UEA outreach celebrates first students to complete four-year programme
By: News Archive
The University of East Anglia (UEA) rewarded the first young people to complete all four years of the University’s scholarship programme at a celebration event on campus yesterday evening (Monday 24 June).
The Norfolk Scholars Programme is run by UEA in partnership with Villiers Park Educational Trust, with the aim of building skills, confidence and aspirations in local Year 10 to Year 13 students and encouraging young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to move on to higher education.
Around 30 students from all four years, and from across nine Norfolk schools, attended the event and were awarded with certificates to commend them for their commitment over the course of the last academic year. Presenting the awards were Mayor of Norwich, Vaughan Thomas, and Sheriff of Norwich, Dr Marian Prinsley.
Having started in 2015, the Norfolk Scholars Programme is in its fourth year, which means that this year’s cohort of Year 13 students became the first to take the programme from beginning to end.
The programme helps scholars improve a range of skills, such as motivation, confidence, problem solving and team work through mentoring (including through an online hub), workshops, residential events and contact with employers and universities.
Ethan Baker, from The Thetford Academy, and Busranur Serin, from Hellesdon High School, have both been on the programme since its inception in 2015.
Busranur said: "Over the past four years, the Norfolk Scholars Programme has provided me with support that I would never otherwise have had. It has really helped applying to university and made work placements considerably less confusing and less stressful because you always feel welcome to ask questions in mentoring or through the online hub."
Ethan said: "Being on the Scholars Programme has given me the opportunity to develop my skills and work towards my future. I can honestly say that I’ve achieved things that I never thought would be possible before."
Scholars generally achieve academic success on the programme, with 95% of last year’s Year 11 students achieving five or more ‘9-4’ grades (the equivalent of A*-Cs) in their GCSEs, against a national average of 69%.
Laura Anderson, Programme Manager with UEA’s Outreach team, said: “UEA has always promoted the message that your background and your upbringing should never stop you from pursuing your goals in further education and the Scholars Programme is a great example of that.
“It’s fantastic to see students who started out with us at the beginning of their GCSEs fulfilling their potential and leaving the programme as brighter, more confident young people, many of whom have submitted their UCAS applications with the intention of going to university in the autumn.”
As part of the evening, one student from each of the four school years receives a Mike Baker Scholar of the Year award. These students were:
- Year 10 – Juno Bain from City of Norwich School
- Year 11 – Spencer Bolton from Hellesdon High School
- Year 12 – Yakup Denktas from City of Norwich School
- Year 13 – Mitchell Lovewell from Open Academy
Villiers Park Educational Trust is a national social mobility charity which works to help high ability young people from less advantaged backgrounds to fulfil their potential. The Scholars Programme works with thousands of teenagers from across the country, with the partnership with UEA for Norfolk young people starting in 2015.
Chief Executive of Villiers Park, Rae Tooth, said: “We are so proud of how far our first cohort of Norfolk Scholars have come. To think that they have been with us for four years is just incredible. We have watched as they have developed in confidence, often inspired by each other, and gone on to achieve great academic and personal success. I have no doubt they all have bright futures ahead of them. Their achievements and experiences will be an inspiration to the new cohort of scholars, who we look forward to welcoming in September.
“We are grateful that our partnership with UEA continues to flourish, so together in Norfolk we can make the biggest possible difference to high ability teenagers from less advantaged backgrounds.”
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