The Access Project was established in 2008 to help talented young people from under-resourced backgrounds gain access to an education at one of the UK’s top universities. Through our unique programme, we support young people to make the most of their education and achieve social mobility. Working closely with students from the most disadvantaged backgrounds, our programme offers tailored mentoring and a support infrastructure, championing the young people we serve to build their confidence and guide them towards life-changing pathways.
For 18 years, The Access Project has been embedded in partner schools within areas of high deprivation and low progression to higher education, working in close partnership with schools in social mobility cold spots across London, the Midlands and the North West. Through this work, we identify young people who face significant barriers to progression, including limited professional networks, lower confidence, financial constraints and fewer opportunities to develop key employability skills.
At the heart of the programme is personalised one-to-one mentoring and coaching. Many of the young people we support are the first in their family to consider university and lack access to the networks and opportunities available to their more advantaged peers. Through sustained support, students develop the confidence, skills and social capital needed to make informed decisions about their future and progress into higher education, training and employment.
In 24/25, we launched our new impact-driven programme, Accelerate, developed in response to increasing school budget pressures, with extensive research and consultation with our school, university and corporate partners. Accelerate combines the most impactful elements of our delivery, adaptable to a partner school’s needs and enabling us to deliver sustained, long-term impact where it is needed most. A cost-effective model for schools and our organisation, it positions us to grow our reach and expand school partnerships.
Our Accelerate programme includes early intervention for Years 8–11, reaching approximately 100 additional students per school through aspiration-raising, targeted assemblies for the whole year groups, to introduce higher education pathways earlier in secondary school. This is combined with intensive, personalised support in Years 12 and 13, when students are making key decisions about university, and their future pathways, supporting young people at a pivotal time in their lives, while also recognising that earlier intervention can prevent long-term disengagement before choices narrow.
Since our beginnings, we have worked with over 10,000 young people, and our impact is measurable and independently verified. Students on The Access Project are 50% more likely to attend a top university than statistically similar peers; in 2024/25, 53% of Year 13 students secured places at top third universities. A high standard of university education is pivotal in helping young people to realise their potential; under-resourced young people are four times more likely to become socially mobile and achieve a high-earning position if they attend university. Student voice is essential to our work – we undertake regular student feedback to ensure that we continue to deliver for the young people we support, informing our constant improvement approach to programme delivery and design. In our recent 2024/25 survey, 95% reported feeling more confident and positive about their future, and 90% felt more motivated to pursue a top third university.
The Access Project | London, UK
