SpringForward is working with independent schools to offer educational outreach opportunities to improve outcomes for children in care. The programme currently focuses on improving Higher Education outcomes for care-leavers.
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The challenge
With fewer than 13% of care leavers progressing to higher education each year and only 2% accessing higher-tariff universities, SpringForward provides access to expert volunteer independent school staff mentors for care-experienced children to consider their post-school education options and prepare, apply, secure and sustain higher education pathways.
What we do
SpringForward matches independent school mentor experts with young people to work 1:1 online over 5x 1 hour sessions during the pre-UCAS application process and 5x 1 hour 1:1 online sessions to support with the post-UCAS process and preparation for university.
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“My mentor was very understanding and confident about what he knew and what he was talking about. He gave very good advice on where to look for the useful information and he also joined in to research for me too. He also spoke with my personal advisor about accommodation, and they have found good answers on what would be best for me to do.”
Get involved
Refer a young person
If you work with care-experienced young people who could benefit from this support, we’d love to hear from you. We welcome referrals from Virtual Schools, sixth form colleges, social workers, and support workers.
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Join us as a mentor
Are you a member of staff from an independent school with experience and knowledge advising pupils on their next steps in education? Do you want to expand your skills and have a high social impact?
Email: admin@springforward.org.uk
Impact to date
In the first four years of the programme 250+ care experienced children have been referred for the programme by >30 local authorities. 200 independent school staff mentors from 30 independent schools have been trained in readiness to support the issues that care-experienced young people can face in charting their post-school lives.
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52% of mentees have secured their higher education place of choice. 18% have secured a place at a higher-tariff university. There are promising signs that the UCAS’25 cohort will demonstrate even stronger impact, as the programme has evolved to begin earlier (during the summer term of a young person’s Year 12) and build increasingly effective, lasting relationships between mentors and their mentees.
The future
Our vision is that any care-experienced young person considering university should have access to a relevant member of staff from an independent school for mentoring support. In March 2024, government funding was extended for a further three years to realise this ambition. In the year ahead we seek to support at least 100 care-experienced young people to secure this much needed mentoring support.
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You will be provided with training and support and, considering your particular subject/area of interest, a care-experienced young person will be introduced to you for support in considering their different higher education options and to prepare them with the tools to stand the best chance of successful applications and to successfully settle on starting in their placements.
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SpringForward is funded by the Department for Education.
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