Marple Hall is celebrating the success of 21 students as they graduate from The Scholars Programme, a national university access programme.
Year 9 students at Marple Hall were encouraged to think and work independently across seven tutorials with a subject expert PhD researcher. During the programme, they learn about 'Digital Capitalism & Modern Society' and 'How (and why) to make a Brain Cell' and them completed a challenging final essay which was given a university-level grade.
The Scholars Programme, run by UK-wide university access charity The Brilliant Club, supports students aged 8-18 to develop the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to progress to the country's most competitive universities and succeed once there.
By bringing together two communities - PhD researchers and students - who might otherwise never interact with each other, young people can study innovative and inspiring topics that very few people have ever covered.
The Scholars Programme has helped students at Marple Hall to re-engage with learning and rebuild their confidence during a challenging period for education.
Beyond their graduation, these students have lots to look forward to because the programme has proven impact on university progression rates. For the fifth year running, independent UCAS evaluation has found that Scholars Programme graduates are almost twice as likely to progress to a competitive university compared with a group of students from similar backgrounds (44% vs. 28%).
Isobel commented on their experience:
"It was a really interesting experience, and I was able to immerse myself in a subject which I knew little about before. I learnt so much about neurodegenerative disease in particular, but the research skills I gained will go with me for the rest of my life."
Mr Ellis from Marple Hall said:
"What a fantastic opportunity for so many pupils to have! They have shown remarkable effort and determination to complete the course and submit work to such a high standard and have taken a great deal from the experience. We are very proud of their efforts. Congratulations!"
Susie Whigham, Interim CEO at The Brilliant Club, congratulated the pupils on their achievements:
"Congratulations to these outstanding students as they graduate from The Scholars Programme. They join a community of over 90,000 young people who have taken part in The Brilliant Club since 2011.
"Completing their final assignments was no doubt challenging, but it has shown that these students have a passion for learning and the knowledge to produce university-style work already. I hope they use these new skills through their education and continue their fantastic work."