Learning Away features in UCL’s new Enabling Social Mobility through Education (ESME) programme

14th November 2016

Canterbury Academy Year 10 students, Hampton Court, July 2013Boosting GCSE attainment on a residential at Hampton Court Palace

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Learning Away features in a new Enabling Social Mobility through Education (ESME) online training programme for school-based staff, providing schools and colleges with online information and resources relating to Higher Education information and guidance, and the role of Higher Education in the social mobility agenda.

Schools and colleges will be able to access a short film (shown below) discussing the Learning Away research and the role residential experiences can play in raising aspiration and supporting students’ social mobility.

Dominic Meehan, former Vice Principal at The Canterbury Academy, who was interviewed for the film said:

‘The wider impact of attending a brilliant residential on a young person is very much their engagement with the environment … if they are in a neutral environment it enables them to achieve and thrive and learn within the context of the subject being delivered.”

The ESME programme, developed by University College London (UCL) will consider the ways in which schools can support students from under-represented backgrounds to access Higher Education. The first year of the project will be a pilot year in which UCL aims to have 30 learners complete the programme. In subsequent years UCL aim to recruit in excess of 100 learners within each academic year.

The course is being developed by the Teacher & Professional Engagement team which forms part of the UCL Widening Participation and UK Undergraduate Recruitment Office. ESME will complement the portfolio of student outreach programmes which the UCL WP team runs, further information about UCL’s programmes and activities can be found here.

The film refers to the impact of the Learning Away action research phase of the programme, and what makes a Brilliant Residential, as well as how to plan a Brilliant Residential.

Learning Away is campaigning for more young people to benefit from the life-changing impact of a Brilliant Residential. To join the campaign and pledge your support to work with others to provide more #BrilliantResidentials make your pledge here, follow @LearningAway on twitter, or like us on facebook.