The Mohn Westlake Foundation is working in partnership with Kingston University to support its Head Start summer school, an orientation programme designed to give disadvantaged students the best start at university by building confidence and key skills, and its KU cares programme, offering critical support to standalone students.

Head Start summer school helps disadvantaged students build confidence and familiarity with all aspects of university life, as well as equipping them to manage finances, juggle studies, seek support and secure part-time work.

The support of The Mohn Westlake Foundation is allowing Kingston University to diversify and increase Head Start summer school’s events, including one-day intensive sessions for those who cannot attend a three-day residential.

This September, Kingston University will additionally be launching Head Start Express days for students who join through Clearing, which will be critical in reaching students in need of support, as clearing students are disproportionately from disadvantaged and/or underrepresented groups.

Through these activities, the partnership aims to more than double the number of attendees to Head Start summer school over three years, from 240 to 600 per annum.

Head Start summer school is one of the transformative programmes supported by The Mohn Westlake Foundation’s wider partnership with Kingston University, which focuses on enabling more disadvantaged learners to thrive in Higher Education.

Kingston University’s KU Cares programme supports standalone students, defined as those estranged from their families, who have no parental or financial support or family home, by providing them with a bursary and an assigned caseworker who supports them with the challenges they face in managing their finances, mental health, accommodation, isolation and family issues.

The partnership seeks to build on the already nationally recognised work of the KU Cares programme. The programme will continue to support students for whom cultural or religious conflict has led to a total parental relationship breakdown, working to keep those students safe and provide access to appropriate wellbeing support, emergency accommodation and student support funds so they may stay in university.

For the first time this year, Kingston University proactively asked enrolling students about family status, instead of only being able to cater to self-referrals. This approach resulted in 58 standalone students receiving support, against 41 last year. An increase of over 40%, which is shining a light on this little-known community of marginalised students.

To learn more about these projects, please visit the grantees website:
www.kingston.ac.uk/undergraduate/access/head-start/
www.kingston.ac.uk/undergraduate/fair-access/care-leaver-support/