Brilliant Club scheme helps pupils focus on university
Pupils across Wales are being encouraged to apply for elite universities through The Brilliant Club. Here GREG SCANNELL, national manager for Wales of the Scholars Programme at the Brilliant Club, outlines the work
OVER the course of the summer term a number of Welsh MPs visited schools in their constituencies to hear about the progress that students have made as part of The Scholars Programme – a prestigious UK-wide scheme which gives school pupils an opportunity to experience university-style learning.
Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru Ceredigion) visited Ysgol Uwchradd Aberteifi/Cardigan High School, Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour Llanelli) visited Pontarddulais School, Jonathan Edwards (Plaid Cymru Carmarthen East and Dinefwr) visited Ysgol Gyfun Emlyn, Chris Bryant (Labour Rhondda) visited Ferndale Community School and Stephen Kinnock (Labour Aberavon) visited St Joseph’s RC Comprehensive and Sixth Form centre.
They heard how the programme recruits, trains and places PhD researchers in non-selective state schools to deliver university-style tutorials based on their own research to small groups of pupils.
As part of the programme, pupils taking part will also visit two highlyselective universities, where they receive information, advice and guidance about university life and making a successful university application.
The Scholars Programme is run by The Brilliant Club, an award-winning charity whose aim is to increase the number of pupils from underrepresented backgrounds progressing to highly-selective universities.
An independent evaluation by the Universities and Colleges Application Services (Ucas) showed that nearly 60% of pupils who complete the programme go on to attend a highly-selective university.
For pupils on the programme who were eligible for free school meals, 54% progressed to a highly-selective university, compared to a national rate of 12%.
In 2017-18, over 600 students across Wales have participated in The Scholars Programme placements, working with PhD and postdoctoral researchers from Swansea, Aberystwyth and Cardiff universities.
The students have had opportunities to visit the universities of Oxford, Exeter, Warwick, Bristol and Cardiff as part of their experience too.
Since autumn 2016, when the programme first launched in Wales, over 880 students from across 50 further education colleges, secondary schools and primary schools have participated in The Scholars Programme.
Spring term 2018 saw the programme expand further in to south west Wales, with all secondary schools in Pembrokeshire enrolling cohorts of year nine students, with a total of 96 learners from the county having the opportunity to a launch at Cardiff University and be invited to the University of Bristol with their parents/carers to celebrate their achievements.
This autumn will see the first schools in north Wales becoming partners with The Brilliant Club and enrolling students to undertake the programme.
Stephen Kinnock, MP for Aberavon, said: “It was great to visit St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Comprehensive School and Sixth Form Centre and meet pupils taking part in The Scholars Programme.
“I was very impressed at how they engaged with such a complex and challenging academic topic. It just goes to show what young people from Aberavon can achieve if we give them the opportunity.
“I wish the pupils the very best for the future, and I encourage more schools to give their pupils the chance to benefit from this programme.”
Nicola James, head teacher at Ysgol Uwchradd Aberteifi said: “I was delighted to meet with Ben Lake MP and show them the work pupils are doing in The Scholars Programme.
“I’m proud of the achievements of our pupils who are participating and am excited to see how their participation inspires their study and university choices.”
The structure and assessment on The Scholars Programme stretches and challenges students, enabling them to develop the skills which
have a positive effect on university access, academic attainment and life outcomes, clearly aligning with the proposed curriculum changes taking place in Wales.
All tutorial activities and assessment approaches focus upon the following six competencies:
Written and verbal communication;
Subject knowledge; University knowledge; Motivation and self-efficacy; Meta cognition; and, Critical thinking.
The final two tutorials with researchers are on a one-to-one basis, receiving formative feedback upon their assignments and how they are performing and clearly defining what they need to do next to continue to be successful.
Dr Chris Wilson, chief executive of The Brilliant Club said: “In Britain today, there’s an entrenched link between a young person’s background and their chance of education success.
“The Scholars Programme helps pupils develop the knowledge and skills necessary to fulfil their academic potential and secure places at highly-selective universities.
“We’re really grateful to MPs from all political parties across England, Wales and Scotland for taking time to come and see the great work that our PhD tutors and partner schools are doing, and the amazing things pupils are achieving.”