Getting young people to university isn’t just about opening the door, it’s about preparing them to walk through it with confidence. That’s the thinking behind Be Ready, our in-school programme supporting students in Years 7 to 13 to build the skills, awareness and mindset they’ll need to make informed choices about their future.
Delivered entirely in person with targeted schools, Be Ready reaches thousands of students each year through assemblies, workshops and interactive sessions tailored to different year groups.
In 2023–24 alone, we delivered over 300 events to more than 20,000 students. And in 2024–25 so far, we’ve already worked with over 14,000 students through almost 200 sessions, a clear sign of the demand from schools and the appetite among students.
Sessions Tailored by Age and Stage
Be Ready isn’t a one-size-fits-all programme. Each year group has its own focus, from early confidence and inspiration-building in Key Stage 3, to more practical skills and decision-making in Year 10 and 11 and support with applying to university in Year 12 and 13.
For example:
- Year 7-9 sessions focus on exploring and cover things such as motivation, self-belief and identifying personal strengths and begin to introduce future pathways and goal-setting
- Year 10/11 sessions focus on developing covering things such as revision techniques, post-16 choices, and preparing for student life
- Year 12/13 sessions focus on decision making and cover the key skills and knowledge students need to make their decisions about their next steps.
Everything is grounded in interaction not lectures, but conversations. We bring along current university students wherever possible, so participants hear directly from relatable role models about what university is really like.
In the Classroom, On Their Terms
We know that not every school has the capacity to bring students to campus and not every student would feel ready for that experience even if they could.
That’s why Be Ready is designed to meet students where they are. We go into schools and colleges, work around timetables, and deliver engaging sessions that slot into the rhythm of the school day minimising disruption and maximising access.
It’s part of our commitment to making higher education outreach visible and available in every setting, not just for those who already have the confidence or encouragement to seek it out.
Why It Matters
Students don’t just need to know about university, they need to be equipped to get there. That means building confidence, developing skills, and having access to the right support at the right time.
Be Ready is built around that idea. It offers a structured, age-appropriate pathway from Key Stage 3 through to Key Stage 5, giving students the tools to take ownership of their journey, not all at once, but in manageable, meaningful steps.
In Year 7, that might mean building self-awareness and recognising their own potential. In Year 10, it might mean understanding how to plan revision or choose their next steps with confidence. And by Year 11, it’s about making those choices feel achievable, with practical strategies to help them succeed.
This kind of progression matters because too much of the system relies on students figuring it out for themselves. It assumes they’ll just “pick it up” along the way, how to plan their time, set goals, reflect on what matters to them. But we know that those assumptions don’t hold for everyone, especially in schools with fewer resources or less time for individual guidance.
Be Ready supports schools to bridge that gap, offering high-quality, adaptable sessions that strengthen what’s already there, not replace it. By delivering everything in person, we make it easy for schools to offer meaningful enrichment without extra logistics or budget.
This isn’t about raising aspiration in a vacuum. It’s about building readiness, academic, emotional, and practical skills. So that when students do start making decisions about their future, they’ve got more than just ideas, they’ve got momentum.
