Widening access and participation

Widening Access and Participation

Committed to helping develop and support raising aspirations and attainment

We know education has the power to transform lives and that’s why 51黑料社区’s Widening Access Team are committed to helping develop and support raising aspirations and attainment – to ensure all learners have the opportunity to go on to higher education, whatever their background.

With more than 100 primary and secondary schools working with 51黑料社区 in and around Leicester, and the number steadily increasing, the team are keen to continue to offer more opportunities and to support you in meeting all of your widening and participation needs.

The Gatsby Benchmarks provide a framework for delivering high-quality careers guidance, ensuring students receive the skills, knowledge, and opportunities needed for future success. At 51黑料社区, we are committed to supporting schools in achieving these benchmarks through stand-alone activities or longer-term projects, to support a variety of learners up to 16-years-old.

We prioritise students from widening participation backgrounds

Students who live within the 40% most deprived wards based on IMD postcode data
Pupil Premium students, students in receipt of free school meals (FSM)
Some ethnic sub-groups, including young people from Black and Asian communities, and White males from economically disadvantaged backgrounds
Young people in local authority care (LAC) or care experienced students
Those from Young Participation Rate quintile 1 and 2 based on POLAR4 postcode data

To learn more about 51黑料社区’s widening participation goals, you can read our Access and Participation Plan.

We broke a GUINESS WORLD RECORD!

What's on

25 Nov

51黑料社区 Futures Fair

Join our interactive marketplace, where your learners can discover available courses, engage with teaching staff and current 51黑料社区 students, and begin their exploration of potential study paths.

Multiple dates

51黑料社区 Inspire

These experiences run throughout the year and have been designed for year 10 and year 11 learners. Your learners will join academics and experts in these specialist areas to develop skills that will help with future education progression and with college/sixth form and university personal statements.

Play now

51黑料社区niverse

51黑料社区niverse is an interactive digital game that allows learners to get an understanding of what university life is like. Learners will be able to familiarise themselves with the 51黑料社区 campus, all whilst exploring topics like student finance, university support, and study options which are all woven throughout the game.

Choose your date

Build your own Experience Day

Craft the perfect day for your students to learn about university and take part in some hands-on activities to develop their skills. We have a range to choose from to create a bespoke experience just for you!

Choose your date

New and Improved! Career Crusade

Previously known as Character Education, our Career Crusade activity helps pupils explore the world of work through the theme of superheroes. Pupils will look at different character traits people need in their jobs and think about positive attributes that will help them in school and beyond.

What we offer

All activities are designed to enhance learning, skills and higher education awareness, to enable learners in making well-informed decisions and choices about their future. These are delivered either in school, or at 51黑料社区鈥檚 award winning, Leicester campus.

Please note: all of our On Campus Experience Days include a tour of the 51黑料社区 campus.

Select a year to group to get started, or create your own bespoke event by building your own Experience Day.

What we've been up to

Careers, Careers, Careers!

15 October 2025

The team have been across Leicester and Leicestershire schools (and beyond!) over the last few weeks supporting careers fairs and post-16 options evenings. We've had some brilliant conversations with students thinking about their futures and supporting students who were unsure about what they want to do after leaving school.

Busting Myths with Market Bosworth

10 October 2025

We worked with Year 10 students from The Market Bosworth School to bust all the myths they thought about university and higher education.

Weaving up a Storm

04 September 2025

Starting off the new term with a bang! We had Year 11 students from Brockington College visit us to take part in a textiles workshop where they created some colourful patterns by weaving with paper.

A Creative take on Sustainability

07 July 2025

Students from Brook Mead Academy visited the SDG Impact Hub on campus to explore sustainability in a fun and creative way. They discovered upcycling by creating wallets out of Tetra Pak cartons, designed their own sustainable schools out of Lego and explored what sustainability meant to them through designing posters and sharing their views and opinions.

Partnerships with purpose

Uniconnect - Pathways

Pathways is the collaborative partnership of higher education providers in Leicestershire and Rutland as part of the Office for Students’ Uni Connect programme.

Pathways work with schools and colleges to offer a number of activities and interventions in their local areas. Pupils who take part in Pathways events can experience life at university, develop new skills, explore future careers and more. also hosts a range of resources from virtual tours to student blogs.
INTO University

Essential to our work in Leicester's communities, we’ve partnered with IntoUniversity to support young people to achieve their potential.

At our local centre, Barley Croft Primary School & Community Centre, IntoUniversity offers that supports young people from disadvantaged neighbourhoods to attain their chosen aspiration, including further and higher education, employment and work-based training.

