Over the Christmas break 15 lucky students from Bradford Academy were given the opportunity to enjoy an overnight stay in London. The students enjoyed a sightseeing guided tour which included a visit to the British Museum, seeing the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, wandering around Green Park and being entertained by the fantastic […]

Leeds College of Building Taster Day On Monday 17th December a group of Year 11 boys from Bradford Academy were given the fantastic opportunity to visit Leeds College of Building (LCB). The 11 students are a group who meet regularly with teacher Andrew Sutcliffe, as he supports them in planning their next steps after sitting […]

On Monday 3rd December, we welcomed the Leeds TV crew into Kirklees College, or more precisely the Taylor Hill campus where all the Animal Management courses are based. The aim of the day was to make a film all about life on the HNC in Animal Management. The added bonus was we got to meet […]

On the 21st November staff, students and family members from Featherstone Academy came together with Jayne Kaye from Wakefield University Centre and Laura Bareham from the University of Huddersfield to celebrate the fantastic achievements of the ‘Roving Reporters’. Signalling the end of a project that spanned over a year in total, it was fantastic to […]

Student Life from a commuter’s perspective Applying to University is the first big step towards a new and exciting adventure. Amongst all the excitement and anticipation as you wait to hear back from your chosen universities, it’s understandable to feel overwhelmed too! It can be nerve-wrecking deciding on which University to apply to, and which […]

If we can all agree on one thing, it’s that life is not fair. We all have our own challenges to overcome but some seem to have more challenges than others, and some challenges are a lot more obvious than others. I’ve been interested in disability for a long time. My Mum worked with a […]

Over the Autumn half term I have had the privilege to invite parents, carers and other family members and friends into our Academy to learn more about Further and Higher Education, and what they can do to support their young people through this challenging period. Roy Ward led the 3 after school sessions. Roy works […]

Last week 15 students from Cockburn Academy went to the “Explore STEM” event at University of Leeds with a number of schools across Leeds and Wakefield. This was a great event and opportunity for students to learn more about what STEM is and what it would be like to study in this area at a […]

As an 18-year-old aspiring Solicitor, I had two options… Do I go to University, or do I apply for a legal apprenticeship? Either route seemed daunting at the time, and it was the first time that I had found myself at a crossroad that would affect the rest of my life. Many University visits and […]

A big thank you to Howard from Kirkstall Forge for coming into Cockburn Academy last week to speak to students about careers in construction and routes onto their apprenticeship pathway. Howard discussed a number of different pathways available stressing the less conventional options available to students who are interested in construction from Project Management and […]

When people say that university is the best years of your life I didn’t really believe them, but now being here in my fourth and final year, I can honestly say I would love to do it all again! I grew up in a small village where I knew everybody and everybody knew you. I […]

Leeds West Academy were privileged to welcome Medical Mavericks into the academy. Medical Mavericks are a company that seek to inspire all students to make more informed decisions about their career and lifestyle choices. They introduced our students to different careers within the medical profession, explaining that there are over 300+ career opportunities related to the medical profession. They provided our […]

Go Higher West Yorkshire have teamed up with Rhubarb Radio in Wakefield to create and deliver the ‘From Here to There’ radio show. The third episodes’ clips are embedded into this blog entry. This third episode includes conversations with: Ray Henshaw. Principal of Minsthorpe Community College. Ray spoke about the work that Minsthorpe Community College […]

Go Higher West Yorkshire have teamed up with Rhubarb Radio in Wakefield to create and deliver the ‘From Here to There’ radio show. The second episodes clips are embedded into this blog entry (see below).   James Kennedy, Schools and Colleges Liaison Officer at Leeds Beckett University   Beth Milner, graduate intern at Leeds Beckett University […]

Go Higher West Yorkshire have teamed up with Rhubarb Radio in Wakefield to create and deliver the ‘From Here to There’ radio show. The first episode is embedded into this blog entry (see below). This maiden episode includes conversation with: Helen Sykes, pictured, Manager of Go Higher West Yorkshire. Helen made time to discuss Go […]

