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Education liaison

Information for teachers and advisers

The Access to Queen Mary programme is for students from state schools in target areas, selected based on strict targeting and selection criteria. The information provided below is provided to support and inform teachers and advisors. 

  • Students will receive advice and guidance on how to prepare a UCAS application and personal statement.  
  • Students will benefit from additional support to prepare them for the different teaching styles at university.  
  • Students will receive tailored academic support in a key subject of their choice, relating to their Level 3 study. 
  • Students who successfully complete the programme and enroll on a Queen Mary undergraduate degree within two years will be offered supported entry onto our Student Ambassador scheme
  • Students who successfully complete the programme and enroll on a Queen Mary undergraduate degree within two years will be receipt of a £500 bursary in return for 20 volunteer hours
  • Students who successfully complete the programme will be eligible for a contextual offer of up to two A-Level grades below the standard entry offer*. 

Students from target schools or colleges, who meet the eligibility criteria outlined below, are encouraged to apply to Access to Queen Mary.  

Eligibility criteria 

To be eligible for the Access to Queen Mary programme, students must:  

Meet all of the criteria outlined in step one:  

  1. Attend a state school or college in a target region (Kent, Medway, Essex)  
  2. Have achieved five grades 5-9 or A*-B at GCSE (with English and Maths at a minimum 5) 
  3. Be a Home fee paying student upon entry to Queen Mary

Meet at least two criteria from step two*: 

  1. Live in a area of low-participation to higher-education (POLAR4 Q1/Q2) 
  2. Be living in an area of high deprivation (IMD decile 4 or below) or be living in an area of socio-economic disadvantage (ACORN categories 4/5) 
  3. Be a Home fee paying student upon entry to Queen Mary
  4. Has lived in local authority care for a period of at least three months  
  5. Are a registered carer  
  6. Are estranged and living independently of family/living with friends 
  7. Neither parent has attended higher education in the UK or abroad  
  8. Are in receipt of, or entitled to, free school meals/16-19 bursary/pupil premium funding 
  9. Are disabled and in receipt of, or entitled to, personal independence payments or disability living allowance 
  10. Are from Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller backgrounds 

* We particularly welcome applications from people who identify as men as this group is underrepresented at this level at Queen Mary. Priority will be given to certain ethnic groups that are currently under-represented in higher education and at Queen Mary, as defined by the OfS priorities. Where demand for the programme exceeds the number of places available in a given year, places will be allocated based on students meeting the highest score in step 2, alongside institutional access priorities.  

If you'd like to check the eligibility of your school, or request recruitment materials, please email the team on accesstoqm@qmul.ac.uk.

 

It is important that we verify student applications and gain the support of schools and colleges to support us throughout the programme. We ask for a teacher or staff contact to verify the details are correct, including access criteria and grades.  

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