Autumn Term 2011 busy sending students to


university led projects Year 10 students are ‘members of the club’!


LAST September started with a


bang when it came to the exciting menu offer coming from the AccessHE link universities. Seven Year 10 students are currently attending a Saturday morning Art and Design club at the University of West London. Commitment to attend every week until next May, means learning new exciting and varied techniques, including fine art, sculpture, and ceramics through to photography and film making.


Highly specialised experience Next June culminates in an exhibition


of their work at the prestigious Somerset House Gallery in Central London. Respected and well known artists are supporting our students through this highly specialised experience in state of the art surroundings, where applicants far outweighed available places. Dates of the exhibition to be announced next term.


More on this story from the club members themselves in the school’s annual magazine 2012 issue.


Kingston University sees more Villiers participation than ever


HEAD of Learning Kerrie Bevan has


been embracing the offer which Kingston University provides as part of the AccessHE scheme. More than sixty students with potential from Years 7, 9 and 11 are involved in this programme.


Optimum performance and achieve- ment


Most events are day trips to Kingston’s campus where Year 7 students are introduced to life at university, taken on tours to marvel at the specialist facilities, and to learn the study skills required for optimum performance and achievement.


Academic routes de-mystified Year 9 are introduced to the academic pathways to possible career options as young people tend to have limited knowledge in this area. Furthermore it de-mystifies the range and expectations of academic routes to their dream careers..


GCSE results pivotal Year 11 are supported in intensive study skills sessions in preparation for their GCSE’s and explore their post 16 options. GCSE results are pivotal to these options, and in enabling them to make informed decisions about 6th form study and transition to university or elsewhere. Please continue to remind your Year 11 child of the importance of focus, determination and sheer hard work in order to exceed expectations and in achieving their goals.


Farewell Aim Higher and welcome AccessHE/ London Higher


FOLLOWING nine years success in enabling widening participation of students from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds into higher education, the Aim Higher programme was finally closed. This life changing initiative fell victim to the new age of austerity, following the last general election and was an unwelcome decision for many.


Inspirational events change lives Villiers High School was a leader on this initiative, sending 100’s of students to experience university life in some form. Feedback from former participants indicates that their lives would now be very different if they had not had the opportunity to experience inspirational events such as summer schools and taster days, master classes and lectures. At Villiers we know how invaluable outreach programmes are in linking with universities and industry, and in showing our students what the world has to offer, and how to make sense of what they learn in class in real life situations. This cannot be done without parents’ encouragement, and for this we would like to extend our thanks.


Maximising impact of support AccessHE/LondonHigher works with a


select number of HEI’s (Higher Education Institutions) in and around London. Sixth form transition and outreach programmes have been carefully designed to maximise their impact on those most in need of support, including staff/teacher CPD (Continuing Professional Development) opportunities.


Aspiration to aim high Funding allows for only a limited number


of schools to participate in the AccessHE scheme. Villiers is one; reason being our reputation for fully embracing externally sourced programmes, projects and activities to inspire your children to aim high and achieve, gain confidence, make informed decisions and have realistic hopes.


Potential to commit and achieve Every student who accepts an opportunity onto the AccessHE Scheme is expected to commit to it. It is our belief that they have the potential to enter into university based on their attainment, aspiration and predictions. Watch for further information


about


the AccessHE programme in next term’s newsletter and on the school’s website including communication regarding the selection of your child onto a particular programme. Please support and encourage them, and contact Karine Waldron if you require further information. Contact: kw198@villiers.ealing.sch.


uk or 0208 867 9062 (Direct line) AccessHE link.


Autumn 2011 Edition Issue 1 Mission Discovery team


Summer school 2011 participation continues to grow


SUMMER schools are proving to be winners for our students in experiencing university life firsthand. These residential or non residential events last from three days to one week. They are excellently run and coordinated by staff who feel passionately that if a young person has the potential of going to university, whose parents have not, they should have the opportunity to discover the thousands of degree courses on offer.


Extracurricular experiences a


winner Last July eight Year 9 students attended a hospitality and catering summer school at the University of West London, and two Year 11 post GCSE students attended a multi- media and psychology residential summer school at Middlesex University who reported that not only did they learn much about making music videos and the psychology behind music media, they were amazed at the extracurricular experiences on offer including BBQ’s every evening out on the lawns near the pool!


Robots, astronauts and street


theatre August saw four Year 9 and 10 students


attend a robotics summer school at Imperial College London, and nine Year 10 students attended the Mission Discovery summer school, organised by Exscitec and which was run by a team of NASA astronauts and personnel. Furthermore, two Year 10 students have been raving about their experience at the Central School of Speech and Drama summer school on street theatre. Read more about all these stories from the students themselves in next summer’s 2012 edition of the annual school magazine!


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