It is 5pm on the day of the University of Bradford’s Summer Experience Awards & Networking Evening. Speakers are booked, the buffet laid out, name badges await collection, the photographer is ready and waiting, and balloons reach for the ceiling tugging at their weights. Everything is in place for a fabulous celebration of the work […]

On the 4th of July, a group of students and I went to York St John’s University for a taster session in Politics and English and a brief Campus Tour. The entire experience was something that I enjoyed immensely, and has helped in my decision to further pursue English and writing. When we arrived, we […]

It was closed to public vehicles way back in 1993. Then entirely closed to public transport in 1996. So, you would need a good memory to remember seeing a bus parked on Briggate, Leeds. (I just about remember …) That is unless you were in the city on Friday the 17th of August 2018. That […]

Over the past two weeks I have completed a Summer Project with the Research and Evaluation team at Go Higher West Yorkshire. It has been a fantastic 2 weeks and it has been inspirational to learn about the great work they do. I have been lucky enough to gain an insight into a wide range […]

Date: 2 July 2018 Location: Airedale Academy Time: 9.00 – 2.30pm   Medical Mavericks ran workshops for some very lucky Year 9 and Year 10 students about the different careers available post 16. Beth, a 3rd year medical student, showed students an array of medical tests that they could try for themselves in this fantastic, […]

Students inspired by sporting legends to work hard Since March 2018, 12 Year 9 boys have been working hard on making small changes everyday. The Marginal Gains programme was led by Sean Dirrane of Cosmos Engagement and focused on the ways that these small changes can lead to big results across a range of areas in our lives. The […]

Name: Tom Senior Role: Higher Education Progression Outreach Officer Institution: Leeds Beckett University I met my colleague Jayne Kaye at South Elmsall train station, Saturday morning (21/07/18) – fully laden with resources and equipment – for our time at the festival in South Kirkby. When we had eventually found the site and set up, I went […]

Year 9 students at Leeds West Academy went on an exciting visit to Liverpool last month; as part of the IntoUniversity‘s Extended Horizons residential programme. The trip included exploring the Albert Docks, a tour of Liverpool University, pizza making, crazy golf, watching the World Cup England match, a ferry trip to Wallasey and an inspirational journey […]

On Thursday, 12th July, Notre Dame Catholic Sixth Form College invited A level NCOP students to take part in a creative writing masterclass. The session was led by Martyn Bedford, senior lecturer in creative writing at Leeds Trinity University and author of eight novels. Martyn introduced the session  by talking about some of his students who […]

9 lucky Bradford Academy students were given the fantastic opportunity to attend cooking school held at Bradford College at the start of July, 2018. The two week course saw students start with basics (day 1 was all about eggs!) and build up to be able to cook an entire meal! The most impressive recipes included […]

Thursday 12th July All of Year 12 from Bradford Academy were invited to attend a formal conference style event to begin thinking about their future options Post-16 & Post-18. The morning event allowed students to access their UCAS accounts online and start thinking about what a good personal statement looks like. The students also undertook 2 […]

Over four hundred years ago Shakespeare embarked upon a journey from Stratford to London to showcase his writing in a liberal, vibrant theatre just outside London on the south side of the River Thames. He worked at the Globe for fifteen years, during which time he wrote some of his most famous plays including Hamlet, […]

How many Higher Education institutions are there in the UK? How many courses do universities offer in the UK? What is a Russell Group university? What’s the difference between a campus university and a city centre university? In June a group of Immanuel College parents and students braved the heat to learn the answers to […]

Name: Tom Senior Position: NCOP Outreach Officer, Leeds Beckett University I had the pleasure of spending three hours on – and off – the Go Higher West Yorkshire bus, in the company of fellow colleagues Chris and Catherine at Bradford Academy, last Thursday. During that time, we spoke with staff, parents, students and their younger siblings about […]

