By donating to the Radio 4 appeal, you will be supporting our work in state schools across the UK. Our Scholars Programme gives disadvantaged young people the skills, knowledge and confidence necessary to apply and progress to the most competitive universities.
PhD researchers deliver courses – usually based on their own research – to small groups of pupils aged 8-18. See The Scholars Programme in action below:
Listen to our appeal, presented by comedian and podcaster John Robins, here. John tells us Hoa’s story.
Hoa grew up in Bradford, with his mum, a domestic abuse survivor, and three younger siblings. The aftermath of that turbulent period left the family in financial hardship, with Hoa and his siblings relying on free school meals. At school, the environment was often chaotic, with disruptive behaviour making it hard to focus, and Hoa struggled to envision a bright future.
But in Year 10, Hoa’s teacher, Mr Marshall, saw his potential and enrolled him on The Scholars Programme.
Hoa’s PhD tutor, Kristina, taught him and a small group of his classmates a course on climate change. He remembers realising that he enjoyed the freedom of expression that comes from small-group learning, and he relished the opportunity to get feedback from an expert. He had the opportunity to visit a competitive university for his graduation event, which brought everything into focus and made university feel like a real possibility.
For Hoa, there was a distinct change in his attitude before and after his Scholars Programme experience. He threw himself into his education, got good grades and was successful in his application to Oxford University. This is something that, without The Brilliant Club, he says he never would have tried.
He is now in his final year studying Computer Science and Philosophy at Hertford College, Oxford, which has unlocked a host of opportunities which he never could have imagined.
You can read more about Hoa here.
Hoa’s final assignment for The Scholars Programme was published in The Scholar, our journal of outstanding academic work. The featured picture shows him reading his published article with his inspirational teacher, Mr Marshall. You can read it here, p.41-42.
We are delighted that our appeal will be presented by John Robins, award-winning comedian, podcaster and proud state schooler.
John’s journey to Oxford University from his state school in Gloucestershire wasn’t a smooth one. He was a bright student who enjoyed learning. When it came to John’s interview at Oxford, he found himself unable to talk more widely on his subject, English Literature, than the topic he was learning at the time. His application was unsuccessful.
Feeling like a door had been slammed in front of him, John was unsure what his future would hold. But one of his teachers saw his potential and supported him to reapply to Oxford the following year. He taught him the importance of reading more widely and thinking critically about his reading. When John arrived at his second interview, he was better equipped with the skills, confidence and knowledge needed to progress to the most competitive universities.
John was accepted to St Anne’s College, Oxford, where he worked behind the bar and captained the college darts team alongside his studies. Despite his successful three years, he wishes he’d been better prepared for the academic challenges that would await him at Oxford, a reminder of the importance of supporting successful transitions for state school students.
A child’s future should never be determined by where they grow up, the type of school they go to or how much money their parents earn. I’m supporting The Brilliant Club and their work to improve social mobility and university access in state schools across the UK.
In 2022/23, we worked with over 21,400 young people in over 960 schools. You can read more in our Year of Impact here.
Students who participate in The Scholars Programme achieve higher grades at GCSE than other students from their schools with similar prior attainment. Our evaluation found that 75% of students who completed The Scholars Programme in Year 10 achieved a 9-5 in maths and English, compared to 50% of their peers.
For eight consecutive years, independent evaluation with UCAS has shown that Scholars Programme graduates progress to competitive universities at a higher rate than other students from similar backgrounds.
Hear more about our work and impact and receive invites to our termly events by signing up to our newsletter!
Our supporters drive social mobility through the power of education and create equal opportunities for young people in the UK. Find out more and get in touch with our fundraising team today.
Just Giving charges a 1.9% + 30p processing fee on donations given in GBP, which you may opt to cover. For donations not in GBP, that fee is 2.9% + 30p.