The BrilliantClub

Annual Impact Report 2018/19

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ver the years, The Brilliant Club has developed a reputationfor being hard-nosed. It is a charge that we accept: we havecommitted significant time and resource to evaluating and

monitoring our programmes, celebrated when we have improved ourprocesses and systems (and still challenge ourselves to go further),and strived to find models of working that are scalable and financiallysustainable.

I hope that this impact report stands as testament to the success ofthis mindset, while being realistic about how much more there is stillto do. There is, of course, a risk that in choosing to focus on thestructural aspects of the charity’s approach, we fail to show ourpassion for the charity’s mission, our commitment to the pupils andparticipants on our programmes, or our personal connection to ourwork.

In my last year at the charity, with a creeping sentimentality andnostalgia, this is a good opportunity to state that my own connectionto the work of the charity has never been stronger. This year, I havewatched pupils from Edinburgh (where I am from and where myfamily still lives) complete The Scholars Programme for the first time.They didn’t know it, but they were part of the charity’s largest evercohort of pupils from schools in England, Scotland, Wales andNorthern Ireland. I have read articles written by pupils, published inour journal The Scholar, about medieval history – the subject that Itaught and that I love. I have spoken with a new cohort of inspiringResearchers in Schools participants in west London, at the schoolwhere the programme began.

I will miss all of this so much, but I leave confident that mycolleagues at the charity share the sense of magic that has been atthe heart of our programmes from the very first tutorial. That momentwhen an expert – perhaps the world-expert in their field – shares theirpassion for their research with a pupil at one of our partner schools.Time and again we have seen how that interaction can transform apupil’s attitude to studying at university, while simultaneously buildingtheir academic knowledge and confidence, enhancing theirchances of applying for, progressing to and being ready for university.

I hope this impact report captures some of this magic and that youwill get the opportunity to see it in action.

Yours, Dr Chris WilsonCEO, The Brilliant Club

OCONTENTS3 Why we exist5 2018/19 in numbers6 Who we work with7 A Scholar’s voice8 Our impact12 What we do:

The Scholars Programme16 What we do:

Researchers in Schools19 Where we work22 Always improving23 Supporters

Welcome

The Brilliant Club exists to increase the number of pupils from underrepresented backgroundsprogressing to highly-selective universities. We do this by mobilising the PhD community to shareits academic expertise with state schools.

Running two programmes that offer a wide variety of opportunities for schools, universities and researchersto engage with the charity helps The Brilliant Club move closer to achieving its mission.

Mission

3

Why we exist

The Scholars ProgrammeThe Scholars Programme recruits, trains and places doctoral and postdoctoral researchers aspart-time tutors in schools to deliver programmes of  university-style tutorials, based onacademic research, which are supplemented by two university trips.

Researchers in SchoolsResearchers in Schools (RIS) recruits PhD graduates, places them in schools as traineeteachers and supports them to develop as excellent teachers and research leaders. 

In pursuit of our mission, we run two complementary programmes:

Helping pupils fromunderrepresented

backgrounds progress to university.

Training to become a fully-qualified teacher

Participants learn on the job in their placementschools, with training

provided by a regional part-ner.

Completing the ResearchLeader in Education Award

Participants complete thisunique award that draws on the research skills and

academic experiencegained from having

a PhD.

A lead teacher at the school will besupported by aScholars ProgrammeOfficer to plan theprogramme.

Their PhD tutor visits the schoolon a weekly basis to delivertutorials 2-6. Pupils eachreceive a course handbook tosupport them through theprogramme. Pupils also haveaccess to a virtual learningenvironment to get supportfrom their tutor.

A visit to another highly-selectiveuniversity to celebrate pupilsachievements on the programmethrough the graduation ceremonyand learn more about universitylife. At some venues, parents andcarers are also invited.

We provide a detailed impact report atthe end of the programme outliningpupils’ progress against our universityreadiness competencies. The reportalso showcases pupil premium impactand progress against the Gatsbybenchmarks.

All pupils complete achallenging final assignmentpitched one key stageabove their current level.Tutors provide one-to-onefeedback in tutorials 6 and 7.Assignments are marked andmoderated with universitygradings.

A visit to a highly-selectiveuniversity to meet theirPhD tutor, experience theirfirst tutorial, and learnabout university life.

Programme planning

In-school tutorials

Graduation trip

School Impact reports

Final assignment and feedback

Launch trip

1in50ONLYIN ENGLAND

of pupils from highparticipationareas10%

(POLAR4 – Participation of Local Areas)

of pupils from highparticipationareas4%

22%ONLYIN WALES

(POLAR4 – Participation of Local Areas)

of the ‘most advantaged’ 1in 4

(UCAS Multiple Equality Measure)

of pupils fromthe leastdeprivedareas26%COMPARED TO

(Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation)

COMPARED TO

COMPARED TO

COMPARED TO

of young people from low participationareas progress to a highly-selectiveuniversity

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Why we exist

7%

ONLYIN SCOTLAND

of pupils from themost deprived areasprogress to a highly-selective university

of the ‘mostdisadvantaged’pupils progress toa highly-selectiveuniversity

2%

ONLYIN NORTHERN IRELAND

of young people from low participation areas progress to a highly-selectiveuniversity

The NeedIn the UK today, there is an entrenched link between a pupil’s backgroundand their chances of progressing to a highly-selective university.

