Schools Plus supports university students to tackle educational inequality through providing academic support for young people. This programme currently runs in Bristol and Southampton.
What is Schools Plus?
If disadvantaged young people receive academic support from students they will benefit from improved confidence, subject understanding and motivation for learning. Ultimately leading to improved academic attainment, closing the attainment gap.
We work with schools, colleges and community centres working with a high proportion of pupils on pupil premium and with English as a second language. We often work with Widening Participation teams at our partner universities to work collaboratively and meet Access and Participant Plan (APP) priorities. Students provide academic support in three ways:
- Small group targeted support for young people such as reading groups and exam support
- Classroom support offering targeted support for those who need it
- Extracurricular support including homework clubs, science clubs and more
The students we work with are passionate about their subject and have the potential to be positive role models for young people and the training and support we offer enables students to develop the necessary communication and teamwork skills.
What’s the impact?
Schools plus aims to reduce the impact of educational inequality by supporting young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to have improved educational attainment. To meet this aim we ensure every young person who takes part in the programme:
- Has improved subject understanding
- Feels more confident in their ability
- Builds resilience
- Feels more motivated to learn
To achieve this our students are trained to create an environment which is safe, supported, respectful, interesting and challenging. An environment which supports key social and emotional skill development.
In 2021-22
partners agreed pupils showed increased confidence in their studies
partners agreed pupils showed improved expectations for the future
students agreed pupils showed increased subject knowledge
I have worked mostly with children aged 6 – 13 and I hope that I have given them a safe environment where they feel comfortable making mistakes, learning and growing. I have really enjoyed seeing their confidence grow each week and seeing their wins! A highlight was when, after a few weeks of not wanting to read out loud to the group, one of the students participated… and was really eager about reading.
Zara Campbell, Southampton Hub volunteer