Aim Higher
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The Royal Sutton School is an Aim Higher Plus school as we have a high percentage of students that live in areas that the government have targeted for funding, to increase the number of students applying to university. We work with Aim Higher (a not for profit organisation) and our local universities to provide a programme of support and activities, to encourage students from Year 9 to 11 to apply to university or good apprenticeships.
Activities include in school mentoring for year 9 and 10 by our under graduate mentor Laurel Rose. The Year 9 programme is all about independence and students participate in a trip to University College Birmingham where they deliver a presentation to staff there. They tour the campuses and get to see the facilities and students studying. We also take them to Nandos where they all enjoy a free meal paid for by Aim Higher.
Apart from the mentoring programme, we organise amazing trips and residentials for all years, such as:
- Reach Higher which is a climbing activity which challenges Year 10 students to aspire to progress to great careers.
- Cultural Capital days where students visit a city university and also visit local attractions in that city such is the Ice Skating Rink and Galleries of Justice in Nottingham
- Individual taster days targeted at specific career paths
- Unifest and Future fest residential activities at university for Year 10.
- Campus visits for all years
Aim Higher Ambassador: Sandra Kovac
I remember very well when I was in my teens and the pressure I was under when it came to making big decisions about the future. I come from a humble background, so I really wanted to be the first one in the family to go to University, ensure a better life for myself and make my parents proud.
However, back then, I didn’t have any support, information or advice from my school, so I had to figure it out all on my own. There were many challenges but I was persistent and somehow managed to move to a big city and get into a University a really wanted. Now I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Tourism Management and a Master’s Degree in Marketing Management.
I have worked in Tourism and Hospitality industry in the past years, travelled and lived all around Europe. Recently, I had a chance to redesign my career path and dedicate myself to education. I strongly believe that every child should have an equal chance and equal opportunity to achieve great things in life, and sometimes the only thing missing is a bit of information and guidance. That is why I am proud to be a part of the Aim Higher – an amazing organization that helps young adults make informed decisions and reach their highest potential.