Widening Participation

We have been transforming lives since 1828 and have always been committed to access and widening participation.

We pride ourselves on being an open and accessible institution for people from all backgrounds. We believe in the power of higher education to promote social mobility. Our extensive widening participation activities and student support services reflect this.

Access

We work with groups that are under-represented in higher education. Theses include:

Young people from low socioeconomic or disadvantaged backgrounds
Care-experienced and young people estranged from their families
Young carers
Disabled students
Refugee and asylum seekers

Contact us

Are you are a school or community group that would like to know more about the activities and events we offer?

Email our friendly team

Activities we offer

Children aged 8-11 years (primary school age)

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Get Ahead UCLan Campus Primary Visits
As part of our Get Ahead UCLan Campus Visits offer, we have a range of interactive workshops which we deliver on campus. These sessions are designed for primary school children to gain an understanding of these subjects and to enjoy themselves. Subject areas we cover include:
What is University?	It is never too early to start thinking about the future ahead. This session introduces primary aged pupils to what a university is, what it does and what goes on there. Pupils will learn about what life on a university campus is like and what the day in the life of a student is like in comparison to a day in their own school. Through a series of fun activities and games, they will learn about different jobs and career. They will also learn about the variety of courses that can be studied at a university. Pupils will start to identify their own strengths and values which could lead them on to their dream career or future.
Archaeology	Archaeology in the United Kingdom has been in the news a great deal recently. With the find of the Roman mosaic in Rutland, the ten-metre fossil of a ‘sea dragon’ and when Richard III body was found under a car park in Leicester. Pupils will use their history, art and design, science and geography skills to explore the exciting world of archaeology. They will learn about excavation and the search for human and animal bones and what they can tell an archaeologist about the past. Using trowels, they will search through a mini excavation to see what they can uncover. Pupils will learn about Roman and Anglo-Saxon pottery and have a go at making their own.
Policing and Forensic Science	In this session, pupils will learn about the role of the police and the importance of British Values. They will discover a mock crime that has been committed and will use their observation and description skills to identity a suspect. Learning about fingerprint theory, they will take their own fingerprints and learn how to identify them. The pupils will be excited to discover how science and problem-solving skills are applied in real life investigations.
Art & Design and Fashion	Pupils will practise their sketching skills with a series of small ‘warm up’ drawing games. They will explore colour wheels to understand the effect of tone and shade on people’s mood and will even generate their own names for paint shades. The pupils will go on to create a design sketch, following some ideas from famous professional fashion designers. They will then draw their own design that can be used to create a small outfit (sports kit, ball gown, costume etc) for a ‘Fashion Peg’. Pupils will then use various materials to make their design come to life.
Wrap Around Activities
We can also offer some wrap around activities alongside the subject taster sessions mentioned above, these are:
Campus Tours	Students will show you around our campus, from our fantastic social spaces, and sports centre to accommodation. This is the perfect opportunity for your pupils to ask questions and get a real feel for life on campus.
Student Life Talks	Student life talks give your pupils a chance to hear what university is like first-hand from current university students. These sessions aim to answer questions about university life from a student’s perspective. Our students talk about their experiences at university, describe their journey to higher education and their aspirations once they have graduated. Students will cover their university experience, offering more detail about their own subject.

Young people aged 11-16 years (secondary age)

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Get Ahead UCLan Campus Visits
As part of our Get Ahead UCLan Campus Visits offer, we have a range of interactive workshops which we can deliver on campus. These sessions are designed for high school students to gain an understanding of these subjects and at the same time enjoy themselves. Subject areas we cover include:
Fashion Design	Students with an interest in Art, Design or Fashion will take part in an outfit design workshop. Taking inspiration from real life models to create their own fashion designs modelled on a piece of fruit. Please note this activity is not suitable for students with an allergy to bananas.
Law Human Rights	Participants will learn about Human Rights by unlocking a mystery related to an imprisoned individual. Throughout the session, students will piece together evidence to document specific human rights abuses in a fictional conspiracy story.
Photography	Taking inspiration from professional photographers, students will consider how elements of their own personality and interests can be reflected in their own self-portrait.
Games Design	This practical design activity will use ‘games design theory’ to design and construct a ‘quest’ for a game, where students will then populate it with their own characters, objects and story line to bring to life.
Wrap Around Activities
We can also offer some wrap around activities alongside the subject taster sessions mentioned above, these are:
Campus Tours	Students will show you around our campus, from our fantastic social spaces, and sports centre to accommodation. This is the perfect opportunity for your pupils to ask questions and get a real feel for life on campus.
Student Life Talks	Student life talks give your pupils a chance to hear what university is like first-hand from current university students. These sessions aim to answer questions about university life from a student’s perspective. Our students will talk about their experiences at university, describe their journey to higher education and their aspirations once they have graduated. Students will cover their University experience, offering more detail about their own subject.

