News archive 2009

Eleven Universities Mutually Recognise Schemes to Widen Access

21 Apr 2009, PR 77/09

The Universities of Birmingham, Bristol, Exeter, King’s College London, Leicester, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Southampton and Warwick are launching a Mutual Recognition Scheme. This is an initiative where students engaged in widening access activities at their local university will be able to apply to another university taking part in the scheme.

University of Birmingham News Release

The scheme is a collaborative partnership between eleven research-intensive institutions and means that young people who have experienced educational and social disadvantage can demonstrate their commitment and potential for Higher Education study.

The activities that a student has undertaken with one university will now be taken into account should they choose to apply to one of the other universities in the scheme. It will widen the opportunities available to students who might otherwise be more likely to study in their home locality and/or less likely to apply to research-intensive institutions such as those in this scheme.

Gail Rothnie, Head of Outreach at the University of Birmingham, said, ‘All the Universities in the partnership are keen to identify able students with potential, but who require additional motivation and support, both to apply to Higher Education, and make a successful transition.

‘Through this scheme a young person can choose to have details of the activities they have undertaken with one institution shared with the other partner institutions. This will enable a more holistic view of the student’s application to be made.

The partnership will also enable the participating Universities to share best practice around this area of admissions and assist the development of new and extended opportunities for those young people who need help and support to study at University level.

Anyone applying for admission to University for 2010 under a Widening Access scheme at one of the eleven Universities will be eligible and can contact any of the universities in the partnership. 

The initiative was welcomed by the Principal of King’s College London, Professor Rick Trainor, who said: ‘All the participating institutions receive many applications so competition for places is already strong but we hope this scheme will provide us with additional applications from well qualified candidates, and additional relevant information about such applicants. We look forward to collaborating with our partner institutions and perhaps others in due course.’

[Image IMG 6747 from the King's Image Library by Alfredo Falvo]

Notes to editors

King’s College London Widening Access
King’s College London has consistently led the Russell Group in London in meeting the HEFCE state school benchmark.

According to the 2008 London Higher Shell Project findings, King’s College London was listed as being the most recognised Russell Group HEI in London that works with London secondary schools.


King's College London
King's College London is one of the top 25 universities in the world (Times Higher Education 2008) and the fourth oldest in England. A research-led university based in the heart of London, King's has more than 21,000 students from nearly 140 countries, and more than 5,700 employees. King's is in the second phase of a ?1 billion redevelopment programme which is transforming its estate.

King's has an outstanding reputation for providing world-class teaching and cutting-edge research. In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise for British universities, 23 departments were ranked in the top quartile of British universities; over half of our academic staff work in departments that are in the top 10 per cent in the UK in their field and can thus be classed as world leading. The College is in the top seven UK universities for research earnings and has an overall annual income of nearly £450 million.

King's has a particularly distinguished reputation in the humanities, law, the sciences (including a wide range of health areas such as psychiatry, medicine and dentistry) and social sciences including international affairs. It has played a major role in many of the advances that have shaped modern life, such as the discovery of the structure of DNA and research that led to the development of radio, television, mobile phones and radar. It is the largest centre for the education of healthcare professionals in Europe; no university has more Medical Research Council Centres.

King's College London and Guy's and St Thomas', King's College Hospital and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trusts are part of King's Health Partners. King's Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre (AHSC) is a pioneering global collaboration between one of the world's leading research-led universities and three of London's most successful NHS Foundation Trusts, including leading teaching hospitals and comprehensive mental health services. For more information, visit: www.kingshealthpartners.org.



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