Updates and Upcoming Events

Welcoming the new Advancing Access Team 

We’d like to take this opportunity to welcome the new Advancing Access team, Venita and Leah, who both joined the team in October 2023. A huge thank you to Paul and Fiona for all their work on Advancing Access over the past few years. We’re looking forward to developing the project going forward!

Venita is the Advancing Access Project Manager and has experience across the Education sector including within widening access and participation in Higher Education, Careers Education within schools and colleges as well as Higher and Degree Apprenticeships. 

Leah is the Advancing Access Project Assistant. She has previously worked within the University of York Access & Outreach team, giving her experience within Higher Education and the Russell Group.

To get in touch with us, please contact us here. 

How to engage with Advancing Access materials as a Teacher or Adviser

We have a bank of free CPD resources which offer information and guidance that will support you in guiding your students’ progression to Russell Group Universities. Engaging with our CPD resources can contribute to achieving the Gatsby Benchmarks.

Our CPD resources can be used in two ways: 

• You can request live online or in-person sessions for you and your colleagues which can be delivered by experts from one of our Russell Group universities.
• Our resource directory features a range of webinars and resources to guide you in supporting your students. These are readily accessible by your school or college. 

Connect with us:

Advancing Access offers a dialogue between universities and schools and colleges. Here are a few ways you can engage with us and easily access information shared by Russell Group universities: 

• Complete this form to shape our future conferences. What do you want to know more about from Russell Group universities that will support your learners?
• Sign up to our mailing list to receive our termly newsletter. These provide an overview of up-and-coming events and opportunities to get involved in. 
• Connect with us on Twitter/X and  LinkedIn. We will be making greater use of these platforms to support you in quickly accessing information from Russell Group Universities. You are welcome to share relevant opportunities to your learners.

Upcoming opportunities and events to look out for

• Annual Project Statistics Report – This report will be published in December 2023 and will offer an insight into how Advancing Access has helped schools and colleges to support their students to reach the UK’s most competitive universities.
• Virtual Conference for Teachers and Advisers – March 2024 (Dates to be confirmed). This online event will host webinars delivered by university staff members and an exhibition hall where you can chat with a representative from each of the 24 Russell Group universities. More information to follow. 
• Teachers’ and Advisers’ Conferences – Summer 2024 (Dates and locations to be confirmed). These events enable teachers and advisers to learn more about the Russell Group universities. Attendees will learn more about the experiences that their students will have at these universities as well as the applications and admissions process.