The Brilliant Club

20/08/2026

Congratulations to all GCSE students getting their results today! 🤩

The Scholars Programme has an impact on GCSE attainment. Data shows that students who did the programme in Years 7-10 were more likely to achieve a 9-5 in maths and English than students who scored similarly at Key Stage 2 within their schools: https://bit.ly/4i9jYHa

To discuss running The Scholars Programme in your school in 2026-27, you can enquire on our website: https://bit.ly/4w9RvF0

19/08/2026

It's wonderful to see our Bradford Parent Power chapter featured in the Dixons Academies Trust Civil Impact Report for 2026!

A huge thank you to Dixons Academies Trust, Go Higher West Yorkshire and Queens' College, Cambridge for supporting Bradford Parent Power. The chapter now has over 170 members. Parents/Carers have raised £20,000 of funding for a new CIC they’ve incorporated to expand access to weekend tuition for Year 9-11 students.

We loved this featured quote from a Dixons parent involved in Bradford Parent Power:

"If I face any difficulty in the educational pathway, I can seek support from other parents. It’s a brilliant initiative, and the name of this club is highly suitable to its performances – Parent Power!"

You can read the full report here: https://bit.ly/3SJI6G9

📷 Bradford Parent Power on a trip to the University of Cambridge in February 2026

17/08/2026

Are you or do you know a student attending university this September? We run a free support programme, Join the Dots, for first-year undergraduates attending one of our programme partner universities.

Eligible students can be partnered with a PhD coach to support them in their first 6 months at uni. Our Join the Dots partner universities for 2026-27 are:

🎓 University of Bristol
🎓 Durham University
🎓 Birkbeck, University of London
🎓 Bournemouth University
🎓 King's College London
🎓 University of Westminster
🎓 Queen Mary University of London

Watch this 2-minute video to learn more about what the programme involves: https://bit.ly/4wZ0hXq

Students can apply by completing this sign-up form before 28th September: https://bit.ly/4gbNMAD

Different criteria apply for different universities, and places will be offered based on targeting criteria. If you have any questions, email [email protected]

13/08/2026

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

12/08/2026

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!

04/08/2026

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

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...

29/07/2026

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

27/07/2026

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

27/07/2026

17/07/2026

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