Activities for 16+

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Maths Tutoring Programme
Age 16+	Delivered online
This 6-week online Maths tutoring programme is delivered as group tutoring. The sessions are 1 hour long and can be during school hours or in the evening. The sessions help strengthen subject comprehension, boost confidence, and build important learning skills. This programme will also give students individualised attention that they don't get in a crowded classroom. It will also help students who struggle to keep up and improve their academic performance. All our tutors have DBS checks and are fully trained to deliver this programme.
UCLan Scholars Programme
Age 16+	On campus and online
The UCLan Scholars Programme is a compact scheme for Year 12 students across the North West, which aims to support you in accessing university. This scheme will engage you with a programme designed to enhance and develop student-led research skills. The programme will offer you a series of workshops covering study, research and academic skills. Find out more.

How to book

These activities are available to schools or community groups where a high proportion of young people can be described as:

Living in a low HE-participation neighbourhood (POLAR4 Q1 or Q2) Check here: search by postcode
Live in an area of high deprivation (IMD D1-4) Check here: English indices of deprivation 2019: postcode lookup MHCLG Open Data
Eligible for pupil premium
Would be the first in their immediate family to go to university
Looked after children or care-leavers
Have caring responsibilities
Forced migrants
Have a disability
Gypsy Roma Traveller background
Are from a military family

We offer a wide range of activities for groups that do not have a high proportion of young people from the groups above through our schools and college team. For more information see our schools and college page.

Complete our form to book any of these sessions

High school registration Primary school registration

Support

We provide targeted support for specific groups including but not limited to:

Care-experienced and estranged students

We recognise that the decision to attend university is a big one for anyone, more so if you don’t have family support. If you’re estranged from your family or leaving care, we have a wide range of specialist support available. Including a dedicated advisor, bursary and year-round accommodation than can be accessed before and during your studies. For more information visit our care leavers and estranged students webpage.

Carers

Do you have extra responsibilities because you care for a family member or friend? We have a wide range of support available to help you during your studies.

We recognise carers as “anyone who cares, unpaid, for a friend or family member who due to illness, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction cannot cope without their support. A carer is not a parent unless they are caring for a disabled child. Nor does it include caring responsibilities as part of a voluntary placement or paid work (e.g. child/pet minding) whether inside or outside a student’s course.”

We can offer you:

Support from specialist staff who will work with your academic team to identify the most suitable study options for you in line with your course requirements
Where appropriate, flexible arrangements in teaching
Additional financial support from a Carers Bursary and the hardship fund.

Disabled students

Inclusive Support Advice

We have an excellent team of Inclusive Support Advisors and Officers. They're experienced in supporting students to access education, the campus and university life. And to thrive during their studies.

If you have declared a disability and have an offer, you'll be allocated an Inclusive Support Advisor. They'll work with you and your course team to put in place support, including:

Help with declaring a disability and providing evidence
Assistance with applying for Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSA)
Reasonable adjustments in your teaching and learning, such as extra time in exams
Setting up Student Wellbeing Ambassadors (mobility, orientation, library support)
British Sign Language (BSL) interpreting

Once assessed we'll share reasonable adjustment information with your teaching team, to support your learning. This can be reviewed at any stage during your studies.

If you are awarded a laptop via DSA, you'll be required to pay a £200 contribution. Funding is available from Inclusive Support to assist with or reimburse this cost once you are enrolled as a student.

If you're unable to provide evidence of any specific learning difficulty, and have previously had adjustments at college/school, assessments funded by UCLan are available, once you are a student. Prior to this, we use a dyslexia screen tool called QuickScreen, which gives a report outlining any indicators of dyslexia.

If you are having any difficulties with applying for and being assessed for Disabled Students Allowances. Or with providing any evidence of a disability, please contact the team for guidance. You can email us at inclusivesupport@uclan.ac.uk, or call 01772 892593.

Student Wellbeing Ambassadors

Our Student Wellbeing Ambassadors are current UCLan students that help students access a supportive and inclusive learning environment by delivering high quality support. This includes:

Practical Support- assist with carrying belongings, opening doors, and providing support to wheelchair users.

Sighted Guide - work with students who have a visual impairment to navigate campus.
Campus Orientation - help students find their way around the university during welcome events and activities.
Transition Events – host online and residential events on campus during summer to support disabled students transition into university life.
Library Support - assist with locating of books, accessing the library catalogue, printing, and photocopying.
Workshop and Lab Support -work with students during workshops and lab sessions.
Societies - support students to societies and clubs run through the Student Union.
Course Trips and Placements - support students on agreed placements and course trips.
Peer Mentoring – support students in 1-2-1 mentoring sessions to break down barriers and immerse themselves in independent study.
Notetaking support – provide students with notes following assessment from Inclusive support.

British Sign Language Interpreting Team

We have a dedicated in-house team of BSL Interpreters. They'll work with your course team, Inclusive Support Advisor, and you to ensure that all your support is in place. If you're a deaf BSL user, this support may include note-takers, language tutors, and specialist equipment.

Our BSL Interpreting Team are dedicated to supporting you through your studies. From supporting at open days, through to your Graduation Ceremony. They're all qualified interpreters that have knowledge and experience of interpreting in a range of both theory and practice-based subjects.

Students from military families