The Brilliant Club 2023

Posted at 2:09 pm on 7th February, 2023

Students Embark on University Programme

A new cohort of Wellacre students have embarked on The Scholars Programme, co-ordinated by The Brilliant Club, the UK-wide university access charity. 

Every year, Wellacre students are invited to take part in the programme to tackle challenging courses on subjects beyond the curriculum, taught by PhD tutors. This year’s cohort of Year 7 and 8 students will be studying the topic "Through the Looking Glass: An Introduction to Literary theory" and will experience university-style learning in small tutorial groups. 

The programme also includes two visits to a partnered university, selected from the most competitive across the UK. Teacher of English, Mrs Barnes, accompanied students on their visit to the University of Sheffield for the launch event on 25th February.  They experienced a full day on campus which included: a tour of the facilities; participated in a ‘thinking deeply’ session so that they could critically evaluate the role of the United Nations and gained an insight into student life by questioning Student Ambassadors from the university.

Mrs Barnes, Teacher of English said:

“All the students fully immersed themselves in the day and it was my pleasure to see how motivated they were. I look forward to supporting them in their tutorials and writing their dissertation. The students will gain a range of skills and reinforce learning strategies - it’s an inspiring programme to be a part of!”

Year 7 Jack, said:

“The visit to the University of Sheffield was inspiring; now that I've been to university and seen how it all works I’m more self-assured about it!  The first tutorial was interesting too, I wasn’t afraid to put my hand up and get involved in the discussion.”

Fellow student George, Year 8, said: “ It was great to see what it is actually like to be at university,” and Noah, Year 8, added: “The visit inspired me to push towards going to university.”

In school, tutorials have begun and will continue on a weekly basis; students will use theory to speculate and contemplate on literature, and the possibility of reading texts in different ways.  Their PhD Tutor will offer guidance and support as they work on their assignments. 

Mr Pemberton, Vice Principal for Welfare and Wellbeing, said:

“This is a challenging but rewarding programme for our young students; it offers them the opportunity to build their skills and confidence including critical thinking, written communication and ultimately, university self-efficacy. They really enjoyed the visit to Sheffield and are excited about getting started on their assignment tutorials.”