Celebrating 10 years in the West Midlands with Ormiston Forge Academy and Imperial College London
At first glance, the gathering of pupils, parents, staff, and alumni at Ormiston Forge Academy on 8 July might have appeared like the usual end of term school celebrations. But this particular event was so much more than that.
Staff from Imperial College London and the team from The Access Project were delighted to join the Ormiston Forge Academy school community to celebrate an amazing 10 years running the programme in the West Midlands. Recognising the need to address the regional disparity between access to top universities for young people from under-resourced areas in London and in other parts of England, this educational partnership between Ormiston Forge Academy and The Access Project blazed the trail as the first partnership outside of London.
The impact of partnership working
Since that time, staff from The Access Project have supported an incredible 175 high potential students from Ormiston Forge Academy through mentoring, tutoring and student enrichment opportunities, including visits to top universities. As a result of this support, 70 of these students were successful in gaining a place at university, with over 40 young people securing a place at a recognised top third university, including Oxbridge.
In 2020, the team at Imperial College London, equally passionate about increasing access to university to students from underrepresented backgrounds, came on board. Both The Access Project and Ormiston Forge Academy have been delighted to receive this support, which demonstrates the importance of this partnership and a commitment to increasing social mobility within the West Midlands.
And what about the students from Ormiston Forge Academy? In last year’s student survey run by The Access Project, 94% of pupils stated that The Access Project programme has made them feel more positive about their future, 92% said that they feel more knowledgeable about university, and 90% feel more motivated to attend a top university.
Working together
Dr Lisa Mason, Principal of Ormiston Forge Academy, spoke at the event about the school’s journey with The Access Project, which began when she was Head of Sixth Form and went on a day trip to London to see the work of The Access Project. She summarised the last 10 years by saying, “It is so clear the positive impact that The Access Project makes. You see it in the success stories of our students, how they carry themselves, their achievements.”
Silje Andersen, Partnerships and Projects Manager – Outreach, at Imperial College London, added, “Celebrating a decade of The Access Project at Ormiston Forge Academy reminded us why partnerships like this truly matter. At Imperial College London, we support students to explore science, build confidence, and see themselves in futures they may not have previously considered. It was a privilege to meet some of the students involved and to be part of their journey by delivering practical science experiments in the school. We look forward to seeing more of these talented young people in the future – whether at Forge or at Imperial.”
Anna Searle, CEO of The Access Project, summarised the celebrations by saying, “I was delighted to celebrate this fantastic milestone with the dedicated school team at Ormiston Forge Academy, and to meet current students. We were honoured to be joined by Imperial College, London, who ran a practical session with a Year 10 group ahead of the celebrations. It was a pleasure to join the school leadership team at the event, including the Principal and the Chair of The Board of Governors, along with the Chair of The Access Project’s Advisory Council, Matthew Clarke. Matthew has been a volunteer tutor with The Access Project for 11 years and last year was a volunteer maths tutor for a Year 10 student at Ormiston Forge Academy.
Ten years ago, we had seen the impact our programme was making in London, and we knew that, with partners who shared our ambition and values, we could, and should, expand this programme to have a similar impact in other parts of the country. We couldn’t have found a better partner than Ormiston Forge Academy and we are truly grateful to the team for embarking on this incredible ten-year journey with us. We look forward to many more years of making an impact together to deliver our shared mission and ambition of supporting young people to achieve their potential.”
The Access Project helps young people from under-resourced backgrounds to achieve their academic potential and place at top universities. By donating to our programme, you’re helping the country’s most under-resourced young people find their way to a brighter future.