Our monthly newsletter aims to connect those working with care-experienced young people across the region to Higher Education through regular news, events and update
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Care to Go Higher
Our monthly newsletter aims to connect those working with care-experienced
young people across the region to Higher Education (HE) through regular news,
events and updates. |
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Welcome to February's issue of Go Higher West Yorkshire's (GHWY) Care to Go Higher newsletter.
In this issue we bring you news of a special webinar that we are running ahead of Care Day. The free training will showcase a range of resources and activities that are tailored to meet the needs of care-experienced learners and that help them to make informed HE choices.
We also share our latest annual report, which provides updates on projects that we delivered during academic year 2023-24. These include our Care to Go Higher CPD programme, which is aimed at the key influencers of care-experienced learners.
Please get in touch with Susan Darlington if you would like to share any news stories, resources or upcoming events from your organisation. |
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Dedicated underrepresented groups in HE webpage launched
Resources that support teachers and advisers who work with students from underrepresented groups (URGs) can now be accessed on a dedicated area of our website.
The section makes it easier for professionals to locate resources that relate to care leavers and estranged students, disability and wellbeing support, and young carers.
The resources have been specifically designed to support learners from URGs to make informed choices about their progression to HE and to experience an improved equality of opportunity when at HE. |
| Read more
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GHWY publishes annual report for 2023-24
Major projects that we delivered during academic year 2023-24, including our Care to Go Higher CPD programme, can be read about in our latest annual report.
The document also details some of our upcoming activities and resources. These include the launch of a new e-learning course that will help HE staff to support and understand disabled learners.
In addition, the report details some of our upcoming work. This includes the launch of our Care Experienced Transition Pack, which will provide a roadmap to assist care-experienced learners on their HE journey. |
| Read more
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How to support staff and students during Ramadan
Ramadan, one of the holiest months of the year for Muslims, is expected to begin on the evening of Friday, 28 February and will conclude on the evening of Sunday, 30 March (exact dates contingent upon the sighting of the moon).
To help you support Muslims during this period, we share some best practice. This includes offering staff flexible working, and taking Ramadan into consideration for assessments and exams to support students. |
| Read more
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Leathersellers’ Undergraduate Student Grants Programme
Care-experienced learners who will be starting a full-time undergraduate course at a UK university in 2025-26 can apply for support of up to £5,000 a year for up to four years.
The Leathersellers' grants aim to improve social mobility, relieve financial need where other support is not available and enable students to have a positive impact on society.
Applications will close at 5pm on Tuesday, 11 March. All the details, including a timeline of the process, can be found on its website. |
| Read more and apply
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The Big Conversation survey
The Big Conversation is a chance for children and young people to have their say about the issues that are important to England’s children.
The Children's Commissioner wants to hear what your young person thinks and to have the chance to share the stories of children and young people in this way, focusing on the issues that are most important to England’s young people including education, climate change, online safety, and housing. |
| Read more and complete survey
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Research into care-experience and developing trust with professionals
Ben Gibbons, a Trainee Clinical Psychologist at the University of Staffordshire, is conducting research into how care-experienced young people have experienced developing trust with professionals.
He is inviting care leavers across England and Wales who were previously in either foster or residential care to take part in an individual interview lasting around one hour. |
| Read more and complete survey
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Focus on national awareness campaigns | In this series of articles, we look at how national awareness campaigns can benefit care-experienced individuals and how you can get involved. |
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Helping to support care-experienced learners into HE this Care Day
Ahead of this year’s Care Day (21 February), we have teamed up with Inspiring Choices to deliver a webinar that is aimed at practitioners who work with care-experienced learners.
Our free event will showcase a range of resources and activities that are specially tailored to meet the needs of care-experienced learners and that help them to make informed HE choices. |
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Upcoming CPD opportunities |
Many care-experienced students also have additional support needs, such as a disability or being from a minority ethnicity. These free sessions provide a broader understanding of these lived experiences and ways in which to engage with young people. |
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Self-paced learning
We offer a range of opportunities to upskill and build confidence for individuals who support young people with their educational progression.
Our opportunities align with the academic year, covering topics such as preparing students for admissions interviews, equipping them with current knowledge on apprenticeships, clearing and student finance.
We also offer sessions that focus on personal and professional development, such as mentoring skills and presentation skills. |
| Register
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Upcoming Higher Education (HE) events
HE events can help young people to plan the next steps on their educational journey. They offer an opportunity to visit campuses, talk to staff and current students, and learn more about what courses are available. They are free, with in-person as well as online options usually available. |
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Mid Yorkshire Adult Nursing open day
When: Wednesday, 19 February between 3-7pm Where: University of Bradford
A chance for your young person to find out more about the University's Nursing (Adult) BSc programme. They will be able to find out more about the course's teaching, theory and placements; funding and bursaries; how to apply; and tips for a successful interview.
There will also be the opportunity to hear from current students and tour teaching spaces.
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| Book a place
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| Open day
When: Tuesday, 18 March between 4.30-7pm
Where: University Centre Leeds
Suitable for anyone thinking of starting university in September 2025. There will be talks and tours for all subject areas plus campus and accommodation tours throughout the evening.
Support services will be on hand to answer questions and the Outreach and Recruitment Team will give a welcome talk to explain how to apply, student finance, accommodation and more. |
| Book a place
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Shaping HE for commuter students
According to new research, commuter students - who live at home while attending HE - now outnumber traditional residential students in the UK. Many face challenges, such as affordability and family commitments, and they often experience lower engagement. To improve their experience, HE providers need to make commuters more visible, adapt policies for accessibility, and rethink learning models. |
| Read more
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What is Ofsted and and how will the new school ratings work?
Ofsted has provided a first look at what its new school report cards will look like after scrapping its old one or two-word judgements.
They are due to be introduced in the 2025 autumn term but they have already drawn strong criticism from school leaders. |
| Read more
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Support offered to care-experienced young people by our members |
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Our spotlight features highlight what support most of our 13 member institutions offer to care-experienced young people. They detail care leaver contacts, financial support, and bespoke campus tours among other things.
Each 'what support we offer' feature is regularly updated to ensure that content is up to date, which makes them a valuable resource when guiding your young people through their HE journey.
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Useful GHWY resources
Take a look at some of our free resources, which can be used to support care-experienced and estanged young people to make informed decisions about their future.
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Collaborative Care Leaver Covenant
Our collaborative Care Leaver Covenant includes information about what our 13 members offer to care leavers, along with useful tips and links.
It is reviewed every year to ensure that its information is kept relevant, with additional details being available online. |
| Download
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Learn with Care to Go Higher
We have been running our innovative Care to Go Higher CPD programme for the key influencers of care-experienced young people since 2019. In this series of articles, we share some of the information from it that focuses on educational support.
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| Find out more
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Collaborative Estranged Student Pledge
Our collaborative Estranged Student Pledge (formerly Stand Alone Pledge) includes information about what our members offer to estranged individuals, along with useful tips and links. Additional information is available on our website that includes further support details. |
| Download
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Resources bank
Our resource bank holds a wide range of free and informative materials for various audiences to access. There includes sections on wellbeing in education, employability essentials, online taster days, and useful links. |
| View
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Go Higher West Yorkshire: reducing inequalities in access to and success in Higher Education.
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