Discover Brookes Programme

About Discover Brookes

Are you in your first year of sixth form or college? Do you want to learn more about your future educational options, and get a taste of what university life is like? Oxford Brookes are pleased to announce the launch of our brand new Discover Brookes Programme, which will be perfect for you!

This is an exciting opportunity for you to spend the next two years exploring a subject area that interests you in more detail, discovering the opportunities available to you, and finding the answers to any questions you have. There are many benefits to the programme, including the chance to meet new people with similar interests to you from across the country! If you decide to apply to university, Discover Brookes 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. Lastly, the programme will give you access to a contextual offer (which means the grade requirements will be lower), and a £1,000 scholarship if you decide to apply to Oxford Brookes!

Subject areas

The subjects on offer for 2021-22 are:

Business and Management

The Business & Management stream will give you an academic insight into the topics taught on Business related courses at university. Key concepts and theories will be introduced, alongside opportunities to apply these to practical industry examples. The programme will give you a further understanding of four key areas of Business: Marketing, Accounting and Finance, Events and Hospitality Management, and Business Management.

The stream will build on the knowledge and skills you may have previously gained through A Level Business Studies or Economics, or BTEC Level 3 Business or Travel and Tourism. It is also open to you as an introduction to Business, if you haven’t studied it before! The sessions will be developed and delivered by current teaching academics and students in the Oxford Brookes Business School.

Healthcare

Through this Healthcare stream, you will get a fantastic experience of studying different areas of health related degrees at university. It can be hard to decide which course you would like to choose, so we will introduce you to many options and help you to decide which area you would be most interested in - including midwifery, social care, nursing, and others!

The sessions are developed and delivered by current academics and students from our different health and social care courses. You will get to interact with some virtual lab resources, as well as completing activities that you would do at university, such as interdisciplinary case studies, reflective discussions, and group work. You’ll have the opportunity to work with current undergraduate students, to find out how to solve different problems and give patients the best treatment. Additionally, you’ll explore the vast array of careers within the NHS, and the pathways to get there, to find which one best suits you.

Teaching and Education

The theme of this pathway is ‘Education for a Better World’. By taking part in this programme, you will explore the role that teaching and education play in large political issues, such as climate change, activism, Black Lives Matters, the de-colonisation of the curriculum, and so on. You will consider the influence and contribution of young people in these movements, by focusing on the power that young people have, and the role that education plays in this empowerment.

The sessions are developed and delivered by current academics and students from our different Teaching and Education courses. You will get to take part in group work and discussions with other students on the programme, and explore the variety of career avenues within education.

Engineering and Design

Technology is advancing fast, and those working in the Engineering and Design sector are forging the way. Automotive Engineers are exploring the possibility of hydrogen-powered cars, Biomechanical Engineers are developing bionic limbs, Urban Designers are designing future-proof cities, and Mathematicians are using their skills to model the spread of viruses in a pandemic (which is particularly relevant now!).

On this Engineering & Design stream, you will explore how these industries are building our future, from the creativity of design all the way through to the theory underpinning it all. We’ll introduce you to different fields in the sector, with subjects including Automotive Engineering and Urban Design. You’ll also take part in a Maths workshop which will show you real-world applications of this subject, and support you with the Maths content of an Engineering degree.

The programme consists of a variety of engaging and interactive virtual activities, with a mixture of live sessions and ‘offline’ work in your subject area of choice. All of these activities will be accessible via smartphone, as well as on laptops and tablet devices. Later in the programme you will hopefully have the chance to visit the Oxford Brookes campus in-person and meet our staff, current Oxford Brookes students, and the other students taking part in Discover Brookes.

More information is available below, and you can email us at discover@brookes.ac.uk with any questions you have.

Applications for Discover Brookes 2021 are now closed.

More information

What is Discover Brookes?

