Schools and Teachers
Guide 2015/16
2
UniTracks
WARWICK YOUNG ACHIEVERS PROGRAMME
The University of Warwick’s programme for gifted
and talented 14–18 year olds.
Join us and we will help your students achieve their potential.
This brochure sets out all you
need to know to join UniTracks,
Warwick’s flagship outreach
programme.
Universities want the brightest
and the best students, regardless
of their backgrounds. At Warwick,
we are passionate about making
sure that there are no barriers
or obstacles to accessing higher
education (HE). Students whose
families have little experience of
HE may feel at a disadvantage
when applying alongside those
more familiar with the admissions
process, or may even think that
university is not ‘for them’.
That is why we created UniTracks.
We work with teachers like you to
identify bright Year 10 students.
The students on our programme
are from schools across the country,
they are all gifted and talented, and
they are all from non-traditional
university backgrounds. If your
school joins the programme,
you will be asked to select and
encourage up to five Year 10
students each year to join our
national cohort of young achievers.
Structured support
Your students will get tailored
support from the University of
Warwick, a Russell Group university
that is consistently near the top
of UK league tables. We will work
with them, giving insight into
university life and applications,
and running a series of events and
workshops that will build their
skills, confidence and academic
attainment. This structured
programme of support covers
the crucial four-year period from
Year 10 through to Year 13 and is
unique in the sector.
As our in-school link, you will
receive tailored CPD about the
university applications process,
how to write UCAS references,
and supporting students to make
university course choices. You will
also join a network of UniTracks
schools across the country, and will
be linked into a regional ‘hub’ of
schools near you. At key stages in
your students’ progression, we will
come and host UniTracks sessions
at schools in your region. These
events are an excellent opportunity
for you to network with other
teachers.
Our goal is that by the end of the
programme your students will have
made informed choices about their
futures and have the necessary
qualifications, skills and attributes
to achieve the next step in their
journey.
This brochure provides you with
key details about the programme.
You have also received five student
packs which include brochures and
application forms.
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Who is UniTracks for?
UniTracks is specifically designed for students who:
• Are academically able – in the top five per cent of their year group
• Have the potential to succeed in HE
• Are from a background in which there is traditionally lower participation in HE.
To be eligible for the programme, students must be the first in their families to
consider HE (even if family members went to university outside the UK).
Additionally, we look for the following markers:
• Eligible for Pupil Premium or is eligible, or has ever been eligible, for Free School Meals
(regardless of whether they have made use of this provision)
• Living within, or has experience of, local authority care.
We will also consider other factors/circumstances relating to individual students that
you feel impact on their application and may wish to bring to our attention.
What UniTracks members get
• A structured programme of events at the University of Warwick, including
workshops, enterprise competitions, residential visits, and conferences
• Impartial information, advice and guidance on choosing a university and
course of study, the applications process, and student finance
• Access to other gifted and talented provision, including free membership
to IGGY (the International Gateway for Gifted Youth) and the Experience
Warwick outreach programme.
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UniTracks
WARWICK YOUNG ACHIEVERS PROGRAMME
Our events are always
FREE to members,
and we can help cover
transportation costs.
What UniTracks partner schools get
• UniTracks is changing and partner schools will
have the opportunity to shape the programme
for the benefit of all
• Partner schools can put the University of
Warwick logo on their website
• Chances for teacher CPD through the Outreach
at Warwick network.
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How UniTracks works
Each year of the programme is structured around a key goal.
These are the stepping stones on your students’ journey to university.
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UniTracks
Year 10
Aspiration
Year 11
Attainment
Year 12
Informed choices
Year 13
Achieving
WARWICK YOUNG ACHIEVERS PROGRAMME
Introduces students to the idea of studying at a
higher level, outlines the benefits of a university
education, encourages aspiration and gets
students thinking about their future.
Supports students in getting the best grades
they can in the right subjects for them.
Activities include an exams bootcamp to support
attainment in GCSE and subject-specific taster
days to inspire and help inform A level choices.
Focuses on the ‘nuts and bolts’ of the process
of applying to university. Structured to guide
students through the key stages, including how
to research and select a university and course,
a guide to the UCAS system and in-depth
personal statement workshops.
Encourages and enables students to build key
skills that will help them transition to university,
including independent study skills and practical
life skills.
The UniTracks programme in detail
In each academic year, there will be at least one ‘core’ activity that we would like to encourage
everyone to participate in.
Outside of the ‘core’ element of the programme, participants will be able to apply for additional
activities that are taking place at Warwick, such as the residential summer schools. We will also
alert the relevant cohorts to events happening at other universities that may be of interest.
