THE UNIVERSITY of Reading is providing free tutoring for hundreds of children across the town in English, Maths and Science.
The scheme will help 200 pupils at nearby schools who are experiencing the impacts of poverty or other challenges, with the goal of improving grades and confidence.
National social mobility charity, CoachBright, will offer training to volunteer tutors.
Kizzi Keast, outreach and access manager at the University of Reading, said: “There are young people missing out on higher education who really deserve to have the opportunity to be at university.
“In some cases, these pupils are not able to achieve the grades they need to go onto higher education, because their lives outside school are really challenging.
“The aim of this new partnership is to make sure that more pupils from Reading are leaving school, better equipped to go on to university. This is a key part of our ambition to be a university for everyone in Reading, and we are really looking forward to seeing these young people succeed and thrive.”
The CoachBright tutoring partnership is designed to complement the university’s existing provision for widening participation in higher education.
Alongside Reading Scholars and Students in Schools, the new scheme will further enhance the scope of the university’s outreach work.
Schools taking part in the CoachBright programme will automatically be part of the Reading Scholars project.
Sadie Middleton, head of South East at CoachBright said: “Young people of disadvantaged backgrounds deserve the chance to choose how they want their lives to go.
“Partnering with the University of Reading allows us to begin forming more stable foundations for those young people, where they are able to truly curate their own futures.
“I am incredibly excited to be working closely with such passionate individuals, as we would not be able to fulfil our own vision without them.
“My goal for the next year is to implement and witness the immediate impact that our programmes have within these Reading area schools.
“I hope to hear comments from pupils, such as ‘I want to go to university now’ or ‘I can do this’ and watching every young person become a more confident, resilient and motivated individual.”
Tutors are set to deliver weekly after-school sessions, workshops and a visit to the campus over the course of a term.
CoachBright’s training will consist of guidance in leading effective tutorials, building relationships with a young person and using principles of coaching to boost confidence and independence.
