Current Partner Schools (Introduction to Healthcare Programmes)

The Keith Bradshaw Introduction to Healthcare programme is designed to increase students' awareness of the various careers within the healthcare sector. Working with students in Years 8, 9 and 10 from schools within the West Midlands, the programme aims to educate young people about opportunities within healthcare and the importance of achieving the right GCSE grades in order to pursue them.

Students will take part in interactive science sessions delivered by Aston University staff, Aston University students and healthcare professionals from across the region. Students will get an insight into science in the real world, the variety of careers within the NHS and develop an understanding of the importance of their GCSEs when making their future choices.

There will be a hybrid approach to the delivery of our sessions. This will include a mixture of in-school and online sessions, alongside scheduled visits to Aston University's campus. Specific delivery notes for each event can be found in the sections below.

Students who graduate from the Introduction to Healthcare programme will also be eligible to apply to one of our popular Pathway to the Professions Programmes when they start Year 12.

Who is eligible for the programme?

Partner Schools must be located within the West Midlands. In addition, they must be located in a POLAR 4, Quintile 1 or 2 area.

Students must also meet at least one of the following widening participation criteria to be eligible:

• Live in a POLAR 4, Quintile 1 or 2 area
• Come from a home where neither parent has attended a university in the UK or abroad
• Have a disability or are in receipt of a personal independence payment
• Is a care leaver or has experience of being looked after by a local authority
• Have been in receipt of free school meals at any point over the last three years
• Belong to any of the following groups: Gypsy, Roma, Traveller communities, refugees, children of military families

What is included in the programme?

A summary of activities for each year group can be found under the dropdowns below.

Please be aware when applying that the Introduction to Healthcare programme is a 'progressive pathway’:

• Students who join the programme are expected to continue on the programme from the start (from year 8 in most schools) all the way through to completion of the programme in year 10. 
   
• A maximum of 20 students should be selected from each year group (60 students total).

As such, in applying for the programme, you are applying for all activities involved and agree to the expectation that students from within the selected group attend all sessions in their year’s portion of the programme as well as for any subsequent years. By applying for the year 9 and/or 10 portions of the programme, you are confirming that if your school participated in the year 8 and/or 9 portions last year, you will be putting forward the same students that attended those events. If schools are likely to experience any issues with this, they should contact us to discuss with the team.

Activities for all year groups will begin in October 2023 and finish by the end of June 2024. Please see the information tabs below for further details on activities organised by year group.

Year 8

Activity Overview:

Year 8 Science in Real Life Workshop (In School) – A more in-depth look at how Science affects our everyday lives, perfect for students with a developing interest in STEM. Students will receive an introduction to how scientific principals can be applied to the world around us and will take part in an interactive forensic investigation activity to put their learning into context.

• Year 8 workshops will take place for 1 hour in schools between October 2023 and March 2024. Schools are to indicate on the application form their top preferred time of year where they can host both this workshop and a year 9 workshop (for 1 hour) on the same day. The Pathway Team will then be in touch to agree a final date and suitable times for the workshops.
   
• Please note, we cannot accept requests for Wednesday sessions due to the limited availability of the Pathway Team. If schools are likely to experience any issues with this, they should contact us to discuss with the team in the first instance.

Year 8 Lab Experience Day (Aston University Campus) – An on-campus experience to give students a taste of university. An exciting insight into how labs are used at university, how they differ between subjects and their application in the wider world of science and healthcare. Students’ will get up-close-and-personal with Aston’s labs and take part in hands-on activities, as well as receiving a campus tour to learn how students balance living and studying on campus from our current student ambassadors.

The Lab Experience Days will take place W/C 17th June 2024. Exact Dates TBC.

Year 9

Activity Overview:

Year 9 University, Careers and the NHS Workshop (In School) – In the Autumn Term at your school, students will learn about the journey into higher education and explore their own educational choices through a variety of interactive activities, before taking a look at the wide range of NHS careers that their choices could lead them to.

Year 9 Outbreak Experience Workshop (In School) – In the Spring Term at your school, students will build on their existing knowledge of NHS Careers by exploring how a pandemic affects different teams within the NHS and the contributions different departments make to combat outbreaks. Students will play the part of an NHS budget holder and will decide which departments receive additional funding after hearing pitches from a range of professions within the healthcare sector.

A hands-on session that requires group work and problem solving, allowing students to put all their learning on the programme so far into practice!

NB: one of the above workshops should take place on the same day as the ‘Year 8 Science in Real Life Workshop’ wherever possible (if applicable to your school). Please contact us if any issues are expected.

Year 10

Activity Overview:

Our primary offer for year 10 students is our Academic Tutoring programme.

If this option is selected, students will attend four tutoring sessions led by current undergraduates which will take place via our virtual teaching platform Blackboard Collaborate on designated Wednesday afternoons from either 2pm – 3pm or 3pm – 4pm. There will also be two longer sessions on Aston University’s campus at the beginning and end of tutoring so that students can meet their tutor, complete pre and post-tutoring assessments and take part in study skills sessions.

However, the Pathway team appreciate that this may not be a viable option for all schools. Therefore, schools can also opt to have the study skills sessions mentioned above delivered in their schools at dates and times which suit them. If this option is selected, the Pathway Team will be in touch to confirm the details.

