CPD
Upcoming CPD Opportunities
Thursday 16 October: The Diversity of HE Types in West Yorkshire, 3.00-4.30pm
Calling all teachers and advisors- would you like to expand your knowledge of the variety of HE settings and courses in West Yorkshire?
Join Phillipa Ranger Access and Participation Manager at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance, James Rew Access and Participation Manager at Leeds Conservatoire, Chris Baker Group Director for Apprenticeships at the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group and Laura MacGregor, Access and Participation Manager from University Centre Leeds where they will share more about their HE providers and what they have to offer.
The session will include
- Introductions to some of the unique HE settings in our region
- Focus on HE in FE, higher level and degree apprenticeships and conservatoires
- Bespoke information about courses and application routes
- Opportunities to ask questions to our wonderful panel
Target Audience – Careers, education, community professionals and parents and carers working with young people or mature learners who will be advising those applying to HE courses
Register for our free webinar: The Diversity of HE Types in West Yorkshire
Wednesday 19 November: HE Careers Advice for Post-16 Learners - Sharing Best Practice, 3.00-4.30pm
Are you a school or college careers practitioner or lead, SLT with responsibility for careers programmes, or an HE outreach, schools and college liaison professional?
This session is for you! It brings together current research, policy and practice to give a wholistic view on how we can best support learners from all backgrounds to make meaningful choices about HE progression.
Join Natalie Aldridge, Evaluation Manager and Sophie Elizabeth Smith, Evaluation Officer from Go Higher West Yorkshire Uni Connect and Stephanie Metcalfe, Sixth Form Careers Manager from Roundhay School to learn about best practice and current research findings.
Session Highlights
- How HE providers can work with schools and colleges to provide a high quality careers programme linked to the DfE Careers Guidance Provision and Gatsby Benchmarks
- HE Careers Coaching Impact Report Launch, GHWY Uni Connect, sharing key findings for practitioners
- The school sixth form careers view, how Roundhay School provides opportunities for all learners in their careers programme.
Register for our free webinar: HE Careers Advice for Post-16 Learners – Sharing Best Practice
Care to Go Higher
Care to Go Higher Taster - Book your free 30-minute taster session
Go Higher West Yorkshire are also offering free 30-minute taster sessions that will give attendees an insight into the course whilst also giving them practical information and resources they can take forwards.
Get in touch below to book your taster session.
CPD Newsletter
Join our ‘CPD’ mailing list and stay up to date with the latest opportunities.
Catch-up on what you missed
You will need to register a free account as a Teacher/Advisor to access these courses. If you have any difficulties please get in touch.
-
Spotlight on Access to HE and Foundation Year Courses
This webinar, aimed at teachers, advisers, and professionals supporting 18+ or mature learners, explored Access to HE and Foundation Year courses as valuable progression routes into higher education—covering benefits, how to apply, funding, and practical resources.
-
Understanding the UCAS Clearing Process (2025)
Join Caroline Priestley (University of Bradford) for this informative session covering how to prepare for Clearing, what to do if learners over- or under-achieve, and key next steps.
Ideal for careers professionals, educators, and parents/carers guiding young people or mature learners into higher education.
-
UCAS Fair Access Programme Updates
This UCAS Fair Access CPD webinar shares 2026 cycle updates, key data insights on underrepresented learners, and practical tools to support early engagement and informed applications. Aimed at educators and advisors, it offers clear guidance to help ensure fair access for all students.
-
Supporting Disabled Learners on their Higher Education Journey
This CPD session helps teachers and advisors support disabled learners transitioning to higher education. It covers accessing support, understanding DSA, key differences between school and university, and introduces practical resources including the Disabled Learners Transition Pack and staff e-learning.
-
‘Think and Go Higher’ programme: evidence briefing for strategic leaders
This strategic webinar, held on 2nd April 2025, shared key findings from Go Higher West Yorkshire’s new evidence report Think and Go Higher 2023/24. Aimed at HE leaders, school and college decision-makers, policymakers, and evaluation professionals, the session explored the impact of GHWY’s metacognition programme on learner outcomes and inequalities.
-
Student Finance Updates for 2025 Higher Education entrants
Go Higher West Yorkshire, in collaboration with the Student Loans Company, recently hosted an online CPD session aimed at teachers, advisers, and practitioners supporting learners on their higher education journey.
Sammie Hutchinson, Funding Information Services Account Manager at the Student Loans Company, delivered a comprehensive update on student finance for 2025 HE entrants—essential for anyone advising KS5 learners on how to apply for student finance.