Discover Brookes is an 18 month programme which will help you to progress and succeed in your future education and work. Taking part will allow you to access a series of engaging events taking place every few months, largely focusing on subject-specific content. This will include working on an interesting project, to support you to develop your subject skills in your choice of one of the following streams:

Business & Management
Engineering & Design
Healthcare
Teaching & Education

Alongside subject support, you’ll also be able to explore your future career opportunities, access information and advice about how to progress to higher education, and develop useful transferable skills. From the start of the programme, you’ll be paired with a current Oxford Brookes student who is studying a subject related to your interest. You’ll be able to chat with them about university life one-to-one on Brightside, which is a fully-moderated and safe online messaging platform which you can access via your phone, tablet or laptop.

You’ll also be placed in a Brightside group chat with other sixth form and college students with similar interests to you from all across the country! Here, you’ll be able to get to know each other before hopefully meeting up on-campus later in the programme, and work on a group academic project as well as enjoying fun social activities.

When will the sessions take place?

This is the full list of Discover Brookes events for 2021-22, with more details about each event:

18-28 January 2021 - Evening Subject Taster Lectures
Over two weeks, you can try up to eight virtual taster lectures! These will give you an insight into different degree areas at university, and feature a Q&A with our lecturers and current students. This will come before the final application deadline for Discover Brookes (Sunday 7 February 2021), to help you decide on your subject stream of interest. Don't worry if you're not able to make these sessions - you can still apply!
Week commencing 15 March 2021 - Launch and Subject Workshop 1
You will experience a live virtual seminar to get to know the other students on your chosen subject stream, as well as lecturers, programme leads, and your student mentor, who will be a current Brookes undergraduate. You’ll get to explore topics within your chosen subject stream in further detail, and be introduced to your academic project.
The first workshop will be a shorter evening session, where you will begin to build up your subject knowledge, will take place on the same evening.
Week commencing 5 or 12 April 2021 - Subject Workshop 2
Over Easter, you will have your second virtual subject workshops where you will get the opportunity to take a deeper look into your chosen subject stream.
July 2021
You will receive a guaranteed place on our virtual Discover Brookes Summer School, to take part in more subject sessions and fun social activities.
September 2021 - August 2022
An array of more exciting events, which may be delivered virtually or on-campus. We will provide updates on future events when plans can be confirmed, but the rest of the programme would contain the following:

October 2021 - Subject Workshop 3, with careers guidance and support to finish your group project for submission in December 2021.
November 2021 - Personalised Oxford Brookes Open Day experience, with support from your student mentor to get the most out of the day.
March 2022 - A similar personalised experience of our Applicant Day will be available for participants who choose to make an application to Oxford Brookes.
August 2022 - A Celebration Event to bring your family, friends, and other guests to Brookes and celebrate all your achievements on the programme, including prizes for the best project submissions.

What are the benefits?

By taking part in Discover Brookes, you will gain an authentic insight into what it’s like to study at Oxford Brookes, and at university in general. You will work with current undergraduates, and also other students from around the country who have similar course interests to you - just like the first year at uni! A particular advantage is getting to choose the subject you want to explore in-depth. By taking part in subject workshops with lecturers, and getting to work on a group academic project, you will find out if that degree is the right choice for you.

The best parts of Discover Brookes are:

The programme is entirely free for you to take part in
At all stages of the programme, we will ask you for your input to activities, so we can tailor the programme as closely as possible to your interests.
Taking part will give you access to a contextual offer if you decide to apply for a full-time course at Oxford Brookes (which means the grade requirements will be lower), and a scholarship of £1,000 in your first year of study.

What are the eligibility criteria?

To be eligible to apply for Discover Brookes, 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, outside of Oxfordshire
Have 5 GCSEs A*-C/ 4-9, including English and Maths (or expect to have 5 GCSEs including English and Maths by July 2022)

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

Currently eligible for free school meals
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.

I have more questions - who should I get in touch with?

Feel free to phone the Oxford Brookes Schools and Colleges Team on 01865 484138 or email discover@brookes.ac.uk if you have any questions about Discover Brookes or the application process. Otherwise, we look forward to receiving your application soon!