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2018/19 in numbers

For more informationabout our impact,please go to p.8

Details of The ScholarsProgrammeare on p.12

Moreinformationabout ouruniqueroute intoteaching is on p.16

Read moreabout UniPathwayson p.17

Further detailsabout our workacross the UnitedKingdom are on p.19

Read about ourapproach topupil targetingon p.6

13,993pupilsWe worked with

across ourprogrammes andspecial projects

499 PhD tutors placed in

Researchers in Schools participants taught in

123

We partnered with

including 149 schools insocial mobility cold spotsand 183 in rural areas

schools 843

to deliver The Scholars Programme

Researchers inSchools participantsdelivered UniPathways to

in Key Stage 3 andKey Stage 4

386pupils

774 schools

87schools

81%of pupils on ourprogrammescame from atleast one of our targetdemographics

2018/19IN NUMBERS

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Who we work with

The Brilliant Club’s approach to pupil targeting means that our programmes are delivered to pupils who are least likelyto be represented at highly-selective universities and that teachers have the freedom to select a range of pupils thatare likely to benefit.

Our partner schools ensure that at least 55% of pupils enrolled on The Scholars Programme or Uni Pathways, theintervention delivered by Researchers in Schools participants, meet at least one of three target measures:

Pupil Premium, Pupil Development Grant or freeschool meals eligible

No parental history of higher education

Bottom 40% of IDACI, WIMD or SIMD postcodes

Overall meeting at least one of the three criteria

45%

51%

63%

81%

Pupil Targeting

The Scholars Programmeand Uni Pathways

1. Educationalmeasure ofdeprivation (free school

meals orequivalent)

2. No parentalhistory of

highereducation

3. Deprivationaccording to

postcode

a) England: PupilPremium eligibility(children who havequalified for freeschool meals at anypoint in the past sixyears; children whoare or have beenlooked after underlocal authority carefor more than oneday; or children fromservice families whoreceive a childpension from theMinistry of Defence)

c) Scotland:Free schoolmealseligibility

d) NorthernIreland: Freeschool mealseligibility

b) Wales: PupilDevelopmentGrant eligibility(pupils whoqualify for freeschool meals orLooked AfterChildren)

a) England:Living in one ofthe 40% mostdeprived areasaccording to theIncomeDeprivationAffectingChildren Index(IDACI)

b) Wales: Living inone of the 40%most deprivedareas accordingto the WelshIndex of MultipleDeprivation(WIMD)

c) Scotland: Living inone of the 40% mostdeprived areasaccording to theScottish Index ofMultiple Deprivation(SIMD)

d) Northern Ireland:Living in one of the 40% most deprivedareas according tothe Northern IrishIncome DeprivationAffecting ChildrenIndex (IDACI)

In 2018/19:

Scholars Programmegraduates who are

eligible for Pupil Premiumare significantly more

likely to apply to a highly-selective university

with 56% applyingcompared to 38% in the control group.

See p.9

My name is Shannon Gonzalez, I’m an 18-year-old student nurse at the Universityof East Anglia, studying the adult field of nursing. I live on campus, and share aflat with 11 other students.

I’m an Essex girl, I come from a small island called Canvey next to Southend-on-Sea. I went to Cornelius Vermuyden secondary school, which is where I took partin The Brilliant Club’s Scholars Programme in Year 10. I then went on to studyBiology, Chemistry, and Maths at A Level at Westcliff High School for Boys in whichI achieved AAA.

Nursing was something I wanted to do since I was very young, I’d always wantedto help people where I could, and the busy hospital environment fascinated me.It took me a long time to decide whether to apply for nursing or medicine at UEA,but I knew I would enjoy nursing because there is more patient interaction.

My Scholars Programme course was about existentialism and was led by a PhDtutor called William Tucker. As a 15-year-old, existentialism was a completely newsubject to me, but I was amazed by the topic. In your teens, you rarely think sodeeply about life, but the encouragement from our PhD tutor to watch films andread Kafka really opened our minds to some great questions.

We visited the University of Cambridge when we first met William, thengraduated and received our certificates at King’s College London. The trips gaveus all a great opportunity to have a look around some very prestigious universitiesand gave us a small taste of university life.

My favourite part of the programme was the content of the existentialism topic,which really grabbed my attention. It was something my friends and family hadnever heard of before, and so I was interested to find out more. The biggest lessonI learned from the programme was how long the essays at university would be,I’d never written a proper essay before and so it gave me insight to how thatwould be, and how they would be marked.

I recently recommended The Scholars Programme to my cousinwho is also at Cornelius Vermuyden, as she had neverconsidered university for her future, and I think it gave her agreat idea of what it could offer.

I would tell pupils about to undertake The ScholarsProgramme that it is a lot of work, but if you really enjoythe subject and get stuck in, you’ll learn something sonew and interesting that you would otherwise neverlearn.

Schools would benefit from the programme bygetting pupils more interested in university life, andraising their confidence levels. If they get a taste ofuniversity through this programme, and decide it’ssomething they want to do, then they’re going towork harder to make sure they get that student lifeexperience!

Encouragementfrom our PhDtutor to watchfilms and readKafka reallyopened ourminds to somegreat questions.

