Skip to Navigation
Skip to content
Skip to login information

The Learning Grid

Partner Sites


Click here to visit the Auto Industry website

Click here to visit the EEMS website

Content

Back to top

  Headstart


arrowCase Study
line

 

Regions 2009:
England, Scotland, Wales


 Key Stage 5
  • 1,325 students from 620 schools took part in Headstart in 2007/08
  • Headstart started in 1994
    International TravelCourses also available in the USA
    Group SizeStudents apply on an individual basis
    Activity Type
    Cost£210 per student for courses, food and housing during the university stay
    Phone Number01707 871 505
    Emailsend email
    Websiteview website
     

    Year 12 / S5 students with an aptitude for mathematics or science spend up to a week at university prior to making their UCAS applications with the help of the Headstart summer school programme.

    Students live on campus for the week and are treated as first year undergraduates. They participate in practical problem-solving activities alongside lectures and presentations as well as getting the chance to visit local technology-based companies and to meet recent engineering graduates and prospective employers. There are international links for similar courses at universities in Colorado and Arizona, USA.

    Headstart engages hundreds of students in a preview of the world of science, engineering and technology. Four types of programme are available, with emphasis on different areas:

    • Broad-based courses – explore several different branches of science and engineering.
    • Focus courses – for students interested in one subject e.g. Chemistry, Civil, Aerospace.
    • Science courses – a range of courses concentrating on subjects including renewable energy, climate change, nanoscience and the global environment.
    • Insight – designed to encourage women to consider science, and engineering degrees and careers (www.insightcourses.org.uk).

    Some of the programmes include a Grapevine module – a showcase of careers information with talks from recent graduates.

    Headstart’s diversity programme includes a number of days designed for younger students: a) Dragonfly – an extra day where young women are invited to stay on and act as role models for younger students. b) Spectrum – for students from ethnic minorities to see how teams benefit from cultural diversity c) First Edition – a day especially useful for students who will be ‘first in family’ regarding Higher Education.

    Students benefit from seeing what it is like to study for an engineering, maths, science, design or technology degree at university and Headstart helps them decide which university to apply for as well. Student bursaries are also available in cases of need. Teachers receive guidance on the opportunities available to their students and are encouraged to hand out information on careers advice, sponsorship opportunities, vacation work and work placements.

    Headstart is run by the EDT, an independent educational charity, and is a member of The Royal Academy of Engineering’s Best Programme.

    Sponsors:

    Airbus, Areva-TD, AstraZeneca, BAE Systems, Balfour Beatty Construction (Northern) Ltd, BT, Centrica, Edmund Nuttall, Exxon-mobil, FKI plc, Garfield Weston Foundation, The Gatsy Charitable Foundation, GKN plc, GSK, Laing O’Rourke, Lloyds Register Educational Trust, Merchant Navy Training Board, National Grid, Royal Aeronautical Society, Royal Air Force, Royal Navy, Rolls Royce, Royal Academy of Engineering, Scottish Executive, Shell, Smiths Group, Taylor Woodrow, Thales, UK Resource Centre for Women in SET, Welsh Assembly Government, Women’s Engineering Society, WISE