Aspire2University (A2U) is a progressive programme targeting children and young people in the care system from Year 7 onwards. Run in partnership with Virtual Schools from five local authorities across the West Midlands, A2U has been successfully delivered at the University of Wolverhampton since 2015.
One of the main aims of the programme is to raise awareness and understanding of the opportunities that university can offer. Young people are selected based on their Key Stage Two outcomes. A2U participants are given the chance to begin their journey towards a potential future in higher education from an early age — a true ‘catch them young’ approach.
The programme’s partners work collaboratively to:
- Remove barriers to learning and progression
- Raise aspirations
- Increase knowledge and promote understanding of higher education
- Provide support to help students stay on track
There are four strands to the programme:
- Outreach – Visits to university campuses
- Enrichment – Holiday and out-of-hours activities
- Mentoring – Group and/or one-to-one sessions with undergraduate students
- Tutoring – Academic support in core subjects