The Elephant Group and Newham Sixth Form College have come together to support and improve the representation of students from non-selective state schools at selective universities.

The Elephant Group charity and Newham Sixth Form College (NewVIc) have come together to support and improve the representation of students from non-selective state schools at selective universities.

In the UK, access to the most selective ‘top third’ universities, and onwards into top professions, is significantly determined by the school or college you attend. The new partnership will give students the skills, knowledge, resources and interactions with university students ‘like them’ to increase the number of successful applications to competitive universities.

NewVIc is the first sixth form college in Newham to partner with The Elephant Group to provide quality education and support to students from minority ethnic backgrounds and within an area that is ranked as one of the more deprived boroughs in London. The partnership will also create regional partnerships with school leaders, universities, corporates and third sector partners to do this, and co-deliver their Year 12 - 13 Elephant Access Programme to support students to achieve their potential.

The Elephant Group was formed in 2018 by a group of headteachers committed to increasing access to ‘top third’ universities for their ‘top third’ students. The first meeting was held in Elephant & Castle – hence the name – and since then the group has grown to include more state schools and some of the country’s leading universities and third sector organisations. Currently The Elephant Group partners include 28 schools/1,300 sixth form students across the UK, plus nine top universities and access charities The Brilliant Club and Access Ed who NewVIc have worked with on projects before.

Laura Compton, Managing Director at The Elephant Group, said:

“The Elephant Group is delighted to welcome NewVIc to our headteacher-led partnership, working with other ambitious schools and some of the UK’s top universities to improve fair access to higher education. Talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not. By collaborating to support young people from all backgrounds we can ensure all students reach their full potential and can access competitive higher education and careers”.

Magdalena Johnson, Vice Principal Student Achievement and Progress, added:

“This is an exciting opportunity for students from NewVIc and schools in Newham and the surrounding boroughs that will be joining us in September. The new partnership will support academically able students’ aspirations, attainment and applications into HE providers. Each year many of our students progress onto some of the leading universities in the country including Russell Group universities. We are delighted to be working with The Elephant Group to help and continue to enable more young people to progress on to top universities.”

Find out more about The Elephant Group here https://www.theelephantgroup.org/