A Scholar’s Voice

“

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Our impact

Our Research and Impact Department brings together a team of social scientists who work to understand the impactof our programmes on pupil outcomes. We use this evidence to inform how we measure and improve ourprogrammes. This internal research and evaluation work is complemented by external evaluationsthat we commission to better understand specific research areas related to university access.

Alongside our commitment to understanding the impact of our own programmes, theDepartment supports the wider evaluation of university access and outreachinterventions by providing research consultancy services to schools, universitiesand other third sector organisations.

External EvaluationThe Brilliant Club has commissioned the University of Cambridge to evaluatethe impact of our programmes on pupils’ cognitive outcomes. Theevaluation is being led by Dr Sonia Ilie and Professor Anna Vignoles fromthe Faculty of Education.

The evaluation has two phases. First, the University of Cambridge is carryingout a desk-based review of the charity’s research and impact work to date.Specifically, the review focuses on validating the charity’s internal researchand evaluation work. Secondly, the University of Cambridge is conductinga randomised controlled trial to assess the impact of  The ScholarsProgramme on pupils’ critical thinking skills.

Research and Impact

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Impact Case StudiesWe published a series of Impact Case Study reports in 2018/19. Topics covered include how to measure the impact ofuniversity access interventions on raising attainment, the potential of mobilising the PhD community to support universityreadiness with schools in Wales, and lessons from linking researcher development and fair access.

A highlight of the Impact Case Study series was the launch of our ‘Barriers to Access’ report at the annual Brilliant Clubconference, which sparked conversations about what policy changes are required to ensure all schools across thecountry can take advantage of opportunities offered by universities and other third sector organisations. A summary ofthese conversations was submitted to the Department for Education to inform policy development on this importantarea.

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For the last four years, The Brilliant Club has worked with the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) to evaluatethe impact of The Scholars Programme on progression to highly-selective universities.

For the fourth year running, pupils who completed The Scholars Programme are statistically significantly more likely to apply,receive an offer and progress to a highly-selective university than pupils from similar backgrounds.

Expanding the evaluation to younger age groupsFor the first time this year, we include pupils who completed The Scholars Programme in Year 9, Year 10 or Year 12 (inprevious years we only looked at Year 12), allowing us to evaluate the impact of starting this type of intervention younger.When including younger age groups, the overall difference remains significant for application, offer and progression tohighly-selective universities. As you can see above, 37% of Scholars Programme graduates progressed to a highly-selective university compared to 20% of pupils in matched control groups.

Applications to lowertariff universities

Graduates of The Scholars Programme

Average of matchedcontrol groups

Applications to highertariff universities

Further analysis shows a difference in application behaviour: Scholars Programme graduates aim higher than their peers,with 58% of them applying to what UCAS call ‘high tariff providers’ compared to 32% in the matched control groups.

UCAS Evaluation

62 37

33

20

58

37

100 pupils 100 pupils

Pupils in control groups were matched onGCSE attainment and socio-demographics

Applied to a highly-selective university

Received an offer from a highly-selective university

Progressed to a highly-selective university

Control GroupThe Scholars Programme

58% 32%

36%28%

This year, UCAS comparedoutcomes for more than800 Scholars Programmegraduates with pupils in anumber of matched control groups of a similarsize. To provide a counter-factual analysis for progression to ‘DfE TopThird’ highly-selective universities, pupils in thecontrol groups werematched for a range ofcharacteristics, includingethnicity, postcode andprior attainment at GCSE.

Continuous evaluation Over the last four years, UCAS analysed the destination data of more than 1,900 pupils who completed The ScholarsProgramme in Year 9, Year 10 or Year 12 between 2015 and 2018. Of this group, 67% applied, 63% received an offer and45% progressed to a highly-selective university.

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In addition to tracking the long-term outcome of university progression, we believe it is important to look at the skills andknowledge that pupils develop while participating in our programmes.

The Brilliant Club’s university readiness outcomes encompass skills and knowledge related to academic achievement aswell as deeper learning skills. Academic achievement is about the skills and knowledge that pupils are explicitly learningin the context of The Scholars Programme or Uni Pathways. These include written communication, subject knowledge andcritical thinking.

Deeper learning skills – encompassing meta-cognition, motivation and self-efficacy – are a broader set of skills thatunderpin the ethos of our programmes and which are transferable to different contexts. We also measure universityknowledge. These outcomes were chosen because academic research shows that these outcomes are linked to higherattainment and university progression.

The measurement of our outcomes is through assessments administered at the beginning and end of the programme,including a baseline and final assignment, and a standardised self-report survey. We regularly review the academicliterature and engage with experts in assessment and learning to make sure that we are measuring the right outcomes inthe best possible way.

Pupil outcomes framework

SubjectKnowledge

Written Communication

Critical Thinking

Meta-Cognition

Motivation andSelf-Efficacy

UniversityKnowledge

AcademicAchievement

UniversityPreparation

DeeperLearning

Skills

Our impact

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The Scholars Programme and Uni Pathways These charts show outcomes for pupils that completed The ScholarsProgramme (age 9-17) and Uni Pathways (age 13-16).

