Shirebrook school gives more students the chance to set their sights on university

Shirebrook Academy has increased the number of year ten and 11 students being invited to join the initiative, which is run by the national charity The Access Project (TAP), from 40 last year to 50 this year.

TAP works with 33 schools nationwide and was launched in 2008 to help students from disadvantaged backgrounds to overcome the barriers standing in the way of them accessing education at one of the UK’s top universities.

It gives students access to online tutoring and mentoring from the ages of 14 to 18 in order to improve their academic performance and build their confidence, so that they have a better chance of being accepted at one the top 40 to 50 institutions in the UK, including Russell Group Universities, as well as Oxford and Cambridge.

Independent analysis shows that GCSE students working with The Access Project for two years make five months more progress than similar peers and Shirebrook is one of three organisations in the East Midlands that works with TAP, along with Vision West Nottinghamshire College in Mansfield and Ashfield School.

Mark Cottingham, principal of Shirebrook Academy, said: “Our Access Project provision was something I put in place in school three years ago and I’m delighted with the way in which it has helped our students over the years.

“It benefits their academic performance as well as raising their aspirations for their own lives and education and we have all seen first-hand how beneficial it has been through the wonderful achievements of students such as Ben Madeley and Angel Robinson this year.

“The only drawback is that by the time they go to university they are no longer with us, but we’ve heard of a number of our former students who have achieved beyond what they would have thought possible and now that we have increased the numbers taking part, we are looking forward to hearing about more success stories in the future.”