped set up the scheme, said: “This is a very ambitious project that will help guide students right through their time here, raising their aspirations and helping them to think about what they can achieve.
“The programme consists of workshops, taster sessions with BCU academics, university campus visits and mentoring programmes, as well as an Industry Placement day.
“Crucially, the programme is embedded as part of your young person’s school timetable, ensuring that they do not miss out on their core subjects, while still being able to build up a rapport with the BCU staff members.
“The aim of this programme is to invest in our young persons to provide them with a greater understanding of Higher Education and their potential career options, to get them thinking about it at an earlier stage in their school life, and to empower them to make informed choices about their future.”
Students are chosen from across the year group to ensure diversity, while pupils who are not selected are also included in wider year group activities, such as ‘science made simple’ days and assemblies, ensuring all students benefit from the programme.
Plantsbrook School BCU partnership is free for selected schools
Only six schools have been selected to take part in the scheme, which is provided free to those involved.
Catherine Aldridge-Nadin, BCU Outreach Assistant, said: “We are doing all kinds of sessions that focus on helping the students think about themselves and their aspirations.
“So, for example last week we did a ‘future you’ session, where the students wrote a letter to themselves, which they will open and read in Year 11, and next week we’ll be looking at gender stereotypes.
“This is a very ambitious project that will help guide students right through their time here, raising their aspirations and helping them to think about what they can achieve,”
– careers advisor sarah dullea
“For Year 7 we mainly focus on building confidence and for Year 8 we’re looking at career exploration, and they’ll get to go on a day trip to see loads of demos at one of BCU’s satellite campuses.
“The idea of following students through their school life is about improving attainment, not only in Further Education but with things like apprenticeships too. The students have been very engaged and have really enjoyed it so far.”
Year 7 pupils will also be hearing talks by existing BCU students – to find out what life is like at university – and will be tutored on literacy too.
As the students get older and progress through the scheme the activities will adapt to their needs, eventually including visits from academic subject speakers, advice on how to apply to university and even an overnight stay in halls of residence.
Acting Headteacher Ian Barton said: “This is a remarkable project, with a long-term commitment from our partners at BCU, which will really help build the aspirations of Plantsbrook students, as well as driving attainment.
“Our school’s motto is ‘be the best that you can be’ – and this is a brilliant example of that ethos in action.”