Information for parents, carers and teachers

Discover Brookes is a free sustained access programme, open to young people across England who are in their first year of a Level 3 qualification (e.g. A Levels, BTEC, or equivalent), and from backgrounds currently under-represented in higher education. Applications are open now, and the deadline for applying is Sunday 7 February 2021. For more information, or if you are interested in a virtual assembly for your students, please email us at discover@brookes.ac.uk.

The programme will run from March 2021 to August 2022, and is designed to support your students to make a successful transition to university by broadening their knowledge in a subject area of interest, and helping them to develop skills and attributes that will be beneficial to further study and in the world of work. Participants will take part in a range of activities over the course of the programme, including subject workshops, a summer school in July 2021, and online support, including 1:1 mentoring with a current university student.

Due to the current situation regarding Covid-19, all activities will be virtual until we are in a position to invite students on campus. However, our virtual outreach during this period has been very successful, and has provided valuable insight into how best to structure Discover Brookes. For example, 99% of our July 2020 Virtual Summer School participants reported it was a positive experience, and 76% said it increased their confidence about meeting new people and making friends at university.

By the end of the programme, participants should feel confident about making decisions for their next step in their educational and career journey. Students who successfully complete the programme will also be rewarded with a contextual offer (an offer with lower grade requirements than would usually be made), and a £1,000 scholarship in their first year of study if they decide to apply for a full-time course at Oxford Brookes.

The programme is completely free of charge to participants; this will include students’ travel to campus, catering, and accommodation for overnight stays when we are able to run on-campus events.

Aims

Provide students with access to high-quality enrichment activities.
Increase students’ awareness of the opportunities of higher education, and their sense of belonging within a university.
Increase students’ confidence and resilience to support their successful transition to higher education.
Expand students’ subject knowledge to new contexts, and increase their capacity for higher level study skills.
Create a peer group of like-minded students, and allow them to gain an insight into student life through the experiences of current Oxford Brookes undergraduates.
Showcase the links between university courses and employability.

Programme overview

This is the full list of Discover Brookes events for 2020-22, with more details about each event:

18-28 January 2021 - Evening Subject Taster Lectures
Over these two weeks, students can try up to eight virtual taster lectures. These will provide an insight into different degree areas at university, and feature a Q&A with lecturers and current students. This will come before the final application deadline for Discover Brookes (Sunday 7 February 2021), to help students to decide on their subject stream of interest. If students have not been able to make these sessions, don't worry - they can still apply!
Week commencing 15 March 2021 - Launch and Subject Workshop 1
Students will experience a live virtual seminar to get to know the other students on their chosen subject stream, as well as lecturers, programme leads, and their student mentor, who will be a current Brookes undergraduate. They will get to explore topics from the January lecture in further detail, and be introduced to their academic project.
Students' first subject workshop, where they will begin to build up your subject knowledge, will take place on the same evening.
Week commencing 5 or 12 April 2021 - Subject Workshop 2
Over Easter, students will have their second virtual subject workshop where they will get the opportunity to take a deeper look into their chosen subject stream.
July 2021
Students will receive a guaranteed place on our virtual Discover Brookes Summer School, to take part in more subject sessions and fun social activities.
September 2021 - August 2022
An array of more exciting events, which may be delivered virtually or on-campus. We will provide updates on future events when plans can be confirmed, but the rest of the programme would contain the following:

October 2021 - Subject Workshop 3, with careers guidance and support for students to finish their group project for submission in December 2021.
November 2021 - Personalised Oxford Brookes Open Day experience, with support from their Brookes student mentor to get the most out of the day.
March 2022 - A similar personalised experience of our Applicant Day will be available if you choose to make an application to Oxford Brookes.
August 2022 - A Celebration Event for students to bring their family, friends, and other guests to Brookes and celebrate their achievements on the programme, including prizes for the best project submissions.

Applying

Applications for Discover Brookes 2021 are now closed.

Eligibility criteria

To be eligible to apply for Discover Brookes, students 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, outside of Oxfordshire
Have 5 GCSEs A*-C/ 4-9 including English and Maths (or expect to have 5 GCSEs including English and Maths by July 2022)

To be eligible to apply for Discover Brookes, students also need to meet at least one of the following criteria:

Currently eligible for free school meals
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.