Pupil Outcomes

Deeper Learning Skills

5.5

6.0

6.5

5.0

4.5

4.0Motivation

Based on pre and post survey responses of more than 7500 pupils

(for each of the three deeper learning skills, pupils place themselves on a scale from one to seven for several statements)

Meta-Cognition Self-Efficacy

Before After

Academic Achievement

55

60

65

70

50

45

40Subject Knowledge

Based on baseline and final assignments of more than 8000 pupils

(marks are awarded according to a university-style mark schemewhere, for example, marks between 60 and 69 are equal to a 2:1)

Written Communication Critical Thinking

Baseline Final

Before After

0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

I have a good level of knowedge in the subject that The Scholars Programme / Uni Pathways focuses on

I can complete written work to the same standardas a pupil two years above me at school

I would feel confident talking to a university teacher about my work

I know the steps I need to taketo apply to university

I understand why and how peo-ple study at university

I am capable of studying at ahighly-selective university

University PreparationBased on pre and post survey responses of more than 7000 pupils

(for each statement, pupils place themselves on a scale from strongly agree to strongly disagree.The graph presents the percent of pupils who strongly agree or agree)

““Uni Pathways has taught meabout the way people learn inuniversity; it has taught me thattutorials are a very useful way oflearning information and it hasalso taught me about the joys ofuniversity.”

“I have learned about howto study well and where tofind my sources of informationfor my essays. I have alsolearnt how to expand andevaluate on information andquotes that I have picked

up from different sources.Lastly, I have learnt how toplan well before an essayand how to improve on howI write.”

Pupils, Uni Pathways

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What we do

The Scholars ProgrammeThe Scholars Programme recruits, trains and places doctoral andpostdoctoral researchers in schools to deliver courses of university-style tutorials. Pupils are supported to develop key universityreadiness skills, including critical thinking and meta-cognition. In 2018/19, we worked in partnership with 40 universities to deliver theprogramme to schools across the UK.

The Scholars Programme introduces state school pupils to supra-curriculartopics based on academic research, designed and delivered by their PhDtutor. Based on the tutor’s expertise, each course is delivered to small groupsin schools through seven university-style tutorials, with weekly homeworkassignments leading to the completion of a final assignment. The tutorials are supplemented by a launch and a graduation trip at two differenthighly-selective universities.

499PhD tutorsdelivered

In 2018/19,

774schools to

13,097pupils

1,151placements in

58,000pupilson The Scholars

Programme

Since 2010, The Brilliant Club has

worked with more than

Early InterventionOur intervention starts early: pupils can take part in TheScholars Programme from Key Stage 2 (age 9-11). In 2018/19, The Scholars Programme was delivered to:

1,742pupils in Key Stage 2 (age 9-11)

3,557in Key Stage 3 (age 11-14)

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TimetableThe timetable sets out what pupils can expectfrom their time on the programme.

RationaleAn introduction to the course designed toexcite pupils about the subject matter.

GlossaryAny difficult, subject-specific or technicallanguage used throughout the course isexplained.

Mark SchemeThis breaks down the university-style markingsystem and shows pupils what they will berequired to demonstrate.

Final Assignment Each course ends with an extended essay orproblem set to be completed. This is pitched alevel above the pupils’ current Key Stage.

Scholars VLEPupils have access to their PhD tutor andInformation, Advice and Guidance resourcesthrough the Virtual Learning Environment. A new VLE was put into development in2018/19.

Scholars HQIn 2019, The Scholars Programme launchedScholars HQ, a unique online environmentdesigned to make the administration of theprogramme a fast and simple process forschools.

Course designand contents

Scholars Programme courses are individuallydesigned by PhD tutors and are a unique aspect ofthe programme. Based on the tutors’ own research,the courses are tailored to the age group of the pupilsthey will be working with. For younger pupils, we havea library of pre-designed programmes that havebeen developed in collaboration with our partners.

““The Scholars Programme has opened up ample andamazing opportunities for me, and I am so humbled andgrateful for it, it’s helped me find a career that I feel withhard work I can thrive in. Without the help of my tutor’stutorials and mentoring, I wouldn’t have even considereda career in Neuropsychiatry.”Pupil, Wales

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What we do

“It gave me a lot more insideknowledge about Oxford,whereas before, I could onlybase Oxford on stereotypesand media portrayals.”Year 8, Bradford Academy 

“I thought it was veryinformative and inspired meto work hard, do well andhave ambitious aspirations.”Year 8, Bradford ForsterAcademy

“I feel more comfortable around thisenvironment because of this trip and I believethis could be one of my options in the future. This trip was very comforting and helpful towardsencouraging my attitude towards Oxford.”Year 8, Beckfoot Thornton School

Think Big Bradford

“

Building on the core Scholars Programme model, wealso work with a number of partners to deliver tailoreduniversity outreach interventions to broaden and deepenour impact.

Think Big Bradford is an exciting collaboration between TheBrilliant Club and Worcester College, University of Oxford,which aims to support pupils in Bradford to gain theacademic skills and confidence to progress to highly-selective universities, including the University of Oxford andthe University of Cambridge.

The intensive project works with groups of 12 pupils fromfive Bradford schools, starting in Year 8, with an option tocontinue in Year 11. It blends academic activities withmentoring and Information, Advice and Guidancesessions.