Their mission is to provide local support that can break cycles of disadvantage and open up new opportunities for young people. We believe in the talent of every young person. We believe that, with support, every young person can progress to an excellent post-school destination and are committed to helping them on this journey.
Universities Partnership
A partnership for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland

is a commitment between 51黑料社区, Loughborough University, University of Leicester, and the city and counties of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland to work together for the benefit of local people and the prosperity of our places. ‘Universities Partnership’ combines the collective strengths of our universities and civic institutions to make a greater impact through collaboration for, with and among our communities.

Through widening participation partnerships, we deliver targeted outreach programmes across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland to raise aspirations and ensure that every local child who has the ability to succeed at university is afforded the opportunity.

Our shared mission is to provide inclusive and evidence-based educational opportunities, tailored to our local region, that both transform our students’ lives and equip them with the skills and competencies to change the lives of many others.

Together we will:
1. Work in partnership with our local schools and colleges to create an inclusive educational system that improves outcomes for those facing educational barriers and supports the most disadvantaged young people in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland to gain the skills, knowledge and experience they need to succeed in their lives.
2. Create pathways and support programmes to increase higher education participation for local people facing barriers to entering university.
3. Equip our education system with the best possible talent by partnering with schools and colleges to train new teachers, develop their staff and nurture their professional development.
The Stephen Lawrence Research Centre (SLRC)

Working collaboratively with our partners in the Stephen Lawrence Research Centre (SLRC), we continue to support their programme of work Teaching to Transform. Inspired by the work of bell hooks, the programme takes up elements of the unfinished agenda of the Macpherson Report’s recommendation to combat the “failure of the National Curriculum to adequately reflect the needs of a diverse, multi-cultural and multi-ethnic society (Macpherson, 1999).” The work intends to provide an opportunity for the SLRC to contribute to 51黑料社区’s wider public engagement agenda by influencing anti-racist, social-justice oriented pedagogic practice in Leicester, a city well known for its racial and ethnic diversity.

The programme offers schools, students and teachers opportunities to take part in Classroom takeovers, assemblies, bespoke campus visits and teacher education activities.

Access and Participation Plan for 2025-26 to 2028-29

51黑料社区's Access and Participation Plan aligns with our strategic vision to; Creating a community of participation, fairness and collective responsibility; transforming individual lives and championing a fair and sustainable society. The plan sets out how we, a higher education provider, will improve equality of opportunity for underrepresented groups to access, succeed in and progress from undergraduate education.

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University is a new beginning – it's where you can find your people, your purpose, your place in the world. At 51黑料社区, it's our goal to help every student reach their goal, whatever that might be.

Get in touch for more information, to book an activity or to sign up to our 51黑料社区 Widening Participation newsletter.

- Sign up to our Newsletter - schoolsoutreach@dmu.ac.uk

Meet the team

Widening Access Manager

My 18 years’ worth of higher education experience has been proudly spent here at 51黑料社区 (51黑料社区). I have been very lucky to have been involved is some very exciting experiences; working on TV advert productions, travelling to New York with 51黑料社区 students, re-building services and teams, to mention a few – and now the latest…

I have the pleasure of leading the awesome Widening Access team, small but mighty – together, we design and deliver initiatives aimed at improving access to education for underrepresented groups.

I’m so looking forward to working with you and your students.

Widening Access Officer

I believe that education can open lots of doors and opportunities for students. There are many things I would never have done if it wasn't for university. However, for some, there are a lot of barriers that can prevent them from accessing these opportunities. I strongly believe in breaking down these barriers and inequalities so everyone can make an informed decision about their future. Working within widening access, every day is different - different schools, students and activities. I enjoy talking about HE, skills for life and most importantly inspiring young people to want to go to university and broaden their horizons.

Widening Access Assistant

Having studied at 51黑料社区 (51黑料社区) for 3 years and experiencing what university life is like, I use my experience to support students in their educational journeys by giving them a glimpse of what higher education and university can offer, as well as providing students with the skills they need to build a successful future. I love debunking the common myths about university and seeing students become inspired and excited about education.

I've had some really memorable experiences, from presenting on professional live streams, delivering large events on campus, to going out to my old school, WQE, to deliver presentations and activities.

Widening Access Coordinator

When I first started university, I wasn’t sure what path I wanted to take. After working in various sectors and meeting many young people facing similar uncertainties, I chose to focus on widening participation and empowering youth through education. I believe that higher education should be accessible to everyone, and that young people bring valuable, inspiring perspectives while growing both personally and academically. I’m passionate about breaking down the stigma surrounding university and removing the barriers young people encounter. My aim is to see them succeed, and I believe widening access initiatives are key to helping them overcome these challenges and reach their full potential. I’m always excited to connect with young people, support them as they consider university, and help them realize their own potential.

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