The majority of the Widening Participation & Outreach team’s activities, especially sustained engagement programmes, are offered to a targeted group of schools and colleges in Hounslow, Ealing and Hillingdon. We work with students in Year 6 up to Year 13 in these institutions (as well as mature students), and we aim to target these activities towards students from groups underrepresented in Higher Education.
We also offer lighter-touch opportunities for students, including one-day campus visits, tailored workshops in school, support from Student Ambassadors and hosting a talk or stand at your existing options evenings or parents’ evenings.
Make sure to check our information on targeting and eligibility.
At the busiest times of year, we may have limited capacity, but we aim to be flexible and we would be very happy to receive your enquiry. To ask about working with the Outreach or Student Recruitment teams, please complete our visit request form or email schools.colleges@stmarys.ac.uk.
The St Mary's Outreach team has collaborated with the National Saturday Club, to create a new Society & Change Club. We invite young people to join from across Southwest London who have an interest in politics, exploring major world issues and creating positive social change.
For 2022/23 we will run a short pilot of the programme, lasting eight weeks. We will launch on Saturday 22nd April 2023, and finish the year with the National Saturday Club Summer Show in central London during July. The Club has been created for young people between the ages of 13-16, and will take place from 10am-1pm.
This year our theme is 'Voice', and our club members will explore this through several academic areas, asking important questions about the world around us.
Find out more and apply to join
The new Drama St Mary’s Youth Theatre is a free Saturday drama club open to young people aged 13-16 (roughly Year 8 to Year 11). We have teamed up with the National Saturday Club to offer this new weekly Saturday Club to teenagers from underrepresented backgrounds.
The Youth Theatre launches on Saturday 6th November, and sessions will run from 10am-1pm on most Saturday mornings this academic year.
You can see our main Youth Theatre webpages for more information and eligibility requirements, and sign up directly via the National Saturday Club website.
Apply for the Youth Theatre
Find out more about activities available for Primary School students, as well as the online resources for the Ealing Children's University on our Primary page.
Find out more
This three-event programme will introduce pupils to what university is like, and help them understand what their GCSE choices could lead to in the future.
-
Part 1 – Introduction to university: workshop hosted in your school. Pupils will learn about the different aspects of university life.
-
Part 2 – Campus visit: hosted at St Mary’s University, Twickenham. Pupils will tour campus, and enjoy university taster workshops.
-
Part 3 – Create my future: workshop hosted in your school. Pupils will consider their future options and explore their vision for their future selves.
Contact us for further information: schools.colleges@stmarys.ac.uk
Over this 3 day, 2 night Residential, pupils will live on campus like real university students, and participate in a range of taster sessions on academic and extracurricular life at university. We are excitied to host ourfully residential Summer School in June 2023, with Year 9s staying in halls, and taking part in academic, sports and social taster sessions.
Contact holly.bazley@stmarys.ac.uk to sign up to hear first when the applications open (likely Spring 2023).
Following a successful pilot with the Brightside Trust, students will be matched with DBS-checked volunteers who work in interesting career sectors. This aims to give students insight into real careers they could be interested in, and a supportive mentor to help them understand the skills they need to get there.
Careers Insight mentoring will launch in Spring 2022 - contact Nancy Bentley for more information.
If you have a request relating to Key Stage 5 UCAS Support (making university choices, personal statement support etc), please complete our visit request form and either the Student Recruitment or Widening Participation and Outreach teams will respond to your enquiry.
Mandip Birk is our Senior Widening Participation & Outreach Officer leading on Post-16 activities, and can be contacted via mandip.birk@stmarys.ac.uk
We're happy to hear from Teachers & Advisors with enquiries or suggestions for activities, and aim to flexibly fulfil these requests when our capacity allows. Take a look at other options below, and please feel free to get in touch via schools.colleges@stmarys.ac.uk
-
Campus visits
A part-day or one-day campus visit to St Mary’s can provide a tour/ scavenger hunt, taster subject session, and information advice and guidance session. Our approachable Widening Participation Student Ambassadors make the day fun and informative.
-
Ad-hoc workshops in school/ college
If you are hosting Careers Focus days, or off-timetable enrichment days and would be interested in a workshop from St Mary’s, please get in touch. Sessions could include topics such as ‘introducing university’, ‘making choices’, ‘time management’, ‘Student life’ and so on. We would be happy to discuss your requirements, and we will aim to meet your request if we have the staff availability.
-
Careers fairs, options events, parents’ evenings
The Widening Participation and Outreach and the Student Recruitment teams are happy to take enquiries for your events via our visit request form.
- Student Ambassadors
Within the Student Ambassador team, a group of Widening Participation Ambassadors are DBS checked and trained for outreach activities with Year 6 and upwards. Widening Participation Ambassadors inspire and engage the students they work with. If you would like to ask about how they can support your students in school or college, please get in touch.