Outreach

Working with schools and colleges

Bath Spa University’s UK Student Recruitment and Outreach Team works with thousands of students every year within Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES) and Wiltshire, providing schools and colleges with a range of support, including inspiring workshops and access to our unique university visit days.  

Our aim is to address equality of opportunity for groups underrepresented in higher education, both across the sector and in our own institution. This is led by the University’s Access and Participation Plan (APP) setting out how we will improve equality of opportunity for students from disadvantaged backgrounds to access, succeed in, and progress from higher education.

Three members of the Outreach Team stand behind Main House

A pupil wearing school uniform writes on a whiteboard

How do we deliver our activities?

  • Each session is led by an experienced Outreach Officer and supported by DBS-checked Bath Spa University Student Ambassadors
  • We deliver workshops in school time
  • Often sessions are one hour long, but we can work with your school timetable
  • Up to a maximum of two primary school Year 6 classes and 40 secondary school/college students per year group can be involved in our programme, with students being selected from a list of under-represented groups in higher education.

What we'll need from you

All our activities are free to schools and are funded entirely by the University.

To offer this, we ask that you support us with the evaluation of our programme. This includes completing staff questionnaires and supporting us with collecting evaluation forms from your students.

Underrepresented groups

Although the number of students studying at university has increased overall, some people remain under-represented in higher education. Our aim is to make access to higher education accessible to everyone – whatever their background. 

  • With no family background of higher education – their parents/carers have little or no experience of higher education
  • From a low-participation neighbourhood (LPN)
  • Eligible for free school meals (or have been)
  • Care leavers/care experienced
  • Students estranged from their families
  • Young carers
  • Students from military families
  • Living with a disability or specific learning difficulty 
  • From some Black, Asian, minority or ethnic (BAME) groups that are underrepresented in higher education 
  • From Gypsy, Traveller, Roma, Showmen and Boater (GTRSB) communities   
  • Refugees and/or asylum seekers.

Primary Outreach Programme

Our workshops for primary learners in Year 6 include three core sessions. Students will have two sessions in school and then a visit to Bath Spa University in the summer term. 

Each student will be given a ‘My University’ handbook with activities to complete throughout the programme. 

My Future

  • Introduces the idea of university and how it links to school and future careers. Examples are given of different career areas and routes into various jobs, including those that would benefit from a university degree
  • Students will be able to visualise their educational journey from primary education to university and beyond.

My Interests

  • Students discover the wide range of subject areas that can be studied at university so that they can identify what subject areas might be of interest to them and discover what careers those subject areas could lead into.

My University

  • Students visit Bath Spa University and spend time with our trained university ambassadors at activities throughout the day, including a campus tour and workshops
  • The maximum number of learners that we can host on a visit to our Newton Park campus is approximately 40 per visit. 

Secondary Outreach Programme

This programme (offered for Year 7 to Year 10) is designed to increase awareness of higher education. It helps students to understand its benefits, support their career aspirations and help them to make informed decisions about their future. 

Through the interactive group workshops we offer, students build on their knowledge of higher education each year and gain a greater confidence of which educational pathway is best for them. 

The Programme

  • An introduction to university including exploring key facts and addressing common misconceptions about higher education  
  • Raising awareness of university level courses and helping students identify subjects they may be interested in the future  
  • Highlights the variety of benefits of a degree level qualification, including the social and financial benefits  
  • Introduces the concept of life as a university student through visiting Bath Spa Newton Park Campus and exploring interactive workshops with our academic staff. 

Sixth form and college students

For sixth form or college students, we can provide similar workshops to those in our Secondary Outreach Programme, along with additional sessions supporting their application and transition to university. Please ask us for more details.

How do I find out more?

Each year our outreach programme has limited spaces, so it's important to contact us early in the academic year. To ask for more details or book places for your students, please email our UK Student Recruitment and Outreach (UKSRO) Team via ap@bathspa.ac.uk.