The Hepworth Gallery is certainly worth a visit! As part of the Go Higher programme at Immanuel College a group of year 12 students visited the Hepworth gallery in Wakefield on one of the hottest days of the year. Luckily the venue was very well air conditioned! The visit was designed to give the students […]

Students of Airedale Academy were excited to meet published author Steve Way for a day filled with creative writing. Author of STEM-based fiction writing and the ‘How to Write Creatively’ manuals, Steve conducted a writing masterclass with Year 9 and 10 students, encouraging them to consider writing and reading as a future opportunity to study […]

During the half-term holidays, I was given the opportunity to do a “Routes into STEM” course, organised by the Engineering Development Trust. The EDT is one of the country’s largest providers of enrichment activities for young people in technology and engineering. The course was fully subsidised by my school through NCOP, but all participants had […]

On Tuesday 12th June a group of Year 9 learners made the 40 minute journey from Bradford Academy to the University of Leeds Parkinson Building, where we were met by our student ambassadors, who were to be our hosts for the event “Research in the Spotlight”. The day began with students from 5 different schools […]

A group of students from Wakefield schools travelled to the Lake District this term for an exciting five-day residential with the Outward Bound Trust. Following a rigorous application process, 46  students from Airedale, Featherstone and Freeston Academies were chosen to attend by Wakefield District Housing (WDH) as part of their Community Leadership Programme. Aiming to […]

Students from Bradford Academy had a chance to “meet the professionals” in a variety of Health Care careers at the Go Higher in Healthcare event held at The University of Leeds on Wednesday 6th June. Year 12 students with a keen interest in pursuing a career in Healthcare were joined by Year 10 students, many […]

Learn By Design’s recent visit to St Wilfrid’s Catholic High School and Sixth Form College included the ‘Science Show’ followed by three consecutive workshops with a STEM focus. The Science Show was delivered to the whole Year 9 group as an extended assembly. Students enjoyed the demonstrations as the workshop leader involved students to participate […]

One of the UK’s hidden gems of the live events industry and learning is lifting the curtain on its secrets to encourage some of West Yorkshire’s most talented students to head to university.  Production Park in South Kirkby is the ‘go to’ location for the world’s top performers when planning their live events. A creative […]

As part of the National Collaborative Outreach Programme (NCOP), 29 students from the Castleford area took part in an exciting project co-delivered by Go Higher West Yorkshire and national house builders Keepmoat Homes. The students, who were selected from Castleford Academy and Airedale Academy, worked with both student and industry ambassadors to explore different elements […]

  Every week, young people from the Ravenscliffe estate in Eccleshill, Bradford, go to the Ravenscliffe Youth Centre for an open access youth group where they take part in arts and crafts activities, sports and games. Following meetings with the Youth Worker at the Centre, the NCOP Outreach Officer from Bradford College met with a […]

On Friday 11th May a group of 19 students from Bradford Academy got to experience a graduation ceremony to reward their hard work and achievements throughout ‘The Brilliant Club’. The Brilliant club is an award-winning charity that exists to increase the number of pupils from under-represented backgrounds progressing to highly-selective universities, by allowing students the […]

Thursday 10th May saw a moment that would go down in History as Bradford Academy hosted its first ever Year 11 Graduation! The formal event was held in the School assembly hall, which had undergone a makeover to mark the occasion. Year 11 students gathered in the hall along with teachers and pastoral staff, including […]

The Research and Evaluation Team were delighted to host a Realist Evaluation Workshop, held at Leeds Beckett’s Cloth Hall Court on Tuesday 1 May. The event was well-attended by colleagues from across the country, including members of the NCOP Data and Evaluation Group, the national NCOP Evaluation Team at CFE Research and the NEON Evaluation […]

Building confidence and empowerment were the order of the day at Titus Salt School this May. Girls from Years 9 and 10 had the opportunity to attend two workshops with Street Style Surgery. The workshops were drama-based and involved the girls acting out various scenarios in order to explore their own feelings of self-confidence. The […]

