The Brilliant Club

Congratulations to students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland today who are finding out the results of their A-Levels, T-Levels and BTecs! 🥳

UCAS have announced that a record 262,820 UK 18-year-olds have been accepted to a university or college, compared with 255,130 last year: https://www.ucas.com/corporate/news-and-key-documents/news/quarter-of-a-million-uk-18-year-olds-gain-place-at-university-or-college

Students still considering their next steps can find out more on the UCAS website: https://bit.ly/4pYrff9

We’re thrilled to share that our project, The Scholars Programme in Milton Keynes, has been funded by the Milton Keynes Community Foundation, thanks to the generous support of the David Winks Grant Fund, Next Generation Grant Fund and the Wilson Family Fund.

"We look forward to hearing about the impact this grant will have in helping less advantaged young people in Milton Keynes access competitive universities and progress in higher education." Sadia, Milton Keynes Community Foundation's Philanthropy Officer

This funding will enable us to help less advantaged young people access competitive universities, by providing them with the skills, knowledge and confidence to apply and succeed once there. We couldn’t do this without you - thank you for helping us make a real difference in the Milton Keynes community!

Congratulations to students in Scotland today who are finding out the results of their Nationals, Highers, Advanced Highers and Skills for Work Awards!

UCAS have reported a record number of Scottish students have been accepted into university or college: https://bit.ly/4xnlOJ9

Students still considering their next steps can find out more on the UCAS website: https://bit.ly/4pYrff9

Record number of young people in Scotland celebrate getting a place at university or college via UCAS | UCAS UCAS data published for Qualifications Scotland Results Day (Tuesday 4 August) shows 17,920 young Scottish students (aged 18 years old and under) have been accepted – the highest on record and up from 17,350 in 2025 (+3%).The proportion of the most disadvantaged Scottish 18-year-olds* (SIMD Quinti...

And that's a wrap on Scholars Programme graduations for 2025/26! Over the year, across the UK:

🎓 Over 10,300 students on the programme attended graduation events

📚 These students represented over 800 schools/colleges where PhD and early career researchers delivered university-style learning

🤝 We hosted 157 graduation events, involving 41 different university partners

We're incredibly proud of all the scholars who took part in the programme this year, and are looking forward to supporting more schools and colleges in 2026/27 to help pupils aged 8-18 develop the skills needed to thrive in academia and careers.

Schools can enquire about the programme here: https://lnkd.in/excy4PnJ

Thank you to everyone involved in making these events an unforgettable experience for our scholars, across our partner institutions and Brilliant Club schools!

Students pictured:

📷 Ashfield School students graduating at The University of Sheffield
📷 Oasis Academy Short Heath students graduating at Jesus College, Oxford University
📷 St Paul's School for Girls students graduating at University of Birmingham
📷 Bishop Perowne CE College students graduating at University of Oxford
📷 Ashton Park School (Official) students graduating at University of Bristol
📷 Heartlands Academy students graduating at Christ Church College, Oxford University

We’re hiring! We’re looking for a Coordinator to join our Scholars Programme team to provide fixed term maternity cover from September-December 2026.

The Coordinator role supports us to deliver high-quality Scholars Programme placements, leading on several administrative processes, as well as document creation, data input and management, liaising with stakeholders, and supporting at programme events.

Find out more about the role and how to apply by viewing our recruitment pack: https://bit.ly/4bcJGGF

The 2025-26 academic year is coming to an end, and with it the end of the first year of the Office for Students-funded Our Future, Our Way project. It has been a fantastic first year, with much to learn and take forward, and we’re delighted to share a summary of project impact.

Our Future, Our Way is a cross-sector collaborative project focused on supporting young people on a Child Protection Plan on their educational journeys. The project is funded by the Office for Students’ Equality of Opportunity in Higher Education Innovation Fund, and delivered in partnership with The University of Sheffield, social work charity Frontline, London Academy of Excellence Tottenham and Imperial College London.

To hear more about Year One, what we have learned, and what we will do differently in the final year of the project, join us in September for our webinar “Lessons learned from our project supporting young people on Child Protection Plans”, Thursday 24th September, 4:30pm – you can register here: https://bit.ly/4beKyuz

If you'd like to receive updates on webinar speakers or the project in general, register here: https://bit.ly/4lMHDNb

You can read the full Year One Impact Report here: https://bit.ly/4wNtx2T

"I'm so grateful I got given this opportunity and will be sure to carry everything I have learnt with me." - Student, Buile Hill Academy, Salford

Over 4,4000 pupils across Greater Manchester have taken part in The Scholars Programme, which gives students from non-selective state schools and colleges across the UK the opportunity to work with a PhD researcher.

Students and teachers from schools like Levenshulme High School, Copley Academy, Crab Lane Primary School, King's Leadership Academy Bolton and Buile Hill Academy have found the programme useful for students' abilities including resilience, teamwork, time management and understanding university-style lectures and assignments.

There's still time to get in touch with us to discuss The Scholars Programme for 2026/27 this side of the summer break. Fill in our short enquiry form today: https://bit.ly/3tPlj9D

Today we’re proud to be celebrating the culmination of an exciting partnership with the University of Bath that has brought an AI-focused iteration of The Scholars Programme to life, combining academic rigour with tailored insight into AI pathways and careers. This project was funded by the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council.

Over the past year, 70 students from 5 schools across the South West have taken part in this innovative outreach project, exploring cutting-edge topics in AI while developing critical thinking, research and academic confidence that will support them on their journey to university.

It’s been inspiring to see students engage deeply with university-style learning, and to see researchers supported to share their expertise in meaningful ways.

A huge thank you to colleagues at the University of Bath for their collaboration in delivering this programme, and congratulations to all of the students graduating today – we’re excited to see where your curiosity for AI takes you next.

There's still time to get in touch with us to discuss The Scholars Programme for 2026/27 this side of the summer break. Fill in our short enquiry form today: https://bit.ly/4phq7CN

“As someone who never believed in herself, being able to write such a huge amount and having my opinions heard was a new experience. It made me deep dive into topics I personally never looked over and it got me thinking more and pushing my imagination to the limit.” - Student, St Mark's West Essex Catholic School

Over 3,600 students in Essex have taken part in The Scholars Programme, which gives students from non-selective state schools and colleges across the UK the opportunity to work with a PhD researcher.

Essex teachers and students in schools like The Alderton Junior School, Saffron Walden County High School, Anglo European School, The Deanes School, Thomas Willingale Primary School and St. Mark's West Essex Catholic School have found the programme useful for developing academic skills and building confidence.

If you'd like to discuss how The Scholars Programme can help your students, in Essex or elsewhere, enquire here: https://bit.ly/3tPlj9D