Take part inThe ScholarsProgramme

twice

Work with a trained

undergraduatementor fromWorcester College

Attend at leastone IAG day in

the Bradfordarea

Visit WorcesterCollege in

Year 8-Year 10,including a three-day

residential visit in Year 9

During theirtime on theprogramme,pupils:

The programme launched in 2017/18, and in 2018/19 we had two cohorts on the programme. 60 Year 9 pupils attendedan Information Advice and Guidance day, took part in online mentoring with a Worcester College undergraduate, andthen attended a residential at Worcester in June 2019, where they explored the question "Is a robot a human?" from avariety of disciplinary perspectives.

Also in 2018-19, a new cohort of 60 Year 8 pupils started their Think Big journey by taking part in The Scholars Programme.Launching at Worcester College, pupils then studied courses such as "Philosophy: Is there an external world?" and "Maths: Could stars float in the bath?", before graduating at the University of Leeds.

ResultsYear 8 pupils in 2018/19 made an average 14-point shift in their written communication and subject knowledge,and 13 points in their critical thinking. They also exceeded national averages in their increases in meta-cognition,motivation and self-efficacy.

Do you remember your ScholarsProgramme courses?I designed two different courses, one for KeyStage 4 and one for Key Stage 5. The first wascalled “Graph Theory: How GoogleMaps  Plans Routes”. You don’t encounterGraph Theory at all at GCSE, so that wasa  nice break from the pupils’ usual  Mathslessons.  

The second course was called “Are SomeInfinities Bigger than Others?”, which was a bitof a mind-bending topic! When you go touniversity, that’s the sort of Maths you’re goingto do in your first year, so it was good to teachit to pupils still at school.  

What made you apply to be a ScholarsProgramme tutor? I had done some teaching withundergraduates while I was doing myPhD and I really liked it. I’ve always enjoyedpassing on knowledge, and I’ve had anopinion about maths education in general. Ithought that The Scholars Programme was agreat way to break into the education sectorusing the expertise that I had, and to be ableto hone younger minds.  

I believe that we can give higher educationa boost to show people fromunderrepresented backgrounds that there issomething in higher education for them, it’sgreat to be part of that.  

What was the most rewarding aspect ofyour time as a tutor?The teaching was a real pleasure, workingwith  pupils to open their eyes to highereducation and broaden their horizons. Whenyou see pupils who might not have lefttheir hometown yet see university for the firsttime, that is special.  

What made you want to become ateacher? I felt that it was something I had an aptitude

for. I spoke to a lot of teachers during my timeon The Scholars Programme, and used to askthem about the profession, about what theyliked and didn’t like.  

I am passionate about education  and Iwanted to be able to make a difference fromthe inside.  

What made the Researchers in Schools(RIS) programme stand out to you?The initial attraction was that it is a bespokeprogramme for PhD graduates. I would get tobe part of a community of PhDs, people witha similar academic background  to myown. To be part of the education researchcommunity was important to me as well. It feltlike the programme was designed for me,compared to a PGCE or another route intoteaching. When I broke it down, it was the onlyroute for me.  

How has the RIS programme helped youso far? My Programme Officer is absolutely brilliant asanother source of advice and information. Iappreciate having the RIS community to fallback on;  bouncing ideas off  like-mindedpeople from similar backgrounds can reallyhelp.  

How has your subject expertise helped inyour school? I think it is important for there to be a mathsexpert in the school.  We are consideringstarting Further Maths next year, and I mightbe the person selected to run it.  I think myexpertise is appreciated on a professionallevel. 

What’s been your best moment as ateacher so far?I have been doing some intervention classeswith top set Year 11 with pupils whose gradeswe want to improve. I was chosen to run thoseclasses, and the pupils value the

opportunity to expand their knowledge andbe pushed.  

One of the final assignments for my UniPathways course was absolutely stunning. Thepupil had written 14 pages, all immaculatelypresented, and both the maths and style wereimpressive. It was incredible, and I submitted itfor publication in The Brilliant Club’s academicjournal of pupil assignments, The Scholar.  

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Alex McGaw started as a PhD tutor for The ScholarsProgramme in 2016 while studying Pure Maths at theUniversity of Manchester. Over the next two years, hetaught 13 Scholars Programme placements at 11different schools, to 156 pupils.

Following this, Alex becamea Researchers in Schoolsparticipant, beginning histeacher training in Autumn2018, and has since delivered his Uni Pathwaysintervention to six pupils inhis school. In 2019, Alex willbe a lead teacher for TheScholars Programme for thefirst time, taking pupils fromhis school in Bolton throughthe programme.

UniqueInsight:AlexMcGaw

What his school says:“Alex has completed his training withthe same enthusiastic and dedicateddemeanour with which he began.  Hiscommitment to delivering a high-quality education and to engenderinga love of his subject in his students isunwavering and he has a strong moralpurpose, enhanced not just by his ownpersonal experience, but by hisinteractions with the students of EssaAcademy.

Alex has grasped securely the delicatebalancing act he must maintainbetween being a subject specialist(and enthusiast) and deliveringmathematical subject knowledge to awide range of ages and abilities. He isalways keen to consider new ways ofachieving this goal, both in his ownreflections and in discussion with hiscolleagues.

He has been a huge asset to EssaAcademy, both in the classroom, andin his willingness to involve himself in thewider life of the school, through trips,visits and his Uni Pathways project.”

Alex’s QTS report Essa Academy

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What we do

The RIS JourneyThe three-year programme has distinct phases:

Researchers in Schools

To championuniversityaccess

To increasesubject

expertise

To promoteeducationresearch

Year 1: Becoming a teacherand sharing expertiseParticipants deliver anintervention to pupils, based ontheir own doctoral research,promoting access to universitylearning. This is called UniPathways.

