Brookes Engage

Coming Soon: A brand new, national outreach programme for students in Year 12 or the first year of college.

What is Brookes Engage?

A free subject based programme designed to support you in making decisions about your next steps after school or college through the following activities.

On campus ‘conference days’

Visit the campus to take part in an exciting range of activities and make use of our state of the art facilities. You’ll get to engage in your choice of subject sessions and as well as benefiting from information, advice and guidance related to university applications and beyond.

Online content

You can choose what content to complete and complete it in your own time so that you can tailor your experience to what you are interested in or need more support with.

Mentoring from current Brookes students

Mentors will help you navigate the challenges of applying to university and will tell you all about student life and what it is like to be a student at Brookes. Your mentor is also able to support you with subject related questions, and will be at your Conference Days at Brookes.

What’s in it for me?

Explore a subject area that interests you

Subject workshops will give you the chance to learn more about studying your chosen subject and get to know new people with similar interests to you from across the country, including current students.

Take part from anywhere in England

Much of the programme, including mentoring, personal statement and interview support sessions will take place online so you can access them from anywhere! There will also be ‘pick and mix’ website content you can access in your own time and at your own pace.

Experience the campus and our facilities

Conference Days will take place on campus so you can experience our incredible facilities and work with academics in person! As a Brookes Engage student, you’ll also receive a special invite to the Open Day and Applicant Days.

Strengthen your UCAS application

If you decide to apply to university, Brookes Engage will be a great thing to write about in your personal statement, as it shows your commitment to learn more beyond sixth form or college. As part of the programme you’ll receive support in completing your UCAS application.

A contextual offer to study at Oxford Brookes

Successful completion of the programme will give you access to a contextual offer to study at Oxford Brookes. This means we’ll offer you a place on reduced tariff points as long as any other conditions of the offer are met. This is usually around two grades lower, but can vary per course.

Gain £1K scholarship

Lastly, if you successfully complete the programme, you’ll also be entitled to a £1,000 scholarship in your first year of study at Oxford Brookes.

“I loved the experience and it definitely helped me with stepping into uni life. I did actually get accepted into my firm choice of uni, I can’t stop smiling!”

Brookes Engage graduates, 2020

When does the programme start?

Part 1 - Exploring your Options: The programme will start in December of year 12 with conference days taking place throughout December-April. These will be on campus and travel will be provided at no cost to you via a travel bursary. (Exact session dates are yet to be confirmed).

Part 2 - Transition to University: Once you return for year 13, the programme will begin again in September with a range of support available for your UCAS application. In October you can visit campus again, with a special invite to the university open day. Any travel to campus, including the open day, will be provided at no cost to you via a travel bursary.

Who can take part?

To be eligible to apply for Brookes Engage, you must meet all of the following criteria:

Be in the first year of a two-year Level 3 qualification (e.g. A Levels, BTEC, or equivalent)
Be studying at a non-selective state school or college in England
Have 5 GCSEs A*-C/ 4-9, including English and Maths (or expect to have 5 GCSEs including English and Maths by July 2024)
Live in England
Be aged 16 or 17 at the time of starting the programme

To be eligible to apply for Brookes Engage, you also need to meet at least one of the following criteria.

Currently eligible for free school meals or 6th form bursary
Currently live in local authority care, or have lived in care
Are a young carer (are under 18 and help to look after a relative with a disability, illness, mental health condition, or drug or alcohol problem)
Have a disability, mental health condition, or specific learning difficulty
Are of black or minority ethnic origin
Have official refugee status in the UK, or are an asylum seeker
Are from a traveller family
Have at least one parent/carer who has served in the armed forces at any time within the past six years
Are irreconcilably estranged from both birth parents
Live in an area where progression to university is low. To find out whether this applies, please visit www.officeforstudents.org.uk/data-and-analysis/postcode-search/. Instructions on how to use: Type your postcode in the search box. Check the box marked ‘MSOA (used to calculate POLAR4 and TUNDRA)’ Look at the box on the right hand side of the map under the ‘POLAR4’ measure. If the number here is Quintile 1 or 2, you are eligible.
Live in an area of higher socio-economic disadvantage. To find out whether this applies, please visit http://imd-by-postcode.opendatacommunities.org/imd/2019. Instructions on how to use: Type your postcode into the search box. Download the Excel spreadsheet generated. If the number in the column labelled ‘Index of Multiple Deprivation Decile’ is 1-4, you are eligible.