-
Changes to UCAS Personal Statements (academic year 25-26)
Go Higher West Yorkshire, in collaboration with Advancing Access, hosted a CPD session on the recent personal statement reform, outlining the new process and offering expert guidance. Jennifer Barton, Student Recruitment Manager at Durham University, shared insights on supporting students through these changes. This webinar recording is ideal for professionals assisting post-16 learners with higher education applications in the UK.
-
Supporting Care Experienced Learners on their Higher Education Journey
GHWY hosted a free CPD session on supporting Care Experienced learners in Higher Education. In collaboration with Inspiring Choices, we explored key challenges, collaborative approaches, and vital resources, including the Care Experienced Learners Transition Pack. Guest speakers shared insights and introduced the Destinations Festival, an exciting outreach opportunity for 2025.
-
Creating Successful Outreach Projects for Males on Free School Meals
This webinar, hosted by Go Higher West Yorkshire Uni Connect, explored strategies for creating impactful outreach projects targeting males on free school meals (FSM). The session featured Andy Griffith, an educational consultant and co-author of The Working Classroom, who shared insights on social mobility, engagement techniques, and best practices in outreach programmes.
-
Post 16 Qualifications Landscape
Boost your confidence in supporting young people with our free self-paced CPD webinar on the evolving post-16 qualifications landscape, including T Levels, BTECs, and key updates.
-
E-learning for HE staff to understand and support disabled students
An online course that will provide you with knowledge, understanding and confidence to empower you to support disabled students in Higher Education (HE).
-
Understanding the Clearing Process
This webinar delivered by The University of Bradford, provides an in-depth overview of the clearing process, key dates, preparation tips for students, and strategies for supporting students through the clearing process.
-
UCAS Fair Access Programme- Understanding Underrepresented Groups and Progression Data
In this Webinar, we are joined by Ellie Rowley, Fair Access Programme Lead at UCAS. In this session, Ellie will highlight key progression data and trends amongst learners from underrepresented groups, highlighting research and lessons learnt to support best practice when working with young people from underrepresented groups. This will take both a national and regional focus.
-
Exploring Career Opportunities in Professional Services for Young People
Delivered in collaboration with West Yorkshire Combined Authority, this Webinar provides an overview of the Professional Services sector.Joined by Lloyds, KPMG and Gordons LLP, these employers highlight key progression options and routes at post 16 and 18, as well as career paths and what employers are looking for in the sector. -
Student Finance Updates for 2024-25
In this Webinar, The Student Loans Company provide key updates and an overview of Disabled Students Allowance.
-
Understanding Careers in Digital & IT
Delivered in collaboration with West Yorkshire Combined Authority, this Webinar will provide an overview of the Digital and IT sector; highlighting key progression options and routes at post 16 and 18, as well as career paths and what employers are looking for in the sector.
-
GHWY Attainment Raising Programme: Successful delivery in the classroom (30 Jan 2024)
This webinar is for teachers and practitioners who would like to know more about the Go Higher Attainment Raising programme and how they can deliver it in their own school. We provide an overview of the 6 session programme, key activities and lessons learnt to help inform your delivery of these resources.
-
Introduction to GHWY/WYCA Resources (Monday 22nd January 2024)
In this webinar we welcome teachers and practitioners who want to learn more about the range of resources on offer through WYCA Future Goals platform and Go Higher West Yorkshire.
These two organisations offer a wide range of free activities and resources for secondary schools and colleges, and this session is an opportunity to explore some of these in depth.
-
Harnessing lived experiences and stories to empower marginalised voices (Thursday 11th January 2024)
In this Webinar, Syra Shakir, an Associate Professor in Learning and Teaching at Leeds Trinity University reflects on a student & staff co-creation project which used storytelling as a decolonized pedagogy to educate high school GCSE age young people on the 1947 Partition of India.
Join us in redefining education for a brighter, more inclusive future!
-
Alternative Routes into Healthcare - 16 Nov 2023
This CPD session brings together three of Go Higher West Yorkshire’s member institutions. The University of Bradford, University of Leeds and University of Huddersfield present on a range of their healthcare courses, offering an insight into suggested routes for learners who may not be progressing onto medicine or dentistry. This session is useful for any teachers or practitioners who want to develop their knowledge on different healthcare courses and support young people into a variety of routes in this sector.
-
GHWY Attainment Raising Dissemination
The Uni Connect programme based in West Yorkshire piloted an attainment raising programme in five schools across the academic year 2022-23. In this session the team share their overview of the programme as well as the key outcomes.
-
Updates on the UCAS Referencing Process. 14th Oct 2023
UCAS has recently changed the reference writing process. Instead of submitting a single piece of prose, referees must now provide responses in three different sections. In this CPD session, delivered by Advancing Access, you will learn how to write references in the new format and will gain insights into what more selective universities in particular are looking for from the new reference.