Qualified teacher status (QTS)

Year 2: Increasing impactParticipants complete a GCSEintervention underpinned by the latest research on meta-cognition and retrieval. Theintervention is based on a topic inthe participant’s subject where pupils need extra support.

Newly qualified teacher status (NQT)

Year 3: Leading pupil impactParticipants carry out an in-schooleducation research project withSheffield Hallam University, achievethe OLEVI Outstanding Leader inEducation Award and deliver CPD(Continuing ProfessionalDevelopment) to colleagues in their schools.

Recently qualified teacherstatus (RQT)

“Our RIS participant is very good atpresenting and the way he works ispowerful.  He presents amethodology of how he useseducation research in his work andhas the ability to question others;asking them why they are doingwhat they are doing.  He has raised

the profile of evidence-informedpractice in our school and is able toshow how it impacts directly onpupils.

A lot of the time, teachers andleaders are happy to work onassumptions, some of which theymight not even know they have. Our

RIS participant is very good atchallenging this in a scientific way.By working across the trust, ourparticipant is now having an impacton thousands of pupils, not just in hisown science department.”Philip Avery, Director of Education,Bohunt Education Trust“

While working as classroom teachers, RIS participants have one day per week of protected time to achievethe three RIS aims through the RLE award. The Brilliant Club has created a unique programme which underpinsthe RLE award to meet the needs of schools and build on the strengths of its participants. The RLE is deliveredin conjunction with world-class partners Sheffield Hallam University and OLEVI.

Researchers in Schools (RIS) is the only dedicated route into school teaching for postdoctoral careerchangers in the world. Over three years, participants on the programme achieve the ResearchLeader in Education award (RLE). The RLE is designed to ensure that Researchers in Schoolsparticipants are trained and supported to deploy the knowledge, skills and networks they havegained from their PhD to benefit pupils, schools and universities in three important ways:

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Uni Pathways is based on The Scholars Programme, and is an intervention for Year 9 pupils to improve their understanding ofuniversity and high-level academic study. Participants design and deliver seven tutorials based on their PhD thesis and pupilswrite a final assignment, graded using university grades.

Championinguniversity access:Uni Pathways

In 2018/19:

pupils took partin Uni Pathwaysin 55 schools

of these pupilsmet at least oneof The BrilliantClub’s targetingcriteria

of pupils who took part inUni Pathways said theyknew how and whypeople study at university

In 2018/19, the Researchers in Schoolsprogramme:

386 93% 85%

l Alliance for Learningl Ark Teacher Trainingl Barr Beacon SCITTl Cabot Learning

Federationl Chiltern Training Groupl Fields of Learningl George Abbot Trainingl GLF Schools’ Teacher

Trainingl Harris Federationl Inspiration Trust

l London West Alliancel Leicestershire

Secondary SCITTl National Maths &

Physics SCITTl Oxfordshire Teaching

Schools Alliancel Tes Institutel The Cambridge

Partnershipl The Future Institute of

Education

Researchers in Schools is grateful for the supportof its supporters and partners:

Supported

RIS participants, taking thetotal number since the startof the programme to over 300

76%of the 2018 cohortparticipants who startedthe programme gainedQTS, and of those 97%received a Good orOutstanding grade

82%of 2017 cohort participantswho started their NQT yearachieved NQT status

24 participants in the 2016cohort completed theprogramme and achievedthe Research Leader inEducation award

123

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Increasing subject expertiseRIS participants use their in-depth knowledge of their subject, paired with their excellent training, to enhance the subjectknowledge of pupils and colleagues. Participants seek out opportunities to use their university and industry connections aswell as accessing the latest research through their honorary research associate status, to ensure pupils are getting excellentsubject teaching in the classroom and through extra-curricular activities.

Uni Pathways Year 2Year 2 of the Uni Pathways intervention focuses on the GCSE curriculum. Participants work with their department to determinean area in which pupils need to improve, and support their pupils by designing mastery-learning practice activities.

Session 1:Introduction to the

context of WW2France. Research

task: Research the French

Occupation andresistance

Session 2:Introduction to AuRevoir Les Enfants.Theme: Friendship.

Research task:Research the

director of the film,Louis Malle

Session 3: Film Analysis.

Theme:Difference/otherness.

Research task:Research a

holocaust survivor

Session 4: Film Analysis.

Theme: Students’choice. Task: Start

planning finalpresentation

Session 5: Planning final

presentation. Task:work on finalpresentation

Session 6:Rehearsal of final

presentation

0%

Before After

I have a good level of knowedge in the subject that Uni Pathways focuses on

I know what steps I need to take to do well in my GCSEs

I can effectively use revision strategies to prepare for my exams

I am good at structuring time when I study on my own

I am confident that I can get the grades required to progress to a highly-selective unversity

GCSE and University Preparation: Uni Pathways Y2Based on baseline and final assignments of more than 90 pupils

(For each statement, pupils place themselves on a scale from 'strongly agree' to 'strongly disagree'. The graph presents the percent of pupils who 'strongly agree' or 'agree')

25% 50% 75% 100%

Promoting education researchAs part of the RLE award, participants are tasked with identifying a need or challenge within their school, devising anintervention to address it and designing a rigorous evaluation.

