Into University

The Sutton Trust helped fund Into University in partnership with the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation.  It is an out of school programme of long-term learning and welfare support for children and young people at risk of failing to meet their academic potential due to disadvantage.

Into University provides an integrated programme of activities which supports children academically and pastorally, building confidence, motivation and self-esteem. 

It includes:

• Primary and Secondary academic support - Tutored help with homework, coursework, literacy and numeracy underpinned by target setting and formal assessment. 

• Weekday walk-in - One-to-one support covering: GSCE/AS/A/degree options; coursework; revision and examination techniques; UCAS forms; interview techniques; gap years; and general advice outside school about learning/school issues.

• Half–term FOCUS weeks - Subject-based weeks of challenging and stimulating activities, promoting a love of learning and culminating in a visit to a university and a graduation day. This is a key element of Into University, introducing young people from age 9 upwards to the idea of university.

• Primary FOCUS weeks - Themed weeks of out-of-school learning for 10 year old pupils. Classes come with their teacher to the project and engage with hands-on activities linked to the National Curriculum. They also visit a university and enjoy a graduation ceremony.

• Primary FOCUS days - Themed days for children aged 10 and 11 which build social skills, teamwork and confidence, providing a fresh approach to topics and removing barriers to classroom learning. Subjects include Performing Arts and Geography.

• Extending horizons weekends - Educational weekends away giving young people experiences most of them would not otherwise have, helping to raise their aspiration and motivation to achieve at school.  Visits have included the city of Cambridge, First World War battlefields and Bergen Belsen concentration camp.

• Mentoring - Into University participants are paired with undergraduates from Imperial College, University College and the LSE. The programme promotes self-worth, social development, responsibility and aspiration. Mentors encourage and support young people, introduce them to their campus, and act as role models.

• Aspire and achieve days - Staff are trained to run the Go For It! course, which has been designed by the Pacific Institute and is proven to raise academic standards and aspirations. 

In 2006 the Sutton Trust commissioned an evaluation of Into University by NFER  to measure the impact of the scheme on young people themselves but also on teachers and families, and the positive outcomes from this contributed towards the programme's expansion.