In 2019, Pathway to Bath launched with just 35 students, a bold attempt to deliver online outreach before it was widely accepted or understood. We had to work hard to convince students, schools, and even ourselves that meaningful academic engagement could happen virtually.
Six years on, over 2,000 students applied for the 2025 programme. Around 1,000 Year 12 students are currently taking part, making it our largest and most ambitious cohort to date.
Pathway to Bath is now a flagship part of our access and participation work: an academic skills development programme that’s flexible, inclusive, and designed for under-represented students across the UK.
Academic Stretch, Without the Barriers
Every student on the programme selects a subject strand when they apply, anything from engineering or politics to psychology or architecture. They’re then supported to complete a project or piece of academic work in that subject area, working with PhD mentors and supported by current undergraduates.
But this isn’t about asking students from disadvantaged backgrounds to “do more” just to prove they belong. It’s about giving them access to skills, experiences and knowledge that many other students already gain through their schools or family networks, like how to reference, structure an argument, or reflect on academic reading.
We’ve had students tell us that learning how to do academic referencing made them feel “more ready for university” than anything they’d done before. That kind of confidence-building is what the programme is designed to deliver.
Flexible Engagement, Lasting Impact
Pathway to Bath is delivered entirely online during term time, with regular touchpoints and flexible access. Every couple of weeks, students take part in:
- Subject-specific support and feedback on their project
- Webinars on applying to university and understanding courses at Bath
- Mentoring and Q&A sessions with current Bath students
- Interactive sessions about student life, wellbeing and making the transition to HE
The programme culminates in an optional on-campus residential, which this year will bring around 750 students to Bath over the summer. For many, it’s their first time seeing a university campus and a chance to visualise the next step in their journey.
Reaching Different Students, Removing Barriers
Pathway to Bath attracts a different group of students than our residential summer schools. It offers an alternative route for students who may not feel ready or able to travel, or who simply prefer the structure and comfort of engaging online at their own pace.
That flexibility is key. It means students can take part alongside their school and family commitments while still developing valuable academic and transferable skills.
And importantly, the programme is linked to our admissions offer, meaning students who complete the programme successfully and apply to Bath may receive a guaranteed offer, recognising both their potential and the work they’ve put in.
Why It Matters
The growth of Pathway to Bath, from 35 to over 1,000 participants in just six years, is a powerful sign of what’s possible when we combine ambition with flexibility. It proves that access programmes don’t have to look traditional to be effective and that online engagement, done well, can be just as transformative as in-person activity.
What makes Pathway different is that it recognises the structural barriers students face and designs around them, rather than expecting students to do the same as everyone else with fewer resources.
By providing structured support in a flexible, online format, Pathway makes it easier for students to:
- Participate from anywhere in the UK
- Fit the programme around school, work or caring responsibilities
- Engage at their own pace, with no need to travel
- Develop the skills that will help them transition to university study
The academic element of the programme isn’t about proving who’s the most capable it’s about building capability. Students learn how to navigate academic content, engage with feedback, and develop confidence in their ideas all within a supportive environment where they can ask questions and try things out.
And it works. Every year, we hear from students who say they wouldn’t have considered Bath without the programme. Others tell us it was the first time they saw themselves as someone who could succeed in higher education.
Pathway to Bath isn’t just a widening access initiative, it’s a demonstration of what access work looks like when it’s student-led, research-informed, and future-focused. It’s about removing friction, not raising bars. And it’s helping to shape a more inclusive future for Bath.
