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HE+ supports under-represented students in 5 regions of England as they prepare to apply to university. The HE+ programme has been running for over 13 years. We have worked with around 30,000 students since the programme launched.
How the HE+ Programme works
Cambridge and its Colleges work together with groups of state schools and colleges to form local consortia in the 5 regions. These consortia work in partnership to identify students from under-represented areas and backgrounds who have the potential to study at highly selective universities.
Currently, HE+ operates in the following areas of England.
- North West:
- Manchester Central
- Merseyside
- Preston
- Rochdale
- Wigan and Warrington
- North East:
- Tyneside
- Yorkshire and the Humber:
- Bradford
- Leeds and Wakefield
- West Midlands:
- Coventry
- Stoke
- Worcestershire
- South West:
- Bristol
- Somerset
What the HE+ Programme offers
The programme is a year-long initiative running from the autumn to summer terms of Year 12. A comprehensive programme of online and in-person support will be available to participants.
For many participants, we also offer a fully funded visit to Cambridge. This allows them to experience university life and meet our students.
Module 1: Preparing for university
Students attend information, advice, and guidance sessions. These are designed to:
- support your university decision-making
- help navigate the application process
- transition to university life and learning methods
Module 2: Learning beyond the curriculum
Students attend a variety of lectures delivered by PhD students at the University of Cambridge.
They will also take part in mock seminar sessions led by a current University of Cambridge student.
Module 3: HE+ Project
Students take part in the HE+ Project. They'll also develop an academic research poster for entry into the National HE+ Project Competition.
Students will receive written feedback on their work from a University of Cambridge student.
Aims of the programme
The HE+ programme aims to develop participants':
- knowledge and awareness of the benefits of higher education
- capacity to navigate the university application process
- ability to make informed choices about higher education
- subject knowledge through access to mock seminars and lectures
The main aims of the programme are linked to the Know, Choose and Understand pillars of the Network Evaluating and Researching University Participation Interventions NERUPI framework.
Who can take part
Students must be attending one of our HE+ partner schools to take part. They must also be academically able to make a competitive application to highly selective universities.
We prioritise students who:
- have experienced educational disadvantage
- belong to a group that is statistically less likely to progress to higher education
We don't consider applications from individual students outside of our partner schools.
Information for teachers about joining the programme
We are not currently looking to expand the programme into new regions.
If your school is in one of the regions that we operate in, you can express interest in joining the programme. Contact the HE+ Team on heplus@admin.cam.ac.uk.
We are keen to build relationships with state schools that have:
- a record of high achieving students
- an above national average percentage of students in receipt of Free School Meals
- an above national average percentage of students who live in IMD or SEISA quintiles 1 and 2
- a history of low progression rates to Oxford and Cambridge
- a history of low progression rates to highly-selection higher education institutions
Contact us
If you are a teacher or school leader interested in becoming involved with the HE+ programme, contact heplus@admin.cam.ac.uk