Parents & Carers

Realising Opportunities (RO) is an innovative national programme designed for students in Year 12 and 13 to gain increased access to some of the country’s leading research intensive universities.

RO students will benefit from increased information, advice and access to the RO universities. The Programme they follow will ensure they are better equipped for university life and understand what research intensive universities can offer.

For me, the most important part was knowing that I had a support network at RO

Jessica, Former RO student

Being part of a research intensive university involves me in the most recent research in my subject area… which is crucial for a job market that constantly demands you to be up to date

Nicola, Former RO student

RO has made me become a more independent learner and the experience was amazing

Shih hung, Former RO student

RO has encouraged me to work harder to achieve the grades I want so I can get into a research intensive university

Former RO student

The Benefits

By taking part in the RO Programme students will benefit from the following:

Additional Consideration

When students apply to any of the RO universities, their UCAS application will be given additional consideration.

Alternative offer

Many of the RO universities also give alternative offers worth up to two grades lower than the standard offer to students who successfully complete the programme. All alternative offers given through UCAS are dependent on the university and course students apply for and it is recommended that students contact the university before they apply. For more information about the recognition offered by the RO universities please refer to the Recognition Guide on the Current Student page.

Skills Development

Students must complete the Academic Skills Module which has been developed to give students an authentic experience of academic work at university as well as an online study module giving them skills in researching, planning, critical thinking, analysis, and referencing.

Advice for the Future

Students will gain an understanding of what a research intensive university is and the benefits of studying at one. Through events and activities such as masterclasses and residential visits they will learn more about university life and their subject choices. Students are also allocated a dedicated ementor from one of the RO universities who will guide them through an interactive support programme and students will have access to a wide range of resources and activities on the ementoring site.

Access to Professional Careers Information

Students will have access to information and advice from a range of professionals and employee organisations, in the past we have worked with UKCAT, The Nuffield Foundation and Teach First. Please see the Organisations We Work With page for more information.

The Programme

Taking part in RO will give students access to:

A local launch virtual event at their host university to celebrate their place on the RO programme, get them started, and meet university representatives and other students taking part in the RO programme.

Experiences and support to help them make an informed choice about higher education and research intensive universities.

A chance to develop their skills in analysis, critical thinking, evaluation and research through taking the RO Academic Skills Module.

Online support through which students can get answers to their questions from both current university students who have been in their shoes and staff from the RO universities.

A virtual student conference where students have the chance to meet others from across the country taking part in RO and representatives from all of the RO universities.

A wide range of online events and activities at the RO Partner universities.

skills4uni An online study skills challenge and multiple choice quiz which will help them develop their planning and independent research skills, as well as providing an insight into studying at university.

Additional consideration when students make an application to an RO university through UCAS.

Alternative offers from the Partner RO universities^

Careers information from employer organisations to help them make informed choices about their future.

^please see the Recognition Guides on the RO student resources page for examples of course exemptions.

Eligibility

Applications will open in January 2021

Realising Opportunities (RO) supports very able students from backgrounds which are underrepresented in higher education (HE). We use the eligibility criteria listed below to ensure that the programme works with these students.

To be eligible to apply for a place on the Realising Opportunities programme students must be in year 12/first year of college attending a school/college which is participating in RO.

Schools participating in RO will be provided with a Student Application Key which allows students to access the online application system.

In order to be eligible to apply for the Realising Opportunities programme students must meet all of the following criteria:

Attend a state-funded school/college which is currently working with an RO university to deliver the RO Programme
Have achieved at least five grade A*–B (9–6) at GCSE (or equivalent, eg GNVQ, BTEC certificate); if this does not include English Language and Mathematics you must have achieved at least a grade C (4) in these subjects†
Be a Home registered student or expect to be by the time they apply for higher education. If they are not a Home registered student, but are classed as an asylum seeker, please see below for further informationⱽ.

