In this section, teachers and advisors from across Derbyshire talk about the impact of outreach as they reflect on the experiences within their field and the influence it's had on their careers. Jump straight to their stories.
Daniel Pikett - Careers Leader at West Park School
West Park School participated in various UoD activities in 2023, all of which were varied and well-executed. These included:
- Year 8 Why Go?
- Year 10 Taster Day
- Year 9 Post 16 & 18 Pathways
- Year 10 Think, Reflect & Succeed
Working with the University this way helps to support people who might not have traditionally entered higher education, or might not wish to do so, meet people from University and hear first-hand experiences of what life is like in HE. Through an ‘outreach’ approach, UoD has gone above and beyond by discussing myriad pathways and experiences not solely linked to UoD in specific sessions- this felt impartial and an approach we like at West Park School.
There have been a lot of enjoyable moments working with the University, the first being Aaron and the team. They are accessible and consistent, which makes the consultation and planning process efficient and SMART.
Secondly, the programmes are diverse and provide advice and information about and experience of higher education, whilst raising awareness and expectations, removing barriers, and creating pathways.
Thirdly, working with other people and communities more widely is critical to creating a Careers service that is more varied, tailored to each individual's needs, and works for everyone. Many of our disabled learners already face challenges at school due to their disabilities. Online learning can also prove challenging for some neurodiverse learners, so having someone face-to-face was superb. UoD recognises the need for resources to be inclusive and accessible to all students- even bringing along neurodiverse volunteers.
Working with others is critical to developing our Careers provision at West Park School and during my time working in outreach, I've had a wide array of opportunities to develop my collaboration skills. Collaboration has improved how our education systems work together and problem-solves concerns arising when planning. This has led me to be more innovative, have efficient processes, and have increased success because of the broad reach and impact the sessions have had on the different year groups.
As a result of this success, in particular that of the UoD, I intend to join them next year- writing them into our careers curriculum. My employer trusts that I can deliver safe trips for our pupils and has suggested this increase in the new academic year, and I plan to participate in further activities in the 2023/2024 term.
Gina Heatley, Usui Reiki Master Teacher and Spiritual Coach at Healing with Gina
Back in my sixth-form days, I wasn’t one of those young adults who knew exactly what she wanted to do in life. I was fascinated with human behaviour and hoped my grades would be good enough to get me into university. My A-level results varied not only in topic but in grades, from A’s and B’s in subjects such as Sociology and English Literature where I could debate and discuss, to a D in Biology.
When it came to looking at universities, I sought a campus with an inclusive community and a flexible degree programme with varying subjects and leeway on the acceptance grades required. I wanted to continue studying German but every university I found only offered that language as a standalone degree. When I saw that the University of Derby had a degree programme in any language with Business Psychology, I reached out. Unable to make the Open Day, a member of the University’s Aim Higher (AH) programme (now the Widening Access team) arranged a visit for me and my parents with a guided tour and introductions with lecturers and some of the students.
Although no-one else I knew from my sixth form near Northampton was attending Derby, the guidance, advice and people I met showed me the kind of supportive environment I’d be joining to continue my studies away from home. In my second year at Derby, I ended up joining the Aim Higher (AH) programme as a mentor to prospective students going into schools and colleges to answer their questions and concerns about university life and sharing my own experiences. My three years at Derby were fantastic and gave me the skills and life experience I’d need for my next big life challenge after completing my degree programme: living in China.
In my final semester at the University, a member of the AH team put me in touch with a partnership programme between the University, Rolls-Royce and China Civil Aviation Colleges to teach English in China for six months. In the summer that I completed my degree, I moved to Shanghai and from there my life truly changed. I spent 11 years working and living in China, my first two years as an English teacher, followed by seven years at an innovation company, which saw me managing projects and training teams from multinational businesses all over Asia in creative thinking and application, and my final two years as an alternative medicine coach.
From Shanghai I moved to Italy and then settled in France where I launched my holistic healing practice, delivering private coaching and alternative medicine treatments to people all over the world. I often joke that if I had known I’d live anywhere but Germany, I might have chosen a language I'd use, but thankfully things turned out the way they did. Life at Derby paved the way for me to follow my passions and say yes to opportunities which, in turn, opened doors that I never even knew existed.
David Jenkins, Careers Lead at Ormiston Ilkeston Enterprise Academy
Our school is located in an area where many young people dismiss the idea of going to university. Many students wouldn’t consider it an option and many more don’t believe it’s something achievable for them.
One of the primary aims of our Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) strategy is to get our students to explore all possibilities and realise the many options they may not be aware of exist, as well as reconsider options they think they might not enjoy or be able to aspire to.
Working alongside the University of Derby’s Widening Access Programme has started to develop a dialogue about all the potential pathways at Post-16 and beyond, which we can continue to build on throughout a student’s time in school.
The Post-16 Pathways workshop was hosted online, due to Covid-19 restrictions, by the Widening Access team at Derby, and our Year 9 students were able to interact throughout the session. This was well structured and introduced all the main options to students. Students enjoyed being able to ask questions in the online chat and were able to get specific advice about their future ideas.
This session also addressed the option of university. This will have made students think about whether university may be right for them and we will follow this up with further explorations of life at university.
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