Modelled on the AAF’s flagship programme, the Academies Partnership Programme in Kent, United Access is a four-year-long university access programme aimed at raising aspirations and opportunities amongst disadvantaged students. Students involved are drawn from six United Learning academies, aiming to recreate the intimacy which has the allowed the APP in Kent to thrive.20160705_114332 Three year 9 students from each of the six participating schools have been selected for the first cohort to take part in the programme. The six schools involved are Midhurst Rother College, Totteridge Academy, the Hurlingham Academy, the Regis School, Wye School and Lambeth Academy.

United Learning is a group of schools, both state and private, aiming to provide excellent education to children and young people across the country. United Access is the latest programme to emerge from the United Learning Partnership Fund, a fund to raise money and foster collaboration between schools so as to give staff and students academic, sporting and cultural experiences that no individual school could offer alone, clearly resonating with the key aims and aspirations of the AAF. United Learning seek to offer their pupils academic rigour combined with a rich wider educational experiences, and United Access will seek to assist pupils in developing both a good academic record and a number of key attributes – intellectual curiosity, confidence, resilience and creativity – that they may require to go on to live fulfilling and successful lives.

The residential is taking place at Caterham School and runs from today until Sunday. The programme is interesting and varied and updates will be available on Twitter and via this website. We can’t wait to get started!