The future started to come into focus on Tuesday 1st May as Year 10 pupils, parents and carers at Titus Salt School had the opportunity to find out about post-16 options.   Year 10 pupils and their parents and carers were able to ask questions of a panel of representatives from local universities and charitable […]

Go Higher West Yorkshire’s programme of good practice sharing events aimed exclusively at our Higher Education (HE) provider partners was launched on 30 April 2018. Addressing Barriers to Student Success, held at Leeds Beckett University, gave staff the opportunity to experience the benefits of the partnership by gaining insight into innovative thinking and projects across […]

Go Higher West Yorkshire welcomed children and young people who are currently in care to three fun workshops at Bankfield Museum in Halifax last month, exploring themes around law, crime and justice. Tying in with the Museum’s Horrible Halifax exhibition, the Foster Family Fun Day: Law and Justice was designed to encourage 5-16 year olds, […]

On the 25th and 26th April, selected Year 11 students from St Wilfrid’s Catholic High School and Sixth Form College visited Harrogate International Convention Centre to attend the ‘Strive for 5’ PiXL conferences. Students who are currently averaging on the borderline of level 4/5 grades were selected to enhance their understanding of the exam papers and […]

Our Exam Buster Revision Skills Engage Evening took place on Wednesday 28th March from 5.30pm-7pm. The evening aimed to support parents in developing the confidence, skills, knowledge and understanding required to support their child in learning at home. The Exam Buster session was available for the parents of Leeds West Academy students in Years 10, […]

During the first week of term after the Easter break, NCOP supplier ‘Thinking Space’ came into school to host Future Proof Philosophy workshops with Year 9 students who had just kick-started their new RE syllabus. Students engaged positively with each of the three workshops delivered in a consecutive series by Thinking Space, encouraging deeper thinking […]

On Thursday 15th March, a selected group of Year 9 boys participated in a life skills and goal setting session with founder of LOAF Training, Gavin Scott. Gavin earned immediate respect from the boys due to his previous background as a professional referee, using examples from his past career to demonstrate important life skills such […]

At Go Higher West Yorkshire we are dedicated to supporting young people and parents into Higher Education.  That’s why Higher Education Progression Officer James Kelly from Appleton Academy, alongside Roy Ward, our Outreach Officer from Bradford College organised the first in a series of workshops designed to allow parents and families to find out more […]

On the 9th March 2018, five professionals from different careers in the media came into school to talk about what it is like to have a job in the media industry. They each had a different job, ranging from Photographer to Sports Journalist. Students who were taking Media as a GCSE option and who may […]

The Leeds team have arranged a weekly informal meet-up where parents work with a representative from Leeds Arts University and the school’s Higher Education Progression Officers to learn more about Higher Education. The aim of these sessions has been for parents and carers to feel more knowledgeable about the Higher Education process. This will enable […]

On Thursday 15th March, we helped Leeds West Academy facilitate their ‘Marginal Gains’ programme with their Year 9 boys. Sean Dirrane from Cosmos Engagement Ltd lead the boys through a number of engaging activities, which focused on the ways that small changes can build up to make big improvements. After stacking sugar cubes and transferring peas using […]

On the 5th March 2018, St Wilfrid’s hosted a careers fair for Years 8, 9, 10, 11 and Sixth Form students. A variety of universities, colleges, services and other Higher Education providers with post-college opportunities were promoting what they can offer to students, including the National Citizen Service (NCS), University of Huddersfield, Wakefield College, Army […]

The whole of Year 12 and the Head of Sixth Form at Beckfoot Oakbank School attended an hour long workshop to reflect on personal goals, encouraging students to be open minded and ambitious when it comes to thinking about Higher Education and university. The aim was to offer a fun and engaging session for students […]

Year 9 and 10 pupils from Airedale Academy took a trip to Sheffield in January to enjoy Science Live! at the City Hall. One of a series of events for GCSE Science students cross the UK, the day gave the students a chance to see and hear five of Britain’s top scientists, including human fertility […]

