Our partners

We are involved in the Advancing Access partnership which provides a variety of CPD resources, online events and offline conferences for teachers and advisers to help them support students’ progression to leading universities. Advancing Access can deliver free CPD sessions in your school or college and provides advice and information to help you to support young people making their key stage 4, key stage 5 and university choices.

We support the delivery of The Scholars Programme which recruits, trains and places doctoral and post-doctoral researchers in state schools to deliver programmes of academic enrichment to small groups of pupils. Through a combination of university trips, in-school tutorials and online resources, the programme supports pupils aged 10-18 to develop the knowledge, skills and ambition needed to progress to highly-selective universities.

To find out more, visit the Brilliant Club website.

Careerpilot is a free to use website aimed at students between the ages of 11 and 18 to give them information on their future choices. It provides information on a range of topics including jobs sectors, level 3 and 4 courses and FE and HE providers in the South West.

‌There are also a series of free resources and classroom activities for teachers and advisers to use with their students. Students have the opportunity to map their skills, helping them to see their current potential and identify their strengths. All of the resources can be found on the adviser pages of the Careerpilot website.

We are proud to be one of the founding partners of The Elephant Group – a partnership between schools and universities working across regional hubs in London and Yorkshire to support students’ aspirations, attainment and applications into top third universities.

We use our collective knowledge and expertise to offer a high-quality, data-driven and flexible programme to ensure target students access to the most selective universities. Elephant Access provides a ‘minimum entitlement’ of 16 activities and experiences for students, providing resources, guidance and content to support schools with in-house delivery where most appropriate. Activities include day conferences, a residential summer school in Year 12, course application guidance, preparation for university admissions tests, trips and other experiences to broaden students’ horizons.

To find out more, visit The Elephant Group website.

HELOA is the professional association of staff in higher education who work in the field of education liaison and provide guidance and information to prospective higher education students, their families and advisers. Members work in a wide range of functions within universities, covering areas of schools and colleges liaison, student recruitment, widening participation, external relations, marketing, publications and publicity and student services. The University is represented at the regional South West group.

To find out more, visit the HELOA website.

in2science UK was founded in 2010 by Rebecca McKelvey, who aimed to provide young people from low income backgrounds an opportunity to gain practical insight into the STEM sector as well as the knowledge and confidence to progress to University. Since 2019 the University of Exeter has been working with in2science to provide summer work experience placements to eligible students from across the south west wanting to find out more about careers in STEM.

To find out more visit the in2science website.

We are a partner with IntoUniversity which provides academic and mentoring support for children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. We co-fund the charity’s Bristol South Centre along with Bristol and Bath Universities. The Centre has so far supported around 3,000 young people and their families.

To find out more, visit the IntoUniversity website.

NNECL is a registered charity that provides advice, guidance and support to those who are working with care-experienced young people and care leavers to encourage the improvement of services for care leavers.

The National Strategy Group (NSG) forms a link between educational providers, their networks and national organisations and agencies. The National Strategy Group consists of nominated regional representatives from further or higher education and members of national organisations committed to the progression and support of Care Leavers. The University of Exeter represents the South West at the National Strategy Group.

To find out more, visit the NNECL website.

National Education Opportunities Network (NEON)

NEON is the professional organisation supporting those involved in widening access to higher education (HE). NEON enables those working to widen access to HE at all levels and in all sectors to affect change in their own organisations and communities. At the heart of NEON is a cross-sector approach bringing together HE institutions (HEIs), schools, colleges, the voluntary sector, professional bodies and employers.

NEON is hosted by London Higher, the representative organisation for universities in London. NEON is an independent non-state funded organisation. NEON runs an annual symposium and the University of Exeter will be hosts to this in June 2021.

To find out more, visit the NEON website.

Next Steps South West (NSSW) is a collaboration of fourteen partner universities and colleges throughout Cornwall, Devon and Somerset funded by the Office for Students (OfS). As part of the Office for Students’ Uni Connect Programme, we help young people navigate their own personal journey to higher education. Across the region, we deliver events and activities designed to educate and inspire young people aged 13-19 years old, and those that influence them, such as parents and carers. The University of Exeter delivers activities and programmes from its campuses in Exeter and Penryn.

To find out more, visit the Next Steps website.

Realising Opportunities (RO) is a unique collaboration of 16 leading research-intensive universities working together to promote fair access and social mobility of students from groups underrepresented in higher education. The programme provides support during post-16 studies to develop the skills to be successful at university.

The University of Exeter was one of the founding members of RO which was first created in 2010 and has continued to develop and evolve since its creation with new universities joining the partnership throughout.

To find out more visit the Realising Opportunities website.

Pathways to Law is an innovative and exciting programme, which provides fantastic opportunities for sixth form students who are interested in law. Jointly managed and funded by The Sutton Trust, Pathways is offered at 13 UK universities, including the University of Exeter. The programme targets high-achieving students in state schools and colleges who will be the first generation in their family to attend university, and aims to raise their aspirations and provide them with the skills and confidence to pursue a successful legal career.

Pathways to Law takes place over 15 months and involves academic and skills sessions, visits to legal institutions, a work experience component, residential opportunity and on-line mentoring by current law undergraduates. Recruitment for Exeter Pathways to Law is facilitated through our Exeter Scholars programme.

The South West Academic Trust is a partnership of leading grammar schools in the South West and the University of Exeter. Our vision is to work together to raise achievement and aspiration within participating schools and across the region.

The involvement of the University of Exeter as a research-intensive university creates opportunities for research and practice to come together to inform further developments in teaching and learning. The University also supports the Trust schools and the partner community schools in their efforts to prepare students for transition to higher education.

The Directors meet on a termly basis to aid collaboration across the Trust. The University hosts the annual Teaching and Learning Conference for teachers which normally takes place in June.

To find out more, visit the South West Academic Trust website.

Uni4Me is a partnership of over 50 higher education organisations led by the National Education Opportunities Network (NEON). The organisation wants to ensure that all learners, whatever their backgrounds, have equal access to higher education and supports them to achieve their potential. The University of Exeter is a partner within this programme and regularly promotes activities and events through the platform.

Find out more on their website.