We are here to help students access and prepare for Higher Education in West Yorkshire!
Here you’ll find events such as open days, help choosing a course, and tips on application writing. We also provide advice on student finance, living away from home and insight into what to expect from Higher Education.
Don’t think that Higher Education is for you? Read our Myth Buster guide to clear up any misconceptions about further study.
The role of teachers, senior leadership teams and advisors is crucial in supporting students and potential students to access Higher Education. Whether supporting someone by raising attainment, helping them to make informed choices, or by providing practical information and advice, at Go Higher West Yorkshire we have resources which can help.
The information and links below have been compiled to assist you to help support learners’ attainment and aspirations, inform their choices about courses and careers, and guide them through the application process on their journey to Higher Education. This includes the OfS Uni Connect Programme Outreach Hub – helping schools and colleges access the higher education outreach they need.
The journey started in schools, colleges and universities, doesn’t end at graduation.
Exposure to the world of work is key to developing employability skills and securing a job.
That’s why we work collaboratively with employers and industry experts, supporting our partners to equip their students for the changing economy.
We provide a single point of contact for information on our 13 Higher Education Provider partners, to help with access and preparation for studying.
Fourteen foster carers and staff from children’s homes and leaving care teams in Bradford and Leeds graduated from GHWY’s Care to Go Higher pilot CPD programme in February 2020 after successfully completing the series of sessions.
GHWY developed the programme in partnership with Leeds City Council, who committed to facilitating the participation of foster carers and other staff. It involved 12 hours of contact time spread over six months and was designed to equip participants to support care experienced young people to make informed choices about their education.
The graduation, held at Leeds Beckett University, was attended by Ceri Orton, Social Work Manager at Leeds City Council. Also present were Jancis Andrew, Head of the Virtual School for Leeds City Council and Helen Sykes, Manager of GHWY, who delivered speeches.
Jancis said: “The councils involved have high aspirations for their care-experienced young people, and greatly value their foster carers, staff in children’s homes, leaving care teams and personal advisers in delivering those high aspirations. I hope the learning from the programme will support staff working with care-experienced young people to influence them to make positive choices about learning and education, be ambitious and to achieve their potential.”
Helen congratulated the graduating cohort on their achievement and thanked them for their commitment, dedication and enthusiasm. She also extended thanks to Leeds Beckett University and Leeds City College for their support in hosting the programme, and the Universities of Bradford and Huddersfield for contributing to individual sessions.
Natalie Aldridge, GHWY’s Collaborative Outreach Officer and programme developer, said: “This has been a very enjoyable pilot. It has been extremely successful, not only in terms of the journeys of participants but also the learning GHWY has taken from it.”
The programme will be rigorously evaluated and the next steps developed through post-completion surveys and focus groups. Early findings suggest a significant increase in participant knowledge and perspectives. The bespoke approach to the content supported applied reflections and ensured relevance for the audience, and a drawn-out approach to the programme helped embed the learning and a culture of supporting progression.
The pilot was developed as part of GHWY’s commitment to work together to support access to, success in and progression from HE for those from under-represented groups. Care-experienced young people are a key group that is under-represented.