In 2018/19, participants identified challenges ranging from preventing exclusion by building empathy through the analysisof foreign language film and improving problem solving in mathematics with the introduction of a maths laboratory.Participants also found a range of methods to analyse the impact of their interventions such as individual interviews orstatistical regressions.

This project received financial support from the Association for the Study of Modern and Contemporary France(ASMCP) to be used towards a trip to University of Oxford and a prize for the pupil who completed the best work.

SummaryThe aim of this project was to raise the aspirations of boys at risk of exclusion. A six-week intervention designed aroundthe thematic analysis of a foreign language movie that includes opportunities for group and independent work aims toincrease language, leadership and empathetic skills. The successful completion of the course ends in a trip to a highly-selective university. Semi-structured interviews before and after the intervention were used to assess its impact.

Scheme of work

Dearbhla McGrath: From excluded to exceptional: A pre-emptive intervention for boysat risk of exclusion

What we do

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Where we work

The ScholarsProgramme

Researchersin Schools

The Scholars Programme and Researchers in Schools

UK Scale

The charity hasoffices in London,

Leeds, Birminghamand Cardiff, and a

member of staffbased in Scotland.

In 2018/19, we worked with

In 2018/19, weworked with

in social mobilitycold spots (as defined by SocialMobility Index, 2017).

in rural areas (as defined by theONS rural/urbanclassification)

149

2,252

schools

2,801pupils

183schools

pupils

and

and

Rural and Coastal AreasResearch shows that geography can play a big role in university access and progression. Ingeneral, pupils who attend schools in rural villages, coastal areas and post-industrial towns are lesslikely to progress to highly-selective universities (only 14% of pupils from low-income backgroundsin rural and coastal areas progress to university compared to 38% of pupils from low-incomebackgrounds in urban areas).

This presents the charity with a challenge, because universities and PhD students areoverwhelmingly located in large metropolitan areas. We have made significant progress inovercoming these challenges by providing a flexible system of travel expenses for our tutors andbuilding relationships with multi-academy trusts that serve these communities. For the first time, in2018/19, The Brilliant Club placed PhD tutors and teachers in more hard-to-reach rural villages,coastal areas and post-industrial towns than in metropolitan areas.

56% of Scholars Programme graduates who went to school in rural areas applied tohighly-selective universities, compared to 32% in matched control groups. See p.9 for more information

Northern IrelandThe Scholars Programme successfully launched in Northern Ireland in spring 2019. 27 pupils from Belfast participated in theprogramme, studying topics including “What’s your gut feeling - An insight into parasites” and “Life, death, and everythingin between”. The programme ran in partnership with AccessEd (a charity started by the co-founders of The Brilliant Club topromote university access to young people from under-served backgrounds around the world) so that pupils from bothNorthern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland could jointly attend the launch trip at Trinity College Dublin and the graduationtrip at Queen’s University Belfast.

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Where we work

“The university visits wereexcellent. Our initial visit was tothe University of Edinburgh. Theday was well organised andinformative. The children wereeager to get started. After thevisit, one of the children stated “Iam excited for my future now”...We will definitely be puttingchildren forward to take part inthe programme again and couldnot recommend it enough.” Teacher, Cadder Primary School

“During discussions, the pupils displayedthoughtful and insightful opinions,showing not only understanding of thetopic, but the ability to apply this tocomplex real-world problems.  I greatlyenjoyed these discussions, and as well asbeing impressed by their ability, I was alsotouched by their social awareness,compassion and concern for others.”Dr Kirsty Miller, PhD tutor, delivering thecourse “One Direction or Harry Styles?Are humans better off in a group or goingsolo?” to pupils in Scotland

“

ScotlandThe Brilliant Club started working inScotland in 2017 with a pilot in twoGlasgow secondary schools, funded byGlasgow City Council and delivered inpartnership with the University ofStrathclyde.

In 2018/19:A partnership with the University ofEdinburgh increased the charity’sreach in Scotland to include Edinburgh and North Lanarkshire.

The Scholars Programme was run in seven secondary schools.

The Brilliant Club worked in primaryschools for first time in Scotland –running a pilot project in Glasgow.

The Scholars Programme was delivered to 128 pupils in Scotland.

“We were awarded the TimesHigher Education University of theYear 2019, in part, because of oursocial mission and commitment toaccess. Our partnership with TheBrilliant Club is an important part ofthat mission and we are delightedto continue our work with thisexceptional organisation. ThroughThe Scholars Programme, our youngpeople in schools have gained theopportunity to participate in anenrichment programme that is

unique within Scotland and our PhDstudents have been given thechance to develop their teachingskills and inspire the next generationof scholars. The Brilliant Club’scommitment to rigorous evaluationof impact also aligns with our ownemphasis on evidence-led activityand we look forward to ourcontinued relationship.”Dr Stephanie McKendry, WideningAccess Manager, University ofStrathclyde

“

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“It has been a pleasure workingwith The Brilliant Club over thelast academic year hostingevents for The ScholarsProgramme. We worked closelywith the charity to plan anddeliver six events all of which ranvery successfully with excellentfeedback received. The BrilliantClub's staff were veryprofessional, knowledgeableand friendly and we quicklyestablished a very efficient

working relationship. Email andtelephone communication wasvery good and information wasalways clear and helpful. End-of-year evaluation and feedbackwas detailed, thorough and veryhelpful. We are looking forwardto building on this relationshipfurther in 19/20.”Steph Gan, Campus EventsManager - UndergraduateAdmissions and Outreachdepartment, University of Bath