Students must also meet at least two of the following criteria†:

Live in a neighbourhood which has a low progression rate to higher education or an area which has a high level of financial, social or economic deprivation. This is defined by home postcode‡
Come from a home where neither parent attended university in the UK or abroad. (If one or more parent is currently studying their first degree, or graduated from their first degree within the last five years, an application will still be considered)
Be in receipt of or entitled to discretionary payments/16-19 bursary/Pupil Premium at school/college
Be in receipt of or entitled to free school meals, or have been entitled to them at a point in the last six years
Be attending or have attended a school/college§:
- that is performing below the national average for 5+ A*-C/9-4 or equivalents including 9-4 in both English and Mathematics or below the national average Attainment 8 score per school or
- which is performing below the national average at key stage 5, or
- where there is higher than the national average number of students eligible for free school meals .

At the point in time the student applies to the RO Programme.

Or alternatively meet the following:

Be living in, or have lived in, local authority care or be a young carer¥

If the number of students applying to a Realising Opportunities Partner University is greater than the number of places available that year students meeting the highest number of criteria in Step 2 will be prioritised. Students who have had a disrupted education as outlined below† will be counted as meeting the equivalent of one step 2 criteria in this circumstance.

† If students do not meet the prior attainment outlined in step 1 or at least two of the criteria outlined in step 2, but have experienced a period of disrupted education, their application may still be considered on an individual basis (except in extreme circumstances, disruption caused by the Coronavirus pandemic will not be considered). Disruptions considered include, but are not limited to, students who:

- are estranged/living independently from their families.
- are experiencing/have experienced significant family issues
- have a disability
- have a health condition
- are from Gypsy, Roma or Traveller communities
- are Refugees
- are the children of military families

Extreme circumstances linked to Coronavirus which would be considered are:

- The student has experienced serious illness and spent a prolonged period in hospital as a result of Coronavirus
- The student has had significant caring responsibilities as a result of Coronavirus (e.g. caring for someone extremely clinically vulnerable/shielding)
- The student has suffered a close family bereavement due to Coronavirus
- Coronavirus has created or exacerbated a very difficult or dangerous living situation

‡ A neighbourhood with low progression rates to higher education is defined by home postcodes which are in POLAR4 quintile 1 and 2. More information on the POLAR classification can be found at https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/data-and-analysis/polar-participation-of-local-areas/. An area which has a high level of financial, social or economic deprivation is defined by home postcodes which are in the 30% most deprived wards within the Index of Mass Deprivation (IMD). For more information on IMD please see https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/english-indices-of-deprivation-2015

§ National averages used are based on all schools in England:

Key Stage 4:

- 5+ 9-4/A*-C or equivalents including 9-4 in both English and Mathematics – 64.6%
- Attainment 8 score per school – 46.7%

Key Stage 5:

- Average point score per A level entry – 33.09%
- Average point score per academic entry – 33.25%
- Average point score per applied general entry – 29.70%
- Average point score per tech level entry – 32.32%
- Free school meals: 15.9%

¥ Those defined as living in, or who have lived in, local authority care are those who are being looked after by their local authority, either living with foster parents/other family members such as grandparents, at home with their parents under the supervision of social services, in a residential children’s home or in another residential setting such as school or secure unit, or someone who has experienced a period of three months in the care of the local authority within the last ten years.

Those defined as young carers are those who under the age of 18 who help look after someone in their family, or a friend. There is no time limit on the amount of care they provide for their dependents, this is just above and beyond what is normally expected.

ⱽ Those defined as asylum seekers are classed as international students and are therefore required to pay international fees for undergraduate/postgraduate courses at UK higher education providers. Asylum seekers are also not eligible for Student Finance. However, asylum seekers are able to apply for a Sanctuary Scholarship which, if eligible, may offer support towards the costs of higher education. Realising Opportunities would therefore welcome application enquiries from students who are eligible to apply for Sanctuary Scholarships. To make an enquiry about applying to Realising Opportunities, asylum seekers are required to have a discussion with the RO Central Team before submitting a Realising Opportunities application

Resources

This page contains resources to tell you more about the Realising Opportunities (RO) Programme,
the RO universities and access to research intensive universities.
Many of the RO universities have further resources and information for Parents and Carers,
please follow the links below to find out more.