Please note: Places for the Warwick summer schools are limited and we will therefore allocate
places to ensure as many young people from different schools are able to attend.
Alongside the face-to-face activity, all participants will have access to, and be encouraged to
participate in, an online platform. Through this platform, they can interact with other UniTracks
participants and current Warwick undergraduates. Further details about this will be available at
the Launch Event.
As part of the programme, we also hope to bring Warwick to you! As an example, we could
bring the IAG sessions (such as ‘Thinking about Applying’) to you, tailoring the content to suit
the needs of your students.
Year 10
Year 11
Core
• Launch Event
• The Big Deal
Core
• GCSE Exams Bootcamp
Supplementary
• Experience Warwick Y10 Summer School
Supplementary
• University Exploration Week
Year 12
Year 13
Core
• Post-16 Launch
• Academic mentoring
Core
• A Level Revision Bootcamp
Supplementary
• Thinking about applying
• Faculty Taster Days
• Experience Warwick Y12 Summer School
Supplementary
• Support in completing your UCAS application
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What we ask of you:
•We need you to support your students throughout the programme.
This means releasing them during school time to attend UniTracks events,
helping them (especially in Key Stage 4) travel to events and do any of the
preparation work required
•Encourage UniTracks members to attend as many events as possible
•Be in regular communication with the UniTracks Manager and support staff,
especially if student details or circumstances change
•Keep us up to date with your contact details, including a telephone number and
an email account that you check regularly. Most of our communications about
events and opportunities will come via email
•Share destinations data and details of the academic performance of students
on the programme, including exam results. By participating in the programme,
students agree to be tracked in this way
•Be an ambassador for the programme within your school. We would love you
to share details about the programme with eligible students and make every
attempt to facilitate their attendance at our events.
What we ask of your students:
By joining the UniTracks programme, your students are getting access to
four years of dedicated support, giving them the best possible chance
of achieving their ambitions and securing a place at a top university. The
emphasis is on students to take responsibility for their own progression
and commit to being an active participant of the programme.
We will expect students to:
•Attend at least the ‘core’ elements of the programme each year
•Share information about their exam results and destinations with us
•Keep us up to date with their contact details
•Commit to the full four years of the programme.
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UniTracks
WARWICK YOUNG ACHIEVERS PROGRAMME
How do my students apply?
Eligibility Criteria
All students will need to meet the following criteria:
•Student is gifted and talented/highly able/most able, i.e.:
– top five per cent of year group
– achieved at least an average of 5.2 at KS2
– has the potential to achieve A*/A at GCSE and A level and/or
– has a Fischer Family Trust marker or score of 400 or greater
•Student is from a background in which there is traditionally low
participation in HE
•Student is the first in their immediate family group (excluding siblings)
to go to university. This does include parents/carers who have studied
outside the UK.
Additionally, at least one other of the following markers should apply:
•Student is in receipt of, or has within the last six years been eligible for,
Free School Meals
•Student is eligible for the Pupil Premium
•Student is, or has ever been, in local authority care
•If there are other indicators of disadvantage that you believe should
be considered in relation to a student, there is space for this on the
application form
How to apply
Students apply by completing the application form enclosed with the
information pack.
The application has 3 sections:
•Section A: to be completed by the applicant
•Section B: to be completed by the applicant’s parents/carers
•Section C: to be completed by you
Please return all completed forms to the UniTracks office at the University
of Warwick using the pre-paid envelope provided.
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What happens next?
We will contact successful applicants within a month of the forms being
received, to confirm their enrolment on the programme.
All new UniTracks students, their parents/carers and the UniTracks link
teachers at their schools will be invited to a Saturday launch event at the
University of Warwick, where they can meet other programme participants
and learn more about what they’ve got to look forward to in the next four
years.
We hope the information provided here has been helpful. If you have any
questions about the programme, please do call on 024 7657 4051 or
email us at unitracks@warwick.ac.uk.
Some myths we want to bust:
“I can’t afford to go to university.”
“University is not for people like me.”
“A degree is just a worthless bit of paper.”
“University is all work and no play.”
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WARWICK YOUNG ACHIEVERS PROGRAMME
“I have gained so much knowledge about
things I was curious about, especially fees
and funding and UCAS, and it helped with my
decisions concerning uni courses, especially
after speaking to some of the student staff.”
Quote from a previous UniTracks student
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The University of Warwick, CV4 7AL
+44 (0)24 7657 4051
unitracks@warwick.ac.uk
warwick.ac.uk/unitracks