Schools can select for your students to attend either Academic Tutoring (in Science or Maths) OR Study Skills Sessions via the Partner School Confirmation Form emailed to their school contact(s).

You can find out more information about both options below:

Academic Tutoring in Science or Maths

As key subjects in university applications to medicine and healthcare courses, students who apply to participate in tutoring will receive small-group support in their choice of either Science or Maths GCSE. Tutors are current Aston University students who have studied these subjects themselves. Sessions will be tailored to help students raise their academic attainment and improve their confidence ahead of their exams and transition to post-16 education.

The Academic Tutoring programme will consist of the following sessions. You can find the dates in the ‘Timeline of Tutoring Sessions’ table below:

Academic Tutoring Launch (Aston University Campus):

• Students will receive an induction presentation, detailing how and when sessions will be conducted, and what the purposes of tutoring are (i.e., to improve attainment, confidence, and to learn skills to improve their revision).
   
• They will then get to meet their mentor before completing their pre-tutoring assessment, which helps us to establish areas where they are more confident and those where they may need some support. This will allow mentors to customise their tutoring sessions ahead of the first online session in November. Students will also take part in a study-skills workshop exploring different learning techniques to make their revision as effective as possible.

Online Academic Tutoring Sessions (In School):

• Alongside their launch date, students will have scheduled tutoring sessions in either GCSE Maths or Science taking place on the following dates online. These sessions will take place virtually either during school hours, or as part of an after-school club, via our online teaching platform Blackboard Collaborate. Earphones for all students will be provided free of charge from the Pathway Team.

Introduction to Healthcare Graduation (Aston University Campus):

• After their online tutoring sessions have been completed, students will attend an Introduction to Healthcare Graduation event held at Aston University.
   
• During the Graduation session, they will complete their post-tutoring assessment to see how much they have progressed over the programme and identify areas for further improvement post-tutoring. They will also take part in a second study skills workshop exploring techniques on how to keep motivated and develop good time-management to maintain a sense of well-being in the lead-up to exam season.
   
• Students will then learn about events they can get involved with at Aston University in the future, including our Year 12 Pathway to the Professions programmes which will allow them to learn more about university and the subjects they enjoy the most.
   
• Finally, they will take part in a mini-graduation ceremony celebrating all they have achieved whilst on the Introduction to Healthcare programme.

Timeline of Tutoring Sessions

Please note, attendance at all tutoring events is required. If students miss more than two of the below, they may be removed from the programme.

We recommend that schools who cannot commit to a 2pm – 3pm or 3pm – 4pm timeslot for their tutoring sessions opt to have Study Skills Sessions rather than Academic Tutoring via their Partner School Confirmation Form emailed to their school contact(s).

Session Name	Date	Time	Location
Academic Tutoring Launch (Including Pre-Tutoring Exam & Study Skills Workshop 1)	11th October 2023	10am - 2pm	Aston University
Tutoring Session 1	15th November 2023	2pm - 3pm OR 3pm - 4pm	Online (In School)
Tutoring Session 2	6th December 2023	2pm - 3pm OR 3pm - 4pm	Online (In School)
Tutoring Session 3	24th January 2024	2pm - 3pm OR 3pm - 4pm	Online (In School)
Tutoring Session 4	21st February 2024	2pm - 3pm OR 3pm - 4pm	Online (In School)
Academic Tutoring Graduation (Including Post-Tutoring Exam, Study Skills Workshop 2 & Mini-Graduation Ceremony)	13th March 2024	10am - 2pm	Aston University

 

Study Skills Sessions

Study Skills Sessions (In School)

If your school has selected to take part in study skills sessions, students will receive 2 hour-long sessions in your school on the following topics:

• Learning Styles and Techniques: This session is designed to help students discover how they learn best and give them some top tips for their future revision. They will discover different learning styles including Visual, Auditory (Listening), Reading and Writing and Kinaesthetic (Practical-based / hands-on learning), otherwise known as VARK styles. They will also get to try different revision methods based off the VARK styles to see which style suits them best!
   
• Time Management and Wellbeing: This session is designed to help students plan ahead for their year 11 revision and also maintain their wellbeing. They will learn why it is so important to keep track of their revision and how to make a revision timetable that is personal to them. They will also explore different relaxation techniques to maintain their wellbeing during this time.

Sessions can take place on dates and times that suit your school. If this option is selected via the Partner School Confirmation Form emailed to their school contact(s), the Pathway Team will be in touch to confirm the details.

What Does It Mean To Be A Partner?

Our partners have access to all activities across the programme, all of which include follow-up resources to help encourage students to consolidate what they have learned about whilst on the programme.

Partners will have a dedicated contact at Aston University, who will support and coordinate all programme activity.

Please note, all learning resources for the Introduction to Healthcare sessions will be completely funded by the programme. Travel costs will also be provided within reason wherever possible.

Who Will Deliver The Programme?

Aston University Pathway Team staff have designed and developed all aspects of the programme and will deliver all on-campus sessions and in-school workshops. Introduction to Healthcare tutors will deliver all online tutoring sessions, with regular support from the Pathway team.

Introduction to Healthcare Tutors are current Aston University students who have been successful in their application and interview to be part of the programme. All tutors will be fully DBS checked and tutor information will be sent to schools in advance.

Any queries?

Please contact the Introduction to Healthcare Lead Lydia Runham.