Brunel Urban Scholars

SHINE has supported projects at Cambridge and Stanford universities to stretch gifted students from disadvantaged backgrounds and raise their educational aspirations. The Urban Scholars programme at Brunel University is another intiative with similar aims. Over a four to six year period, gifted students like Clare regularly visit Brunel to be taught by university staff and visiting speakers, expanding and enriching their school work and helping them to develop important academic skills.

In the last full set of GCSE results, 80% of SHINE-funded students met or exceeded their ambitious target grades and all outperformed their non-attending peers. SHINE is also helping Brunel to identify key features that can be copied elsewhere, so that other universities can give even more bright teenagers the motivation and opportunity to fulfil their academic potential.


The grant recipient

Brunel Able Children's Education Centre is the first university-based research centre in the education of able children in the country. It developed the Urban Scholars programme in response to the continuing low numbers of children entering university from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The Urban Scholars programme

What it aims to do

  • search for and fulfil the submerged talent of gifted teenagers (12-16 years old) from inner city state secondary schools

How it works

Groups of 100 students from schools across London attend Brunel University campus nine Saturdays a year over four years. Key features are:

  • models of enriched learning for higher ability students are used
  • the focus is on challenging students to develop their critical thinking, problem solving, research, training, presentation and study skills
  • university staff and visiting speakers deliver the teaching
  • undergraduates act as mentors

Results

92 students have continued to attend all of the sessions over three years. Early monitoring and evaluation suggests marked improvements in educational achievement and aspirations. During the 2006-10 period the impact of the programme on one full cohort of students will be 'mapped' in detail using:

  • predicted SATs and GSCE grades and actual results
  • school work
  • videos and observation
  • questionnaires and interviews

The funding and replication

SHINE grants have funded an Urban Scholars Tutor post - with specific responsibility for monitoring and evaluation - conferences to promote replication and best practice and extension of the programme. Brunel University also receives grants from other private funding bodies.

Funding: £239,444 to Brunel University, over six years (2006-12)

Visit the Urban Scholars website: http://www.brunel.ac.uk/about/acad/sse/sseres/sseresearchcentres/bacehome/urban/project

Click here to Support SHINE

"The tutors teach differently and I stay focused - I want to start my university education now!"

Student, the Urban Scholars Programme

"I feel more confident because I meet and discuss things with students from other schools."

Student, the Urban Scholars Programme

"The best thing is that the tutors don't mind us making mistakes; they just encourage you to have a go."

Student, the Urban Scholars Programme

"It is brilliant for school, I am much faster and my marks are higher."

Student, the Urban Scholars Programme

"Urban Scholars represents a bold and innovative way to encourage and inspire young people who have high potential to explore and reach that potential."

Sarah brown, SHINE patron

"Urban Scholars is an exemplar of what can be achieved with commitment, funding and unity of purpose."

sarah brown, shine patron

" The best thing is that the tutors don't mind us making mistakes; they just encourage you to have a go"

student,urban scholar programme

"It is brilliant for school, I am much faster and my marks are higher"

student,urban scholar programme

"You get to do stuff here you would never ever do in school."

student,urban scholar programme