Realising Their Potential: Children in Care Check Out Cambridge

This year’s October half-term, which coincided with National Care Leavers Week, saw 159 young people in care visit Cambridge for an experience of higher education.

24 local authorities got involved in the week, which kicked off with Debates Day, followed by Science Day and Humanities Day for students aged 15-18. 11-14 year olds were welcome to visit the University too, taking part in an arts-themed You-niversity day, as well as a Forensic Science Day the following week.

Only one in a hundred of the young people who have experience of the local authority care system succeed in winning a place at University.  The University of Cambridge is committed to changing this. The week’s events were part of ’Realise’ – a year-round programme at the collegiate University, tailored specifically to help raise the aspirations of young people in care and support them in their ambitions to attend University.

Khatija Hafesji works in the University’s Widening Participation team and has particular responsibility for the University’s work with looked-after children. "The work we do is designed to give young people in care opportunities to discover subjects they had never thought of before, meet others like them who share their aspirations of going to University, and hopefully leave Cambridge with a measure of confidence and a sense of possibility," she explains. "It was absolutely fantastic to see so many young people in care making discoveries and sharing their aspirations."

The half-term events included high-energy, interactive subject sessions suitable for all ages and abilities. The young people learnt about electricity using apples and Buddhist singing bowls, handled live snakes and owls in an effort to get their heads around evolution, argued persuasively and passionately over the legalisation of drugs in a debating workshop, created art work at the Kettles Yard museum, debated vigorously about sentencing and the London riots, analysed DNA to solve a murder mystery, and went on treasure hunts around the largest of Cambridge colleges.

Some of the participants are only just beginning to think about their options, including eleven-year-old Lydia from Suffolk who attended the You-niversity Day and returned just a week later to use genetics and fingerprinting to solve a murder mystery. Turning to a fellow participant at the end of the day, she said "I wish all of my lessons were like this!"

Bethany, fourteen, from Northamptonshire, is unsure of what she wants to study in the future. However she says, "The day really made me think of how hard people work and that I should work hard to do my GCSEs next year. I really like it here and want to come to University later on when I am eighteen."

Others, like Sharmin, also fourteen, who travelled from Luton to take part in the Forensic Science Day, know exactly what they want to do. Sharmin wants to be a doctor, "The visit has really inspired me", she said. "I want to come here and study." For these students, the days are an opportunity to see Cambridge as a University, talk to current students about their experiences, and to imagine themselves as a successful applicant. Sharmin ended the day much more confident in her ambition, "I have learnt a lot about Cambridge. I know more about the University and feel a lot more confident in my goals."

Each taster day includes a session on higher education. "The final session of the day is, from our perspective, absolutely integral to raising aspirations," says Khatija. "We use this time to give the young people concrete information about the routes to higher education, the qualifications needed, and draw on the experiences of our care leaver students to demonstrate that young people in care can achieve at the highest level."

Mohammad Razai, now a fourth-year medical student at Cambridge, came to the UK as a refugee from Afghanistan. He shared his story with a group of students, encouraging them not to set limits on their ambitions: "I have always felt incredibly well-supported at Cambridge. I feel part of a welcoming and very pleasant community. I came to this country from Afghanistan with nothing - if I can do it, you can too."

At least one session on each day is delivered by a University of Cambridge academic. Paul Elliot, a fellow at Selwyn College, has delivered several sessions for Realise, focusing on biology and biodiversity. He told the group of fifty young people attending the Science Day, "I want as many of you as possible to look around and think "I can apply here". I at this college and hopefully I will see many of you at in future!"

Asked why he gives up his time to contribute to Realise, Elliot explained: "I hope that activities like this will inspire these students, and encourage them to apply to Cambridge. Cambridge has always endeavoured to get the best students from any background, and today these kids have certainly been wonderful; we’d love to see them applying here in a few years!”

The events also include a look behind the scenes at one or more of the University’s Colleges. The College system means that, as well as being part of a large University, students are also part of a smaller College community that ensures its members are supported and valued. It’s one of the unique aspects of student life at Cambridge.

Each event is open to foster carers, school teachers, and members of local authority virtual schools. Khatija commented, "The level of foster carer involvement in these events has been phenomenal. A supportive foster who is positive about education can make all the difference to a young person in care."

Sabrina, a foster carer from Lambeth, was positive about the Science Day: "Whether the girls go for Cambridge or not, they now have a much better understanding of how it all works and what they need to do. As they have only been in the country for less than a year and came with zero English they needed that intensive input to help them with their options."

One foster carer, Sharron, who has accompanied eleven-year-old Abi to five events so far, explained why she continued to attend.  "I come to support Abi. Her education is part of what I’m doing. Because the days are packed with information, she couldn’t share all of it if I wasn’t here too.  It’s a good experience for her because she can now see how the work she’s putting in at school will be put to use. You get out of it what you put in to it. I’d say come with an open mind."

Linda Gower works at the Looked After Children education team in Suffolk, and accompanied a group of young people to Cambridge for the You-niversity Day, which included an art workshop at Kettles Yard and a treasure hunt around St. John’s College.  "Bringing groups of youngsters in care to the various taster days run by Cambridge University is always worthwhile," she says. "Before they come, few have any understanding at all about university and certainly don’t consider it to be available to them. They go away with a glimpse of what it is all about and the seed is planted for higher education to be a real consideration.  The children who came to the You-niversity Day on 27th October had a great time, and, having physically been at a leading University they felt better able to think of themselves in that situation in a few years’ time."

In recognition of both the support available for existing care leaver students, and the efforts to support more young people in care in applying to University, Cambridge University was awarded the Frank Buttle Trust Quality Mark in 2010. Khatija says, "The University of Cambridge has a lot to offer care leavers, including 365-day accommodation, generous financial assistance, and a collegiate system which can provide an unprecedented level of support. I am very keen to work with more local authorities to help them recognise what this University has to offer."