Linking London Uni Connect Update - April 2026

All in-college sessions for phase one of the BTEC Transition project, delivered in partnership with St Mary’s University, Birkbeck, University of London, University of East London, and Northeastern University, have now been completed. Partner colleges (West Thames College, College of North West London, City of Westminster College, and Havering Sixth Form College) have each hosted three university visits, with campus visits currently underway to conclude the programme. 

Over 100 students have taken part, and we will be evaluating the project over the coming weeks to inform planning for next year. Alongside student delivery, a parent/carer webinar was held on 16 April with support from our HE partners, attracting strong engagement that we aim to build on going forward. 

Good news story: A student from the Havering Sixth Form mentoring programme for care-experienced learners, led by Outreach Officer Suzanne Humphreys, has secured a place on PwC’s highly competitive Flying Start Accounting programme, along with a financial bursary. 

This month we also delivered the second session in our CPD Spotlight series for careers staff in schools and colleges, focusing on Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, and computing-related degrees. The webinar explored how to support students with progression choices, qualification routes, and personal statements, alongside insights into course differences, apprenticeships, and future employment trends in this fast-evolving sector. 

Many thanks to our speakers, Keith Mannock (Birkbeck, University of London) and Gaurav Malik (University of East London), for their engaging and highly relevant contributions tailored to careers professionals. Recordings of this session and our previous Psychology spotlight are available, with details of the next CPD webinar to follow. 

Our Creative and Sports Kick Start projects are nearing completion, with university visits scheduled to conclude the programmes. Student feedback will be gathered through questionnaires, and a full evaluation of impact will take place, with a report due in June. 

Our next collaborative London Uni Connect webinar, delivered with Middlesex University, will focus on Post-18: Next Steps. The session will guide students through understanding and responding to university offers (firm and insurance choices), key deadlines, including the 6 May reply deadline for those receiving all decisions by 31 March, and what to expect on Results Day. It will also cover the Clearing process and alternative pathways such as gap years or deferred ent