-
Personal Statements with Advancing Access (Oct 2023)
This session will enable teachers and advisers to effectively support students with the UCAS personal statement writing process.
-
Medicine and Dentistry Routes & Alternative Routes - Oct 2023
In this session, we’ll be joined by Mark Patterson, Educational Engagement Lead Officer at the University of Leeds, who will give an update on changes to the admissions landscape across the sector, as well as sharing some useful hints and tips for supporting your aspiring Medics and Dentists to successfully apply to HE this year.
-
Preparing learners to access careers support in Higher Education
This online CPD session is designed for career and guidance professionals, offering crucial information about Careers support for learners transitioning to Higher Education. It provides an overview of available resources from first-year to post-graduation, including special assistance for underrepresented groups.
-
Understanding the HE Clearing Process
The University of Bradford hosts this webinar session to educate attendees about the Clearing process, offering guidance on preparing students and their families, addressing potential outcomes, and discussing options like deferring offers.
-
Understanding and Supporting Care Experienced/Estranged Students
By the end of this course, you will have the knowledge, understanding and confidence that will empower you to support care experienced young people and estranged students in Higher Education (HE). The course may also be of interest to staff that work in counselling, careers or marketing in HE so they can better communicate with and/or provide support for these students.
-
Supporting Disabled Learners (25th May 2023)
This session is aimed at practitioners who support and work with learners with a disability or additional needs.
Please join us for an inspirational session focusing on increasing the confidence of students who may have additional needs when progressing into further/higher education and employment.
-
How to use and communicate Labour Market Information within schools: a focus on LMI and LMI education, within West Yorkshire
With a focus on LMI and LMI education within West Yorkshire, this session is aimed at teachers and careers advisors who are involved in designing and delivering careers education, advice and guidance to young people aged 11-18.
-
Spotlight on Creative Arts and Industries’ session 4: Employers Perspective- Hear Straight from the Creative Sector
In our Employer focused session, we are joined by two professionals within the creative industry to explore different careers within the sector.
-
‘Spotlight on Creative Arts and Industries’ Session 3: Overview of Higher Education Opportunities
Designed for teachers and advisors, this session will provide an overview of Higher Education courses and opportunities within the creative arts. We will be joined by two local universities within West Yorkshire, the University of Bradford and University Centre Leeds; to hear from a range of creative arts courses and discuss the opportunities and benefits available to learners at this level.
-
'Spotlight on Creative Arts and Industries' session 2: Overview of Level 3 Opportunities
Designed for teachers and advisors, this session will provide an overview of Level 3 courses designed to help young people to enter the creative arts. We will have speakers from a range of institutions focusing on creative apprenticeships, T levels, and BTECs- as well as highlighting work opportunities and experiences open to learners whilst on these courses.
-
'Spotlight on Creative Arts and Industries' session 1: Introduction and Overview of the Creative Industries
This session is the first of four sessions designed to provide teachers and advisors with up-to-date information and the knowledge to advise on post 16 pathways and opportunities within the creative arts.
-
Understanding the lived experiences of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic students
A CPD session aimed at teachers, careers advisors and higher education staff. Funded through Go Higher West Yorkshire Uni Connect Programme and delivered by Shames Maskeen, Lecturer in Developmental Psychology, Leeds Trinity University.
-
GHWY Uni Connect CPD: Student Finance Updates for 2023
Organised by Go Higher West Yorkshire, this session will cover all of the key updates teachers and advisors need to know in order to best advise their young people on student finance for 2023, including covering disabled learners allowance.
-
GHWY Uni Connect CPD: Preparing students for additional admissions tests and interviews
This training session will help develop your knowledge and ability to prepare students for upcoming HE interviews and additional tests.
-
GHWY Uni Connect CPD: Exploring Apprenticeships (02/02/23)
This training session will help develop your knowledge and ability to advise on the current apprenticeship process and opportunities.
-
GHWY Uni Connect CPD: Supporting Students to Make Choices at 18 (16.01.23)
This session will focus on helping teachers and advisers to support students to make higher education choices. Participants will be encouraged to consider the best support for students deciding on a suitable degree subject, by thinking about career ambitions or pursuing areas of academic interest.
-
GHWY Uni Connect CPD: Disabled Learners Transition Pack Launch (17.11.22)
Find out more about the GHWY Disabled Learner Transition Pack to support learners with additional requirements and support.
-
GHWY Uni Connect CPD: Basic Social Media Training - Jul 2022
Learn about different types of social media platforms and understand the latest trends.
