One of the largest academy trusts in the country - Academies Enterprise Trust (AET) - is teaming up with us at CoachBright to help students from predominantly disadvantaged backgrounds progress to university.
Sixth formers across all AET sixth forms will be paired with a university student to help improve their academic grades, confidence, independence and awareness of higher education. Sixth Form students will be tutored by a current undergraduate student from the academic discipline they are interested in.
Undergraduate tutors will support sixth form students with their academic studies as well as provide a personal insight into the university application system and student life.
AET and CoachBright had already successfully worked together in a pilot programme before Covid19 and are now rolling out this support across all of its Sixth Forms this academic year as we return not to a ‘new’ normal but to a ‘better’ normal. This collaboration is crucial in helping to inspire pupils about what is possible in the future and to make them aware of the pathways available.
The Education Policy Institute (EPI) announced in their Annual Report on Education in England that the disadvantage gap between those from poorer backgrounds and the rest is no longer closing and both AET and CoachBright are determined to work together to address this.
The university tutoring programme will consist of weekly after-school tutoring sessions, group workshops and a visit to a local university campus. All university students take part in a CoachBright training programme to make sure they are rigorously equipped to understand how to lead effective tutorials, build relationships with a young person and handle safeguarding concerns.
The students will be from universities across the country including the University of Oxford, University of Birmingham, University College London, King’s College London, Plymouth University and the University of Exeter.
CoachBright has been running tutoring, coaching and leadership programmes in UK schools for six and half years. They mainly work across the West Midlands, South West and London area. Since March, CoachBright has been running online tutoring programmes to help young people through lockdown. The organisation also hopes to be part of the government’s National Tutoring Programme launching later this year.
David Hatchett, National Director of Secondary Schools at AET, said: “I am delighted that we are working in partnership with CoachBright to improve the life chances of the young people in our care. Supporting and increasing the number of our pupils, and particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, who progress to University is a key part of our five year strategy as we help inspire our pupils to lead a remarkable life. Tutoring and support from undergraduates who have themselves made the transition from sixth form to a high performing University will help raise our pupils’ aspirations of what is possible. I am excited at the prospects of what we can achieve by working together”.
The CEO of CoachBright Robin Chu said: “It’s crucial that young people are given the support they need to catch up after being out of the classroom for six months. By being paired with a university student these young people will get extra academic tuition to improve their grades, receive support on choosing their next steps after school and gain further understanding on what university life is like.
“We are delighted to be supporting AET, a truly inclusive Trust, on their journey to helping as many young people achieve their future dream destinations at the university of their choice.”
For more information about the partnership please feel free to email Robin at robin@coachbright.org