“Working with The Brilliant Club's Scholars Programme is an inspirationalexperience. It has been my privilege tosee our students, 60% of whom haveno previous knowledge of higher education, grow in confidence enoughto submit a 1500-word essay. Workingwith fantastic PhD tutors and bespoketrips to universities ensure that our students are whole-heartedly aspiringto university study.” Lisa Littlewood, Cheltenham BournsideSchool and Sixth Form

“

• Researchers in Schoolsbegan working in the SouthWest in 2015, and with theCabot Learning FederationSCITT in Bristol in 2016

• Since 2016, 15 participantshave been enrolled on the RISprogramme in the region

• Three participants completedthe three-year programme in2018/19

• Uni Pathways courses delivered by RIS participants

in Bristol have included “Abee in maths: Animal behaviour and complex systems”; “Why are you smarterthan a worm?”; and “Whatdo a soda can and a spacecraft have in common?”

• RIS participants in the SouthWest have carried outadditional work at theirschools, such as runningmentoring programmes thattook pupils to the University ofBristol, and a visit to BletchleyPark

• In 2018/19, 763 pupils from42 schools in the South West participated in The ScholarsProgramme

• 441 pupils in the region werefrom a rural area, and 152from social mobility cold spots

• The University of Bath, the University of Bristol and the

University of Exeter welcomedpupils for both launch andgraduation trips

• Pupils from the South Westalso visited Cardiff University,the University of Southampton,the University of Sussex, RoyalHolloway, University of Londonand the University of Oxford on trips

The Scholars Programme in the South West Researchers in Schools in Bristol

In recognition of the invaluable skills, rigour and academicpreparation for university that The Scholars Programmeprovides when undertaken alongside A Level study, from 2019the University of Bath will make an alternative offer to ourhighest performing Scholars Programme graduates, thosewho achieve a 1st or a 2:1.

The University of Bath aims to create as much opportunity aspossible for students from backgrounds that areunderrepresented at university to study at Bath and admitsstudents with the greatest potential to succeed on theircourses. An alternative offer is typically one grade below thestandard typical offer. For example, for a course with a typicaloffer of AAA, the alternative offer would be to achieve AAB.

Regional CaseStudy: SouthWest England

The ScholarsProgramme

Researchersin Schools

Promoting Education ResearchDr Patrick Cottam Digitech Studio School, BristolDr Patrick Cottam decided to focus his masters-level researchproject specifically on promoting education research. Thequestion he set out to answer was ‘How do teachers currentlymake use of academic research and how would they useacademic research were they to be equipped withimproved research skills and awareness of academicprocesses?’.

Patrick developed an intervention aimed at strengtheningtrainees’ research skills, enabling them to engage moreeffectively with research and draw guidance from evidence-based publications to help them develop their practice.

An area of the country with both citiesand large expanses of rural and coastalareas, the South West plays host to both The Scholars Programme andResearchers in Schools

In 2019/20, we have plans to improveour programmes and increase ourimpact based on key learnings from the past year.

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Always improving

We saw lots ofdemand from bothresearchers andschools to take partin RIS

Feedback fromschools, pupils andparents and tutorswas overwhelminglypositive

Pupils undertaking ourprogrammes aremaking significantprogress in theirAcademicAchievement – thecore universityreadiness outcomeswhich the programmesaim to influence

But they also told us that the virtuallearningenvironment (VLE)was not always asreliable or easy touse as it could be

But pupils’ progressin their DeeperLearning Skills hasbeen less significantand it is not alwaysclear that they waywe measure theseskills tells us enoughabout pupils’university readiness

In 2019/20, ourResearch and ImpactDepartment will bereviewing our universityreadiness outcomesframework to ensurethat assessment of our programmes’ impact is moreaccurate

In 2018/19, followinga consultationcarried out by our ITteam, a new VLE wasdeveloped and isbeing rolled out in2019/20

But it was not alwayspossible to matchresearchers withschool placementsin a suitable subjectand location

In 2019/20, we will bepartnering with abroader range ofproviders, includingNational Online TeacherTraining (NOTT), whichwill enable us to offer RIS placements in moreschools

What went wellin 2018/19

What we learned What we’re goingto do next

Researchand Impact

Researchersin Schools

The ScholarsProgramme

2019/20 will be the fourth year of The Brilliant Club’s five-year strategy, The Path to Outcomes,which outlines the charity’s aims to support 6,500 pupils to progress to a highly-selectiveuniversity between 2016-21.

As well as continuing in pursuit of the targets laid out in The Path to Outcomes, 2019/20 will seethe charity begin to consider its next strategy document, which will guide our work from 2021.

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Supporters

We are grateful for the support of our partner schools and universities, supporters and Friends,including individuals and those who wish to remain anonymous.

www

The Brilliant Clubthebrilliantclub.org

@BrilliantClubhello@thebrilliantclub.org

Registered Company: 7986971 Registered Charity: 1147771 (England and Wales), SC048774 (Scotland) 

Registered Address: 17th Floor, Millbank Tower, 21-24 Millbank, SW1P 4QP