Posted 15 July 2025

I recently had the pleasure of delivering a bespoke Care to Go Higher training session to professionals from Wakefield Virtual School. The aim of the session was to support staff in helping care-experienced young people make confident, informed decisions about progressing into Higher Education (HE). 

The three-hour session was adapted from our full six-week Care to Go Higher CPD course and covered a range of key themes relevant to the educational journeys of care-experienced learners. Topics included barriers to aspiration, common misconceptions about HE, practical advice on supporting transitions, and building confidence around finance, accommodation, and student support services. 

A key focus was on how professionals can actively challenge the myths and assumptions surrounding HE – both those they may hold themselves and those held by the young people they support. The group engaged particularly well with discussions around the real cost of university, the variety of HE pathways available (such as studying at Further Education colleges or while in employment), and the importance of consistent messaging about care experience and entitlement. 

We also explored how individual perceptions of care experience can vary widely. Some young people embrace it, while others may wish to distance themselves from it. This led to thoughtful conversations about how support needs and advice should be tailored accordingly. 

What really stood out was the quality of discussion within small groups. Attendees were generous in sharing their experiences, raised thoughtful questions, and worked together to apply the session’s content to real-life situations they encounter in their work. Several meaningful conversations emerged around when and how to start talking to care-experienced learners about HE, and how to approach those conversations in ways that build trust and raise aspirations. 

It was especially encouraging to see participants engaging so actively with the reflection activities and scenario-based discussions. There was clear enthusiasm for finding practical ways to better inform and empower young people, particularly around identifying support needs and navigating the transition into HE. 

Feedback from the session was overwhelmingly positive, with all participants reporting they felt more confident in supporting care-experienced learners around Higher Education.  

Attendees said the content was “very useful” and particularly noted the quality of the resources we provided to support conversations with students. One attendee commented: “All the content and delivery was very good. Not too long but factual and useful.” 

Arrange a bespoke training session 

If you work with care-experienced young people and are interested in arranging a bespoke session for your team, we’d love to hear from you. Contact me at r.scott@leeds.ac.uk to find out more. 

Rob Scott, GHWY Training Delivery Officer