Sutton Scholars is now underway

Sutton Scholars supports 640 young people in Years 7-10 each year. It aims to increase the number of bright students from disadvantaged backgrounds accessing selective universities by providing early, long-term interventions to bridge the gap between state and private school provision.

All five of the Sutton Scholar 2016/17 cohorts are now underway with Imperial College London having launched their coding programme last month. As a new model, the launch sees the first Scholars cohort to focus on an individual subject.

Our commissioned report from Boston Consulting Group identified major skills shortages in the fields of technology and coding but also found significant access barriers stopping disadvantaged young people from pursuing careers in the sector. This new model is a step towards remedying that barrier.

The University of Cambridge hosted a residential during the Easter holidays for 100 Year 10 students.  They spent three days exploring the university and surrounding city. Seminars led by PhD students included learning about sustainable energy and designing wind turbines.

Alongside recruiting 300 gifted and talented young people to the programme, the University of Nottingham have been hosting a range of campus visits including giving Year 8 students the opportunity to visit their Sutton Bonington Campus and have a sneak preview of their new £4m “super lab”.

The University of Warwick have strengthened the targeting of their students with all 78 students in their new cohort meeting additional social mobility criteria. There has been an increase in the number of students who are high achieving, living in care, in receipt of pupil premium and living in a deprived neighbourhood. Students who are first generation in their family to attend university has remained high at 75%.