London pupils get a glimpse into university life with a visit to City St George’s

Students from secondary schools across London graduated from a unique higher education programme with an inspirational ceremony hosted at City St George’s, University of London.

The Scholars Programme, run by UK charity the Brilliant Club, gives students in secondary school the opportunity to explore higher education and build skills for their academic futures. The charity works to increase fair access to competitive universities for students from under-represented backgrounds.

On the programme, students partnered with PhD researchers to explore advanced topics and develop key skills. Students then produced a 1,500–2,000-word final assignment that showcased their critical thinking skills.

City St George’s welcomed 84 pupils from schools on the programme – including Edmonton County, Eden Girls’, The Archbishop Lanfranc Academy and The Charter School North Dulwich – for an immersive look into university life.

Brilliant Club staff and current City St George’s students delivered sessions on degree choices, financing university, and the transition to living away from home or commuting. The visit culminated in a graduation ceremony where pupils presented research on diverse topics, from the societal stigma surrounding menstruation to women’s experiences in the Middle East.

Reflecting on their project on sociolinguistics, one Edmonton County student said: "We learnt about social linguistics and how it impacts society. We looked at societal norms and how language is analysed and categorised. It was eye-opening to see how much it can affect someone if they are judged or bullied for the way they talk.

The best part of the experience was learning how to do proper university referencing - it’s a massive skill that I know will help me out later on.

The Power of Being Different

Dr Sara Jones is Director at the Institute for Creativity and AI and a reader in Creative Interactive System Design at Bayes Business School. Drawing from her successful career in leadership, research and teaching, she delivered a keynote speech to pupils at the Brilliant Club Graduation on ‘the power of being different.’

Growing up in a tiny village of just 25 houses, Sara said she often felt like an outsider. "I was different at school. I listened to different music, ate different food, wore different clothes," she told the pupils. "But that was fine."

That sense of individuality followed her through her education, eventually leading her to apply to the University of Oxford, despite not being one of the students "invited" or expected to do so.

"No one invited me, but after a while I thought, why not give it a go? I applied and I was lucky enough to get in."

After studying psychology and philosophy at the University of Oxford, she decided to study her master’s in information processing at the University of York.

“I was the only girl doing computer science at that time and I didn’t know what my career was going to look like. But eventually, I got to understand more about what I wanted to do with my future. I knew I wanted to make a better world somehow, often by working with young people.”

So, don’t worry if you feel different, and don’t wait to be invited if there’s something important you want to do. What you do makes a difference, and it’s up to you what kind of a difference you want to make.

The Brilliant Club and City St George’s

David Horner, Head of University Partnerships at The Brilliant Club, said:

“Graduation events are a wonderful way for Scholars Programme students to celebrate their hard work and achievements on the programme. For many of the pupils, it will be their first visit to a university campus, so it’s an important moment where they can understand more about the opportunities available to them. It’s been a joy to see 84 pupils graduate from City St George’s over the last month and receive advice and guidance about their journey into higher education.”

Simon Parker, Senior Lecturer in Business and Society and Director for Responsible Management Education and Outreach at Bayes Business School said:

“Bringing school pupils to university raises aspirations, opens new avenues to explore and shows the variety of futures available to young people while demystifying what “university” is and who it is for. Whether it is through the Scholars Programme, university trips, or graduation events - working with the Brilliant Club is a great way to empower pupils to apply to some of the best universities in the UK and we were delighted to welcome pupils to City St George's."