October 2009
Some young people don’t do a degree – not because they aren’t capable, but because they or their parents believe they can’t, or they believe people who live in their area don’t get to go to university. Aimhigher is a Government funded scheme tasked with providing just such young people the opportunity to increase their chances of achieving a degree. The Aimhigher Kent and Medway Partnership has now been in existence for 6 years and works with selected young people from partner schools. Student tracking studies show that Aimhigher students continue in education beyond 16 in greater numbers than other students in Aimhigher partner schools.
A tracking study involving nearly 2500 Aimhigher Kent and Medway selected students found that by age 18 or 19, 33% of them had entered higher education . This compared favourably to the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service participation rate found in young people who live in the most deprived areas, which is 18.1%.
Mentoring contributes significantly to this. Results of another tracking study involving 91 students who were mentored by an Aimhigher Kent and Medway Learning Mentor in Year 11 found that 46% of them progressed into higher education and just under half were in further education.
Notes to Editors
Aimhigher is a national, government funded project to encourage and assist more people to enter higher education at college or university. Aimhigher Kent and Medway work on a regional level as a partnership with local universities, further education colleges and schools to help achieve this.
Aimhigher Kent and Medway work with local students in a variety of ways; by arranging visits to local universities and colleges, through using current university students to act as mentors and ambassadors, by going into schools to speak with students and by working with parents to ensure they are actively involved in the process of higher education. Aimhigher Kent and Medway also work with local practitioners and employers to ensure that all relevant parties have an input into the promotion and development of higher education locally.
Aimhigher Kent and Medway are based at Canterbury Christ Church University. Our partners include Canterbury Christ Church University; the University of Greenwich; the University for the Creative Arts; the University of Kent; the Open University; Canterbury College; Hadlow College; Mid Kent College; North West Kent College; South Kent College; Thanet College and West Kent College.
This press release is available on www.aimhigherkentandmedway.org.
Useful Contacts
Linda Bishopp
Communications Manager
Aimhigher Kent and Medway Partnership
Telephone: 01227 782566 Mobile: 07843 343374
E-mail: linda.bishopp@canterbury.ac.uk
Further Information
National Aimhigher Website: www.aimhigher.ac.uk
Aimhigher Kent and Medway Website: www.aimhigherkentandmedway.org