Year 11 students from Airedale academy visited Herd Farm Activity Centre this month, enjoying an English and Maths-based residential aimed at raising confidence with revision and building life skills to support living away from home in Higher Education. Students enjoyed four different team building activities outside as well as two days of English and Maths […]

The second and third pilot phases of the GHWY NCOP Young Researchers programme are taking place in February and March 2018. After a successful first pilot study which took place in the Wakefield area at Castleford Academy (see more details here). Researchers from the NCOP team are delivering workshops in schools across Leeds and Bradford. […]

Inner South Youth Committee Consultation 30th January 2018, Elland Road, 3pm-4.30pm At Go Higher West Yorkshire we are committed to enhancing the lives of young people, helping them reach their true potential and allow them to experience new opportunities. To help achieve this, we have been involved in the Inner South Youth Committee Consultation to […]

Year 10 students at Immanuel College have been thinking about their post 18 options and choices in Go Higher activity sessions during their lunch times. In one activity the students sorted cards on possible options, for example choosing a university course, getting a job, taking a gap year, visiting university open days, etc and thought […]

January saw Airedale Academy hosting its first ever careers fair, aimed at broadening the horizons of the students and helping them make informed choices for their future. The event, organised by Progression Officer Tracey Heptinstall and Careers Advisor Jo Sergeant, brought together a variety of providers from colleges to universities, the army to the fire […]

On Friday 9th February, Mr Senior and Miss Collins accompanied 8 of our Year 12 students to The Brilliant Club Scholars Programme graduation ceremony at the University of Leeds. At the event, the students had the opportunity to ask current undergraduates from a range of subject areas any burning questions that they may have about […]

To give Immanuel students a feel for the range of Russell group universities in Yorkshire, we went on a visit with 26 Year 11 and 12 students to University of York . A Russell group university is one based around research and the university students are taught by lecturers engaged in cutting edge developments. York […]

26 & 27 January 2018 Go Higher West Yorkshire brought Higher Education directly to the people of Wakefield this month. Supported by West Yorkshire Higher Education institutions the roadshow brought together a team of specialists to Wakefield city centre to inform, inspire and entertain! Wakefield is the only city in England without a traditional university, […]

After only two days back at school post-Christmas holidays, 40 year ten students from the Wakefield NCOP schools spent two days and one night at the University of Cambridge last week. Accompanied by Higher Education Progression Officers from each school, the students from Airedale Academy, Castleford Academy, St Wilfrid’s Catholic High School and Hemsworth Arts […]

Higher Education Progression Officer Katie Chetwood deliverd a Photography Project which aimed to raise aspirations for young people in the Holmewood area. Prior to the project, learners from the Holmewood area in Bradford had expressed distaste about their neighbourhood: litter, fly-tipping, reputation and prejudice were all areas of concern. ‘My Holmewood’ was a three-day intensive […]

Students in the sixth form at St Wilfrid’s have been busy preparing their UCAS applications for university this term and have received some great offers already from universities up and down the country. One student, who in September was convinced he would stay living at home, has now received an unconditional offer for Petroleum Engineering […]

Every classroom has one student (or perhaps more than one) that needs a little “extra attention” or support to help them realise and reach their full potential.  We had the pleasure to work with young people at Mount St Mary’s Catholic High School who needed a creative push to help them get back on track […]

On Thursday 30th November 40 Year 9 Immanuel College students had a fabulous day at the University of Leeds taking part in a physics activity with current physics students at the university. The day had a STEM (science, technology, engineering and technology) focus. The students learnt about the forces and energy used in a roller […]

Will Atkinson, the NCOP Outreach Officer at Leeds Beckett University, returned to Elliott Hudson College by popular demand to deliver a presentation to Y13 parents about student finance. The presentation gave lots of useful and local information about student finance and the real cost of attending university. Will was great at presenting a realistic overview […]

