Posted 24 August 2017

 

The Progression Module Plus is a formal programme of study designed to help post-16 students make informed decisions about their future. Over the past decade, tens of thousands of students in the Yorkshire region have studied the Progression Module which is delivered by the University of Huddersfield and Leeds Beckett University. The recent injection of NCOP funding has now given Go Higher West Yorkshire the opportunity to expand the programme across the partnership and into new schools and colleges, giving learners a wider range of Higher Education experiences as part of the programme.

By studying the Progression Module Plus, learners will explore their Higher Education and career options, investigate the financial implications of studying or entering a career, draft a personal statement and gain interview and presentation experience.

School and college staff support their students through guided tasks and assessments, and staff from Higher Education institutions add their expertise through the delivery of in-school workshops and campus visits.

The Progression Module Plus has been designed to reflect the information, advice and guidance priorities for post-16 learners, and the content is appropriate for all level 3 students – including those motivated by work-based options as well as those who plan to enter Higher Education.

From September 2017, around 500 learners are due to take part in the Progression Module Plus in schools and colleges working with Go Higher West Yorkshire on the NCOP project.  Students who complete the module will attend a graduation ceremony and will gain 12 UCAS points, which will be accepted as part of UCAS applications by 11 of the 12 Go Higher West Yorkshire partner institutions.

What are the aims of Progression Module Plus?

The Progression Module Plus will give students in the first year of level 3 study (most commonly Year 12) the opportunity to gain the skills, knowledge and confidence to make informed decisions about their life after post-16 study. It is hoped that extending the programme to as many level 3 students in NCOP target areas as possible will help to achieve an uplift in the number of applications to university from our partner schools and college before 2020.

It is also hoped that the programme will help to give applicants an informed and realistic picture of life in Higher Education in order to aid retention rates once they enter Higher Education.

What will participants gain from Progression Module Plus?

Progression Module evaluation has consistently found that students feel that the Module enables them to make more informed decisions about their future, and crucially that they feel more confident in their ability to progress to university. It is hoped that the ‘Plus’ Module, where learners will sample ‘tasters’ of Higher Education-level study, will only serve to increase learners’ levels of confidence about their progression to Higher Education. This is particularly important in the context of the NCOP project, where learners have been targeted who live in areas where the progression rates of young people to Higher Education does not meet the expected rates when their academic potential is taken into account.

Will Atkinson, NCOP Outreach Officer at Leeds Beckett University, explained:

“We are really excited to roll out the Progression Module Plus for the first time, and the NCOP programme gives us the opportunity to work with the schools who we feel will benefit most from the Module. Over the last decade or so, the Progression Module has helped thousands of teenagers in West Yorkshire make informed decisions about Higher Education, and we look forward to the ‘Plus’ module enhancing the Module even further by giving prospective students first-hand experience of studying with Higher Education lecturers.”

 

Contact for further information:

For further information, email progressionmodule@leedsbeckett.ac.uk , call Leeds Beckett’s Access & Widening Participation team on 0113 812 5907, or speak with your Wards Lead Officer.