Fourteen students from Minsthorpe Community College recently undertook an intensive two-day training course from ‘Talentino!’, a careers company specialising in the development of young people’s early careers. The students, all in Year 9, engaged in a range of activities that culminated in being awarded the title of ‘Career Ambassador’. Being a Career Ambassador will involve […]

Performance in Education gave two fantastic week’s tour to schools within West Yorkshire helping year 9 students understand what Higher Education is and raising their aspirations to get there through ‘Steps to Success’. Year 10 students developed the skills needed in a changing future job market in a thought provoking drama piece entitled ‘Working Wonders’, and explored […]

Castleford Academy has been working closely with Leeds Beckett University in order to support our Year 13 students with their UCAS application process. Will Atkinson, the NCOP Outreach Officer at the university, has delivered informative workshops on both Personal Statements and Student Finance as well as setting up mock interviews with the university’s Student Ambassadors. […]

A group of Year 11 boys from Airedale Academy attended a residential at Herd Farm in Leeds to build their resilience and challenge themselves in advance of their GCSE exams later this year. Split across three groups, the boys took part in challenges such as a zip wire, army assault course and crate stacking, facing […]

Over 80 careers and education professionals from schools, colleges, academies and higher education providers from across West Yorkshire attended the NCOP ‘Motivate to Succeed’ event on 17th October 2017 at Cathedral Academy in Wakefield. The event was aimed at showcasing the NCOP CPD and resources programme and featured a presentation from the inspirational key note […]

Date: Wednesday 20th September 2017 Location: Karmand Community Centre, Barkerend Road, Bradford Time: 5pm to 7.30pm Over 40 young people, parents and family members attended a launch event for the project in a busy and active community centre which draws in people from across Bowling as well as other areas of Bradford. We had a […]

Title: Out of a Conversation St Agnes Parents Group: Burmantoffs Sometimes it is as simple as a conversation, with the right person, that sparks an idea and starts to builds a strong relationship. In June 2017, our Outreach Officers at Leeds College of Building and the Ward Lead Officer for Leeds met with the Reverend […]

  Institution: Leeds Trinity University Event : Sports as a future option – with Jamie Peacock What an amazing day!  It’s Thursday 14th September 2017 and we have been working with 50 KS5 students from across our NCOP schools and colleges to introduce them to a life of sport and how to succeed in this field […]

Building links and Going Higher! Institution: Immanuel College Year group: 12 Event : 2 Day Residential at Queens College – 18th and 19th September 2017 We were excited to be offered an opportunity for 10 of our year 12 students, including 5 NCOP students, to take part in a residential visit as part of a relationship developed […]

Year 12 and 13 Students at Minsthorpe Community College enjoyed an engaging day of training on 13th September 2017 delivered in collaboration with external provider ‘Positively MAD’ and funded through NCOP. Through a variety of exciting workshops, around 200 students developed a number of key skills including revision techniques, organisation and time management. Developing these […]

  The Progression Module Plus is a formal programme of study designed to help post-16 students make informed decisions about their future. Over the past decade, tens of thousands of students in the Yorkshire region have studied the Progression Module which is delivered by the University of Huddersfield and Leeds Beckett University. The recent injection […]

This year’s collaborative residential was bigger and better than ever. 94 year 10 pupils from schools across the region attended the ‘Class of 2023’ summer school from Tuesday 18 to Thursday 20 July. The three days were themed in order to reflect a Higher Education student’s journey: making informed decisions about courses, sampling university and […]

This term the GHWY team supported the Progression to Post 16 evening on Tuesday, 20th June 2017. This event was held at Burntwood Court Hotel by Minsthorpe Community College and was an introduction to Post 16 choices across the Wakefield District for their year10 students and families.  The aim was to support students and their […]

The Inspirational Learning group came in to deliver the National Enterprise challenge to our entire year 9 cohort over the course of a full day. It is the UK’s Largest Employability/Enterprise Competition which is delivered to over 40,000 young people across the country yearly. This was an opportunity for young people to take part in […]