National Access Summer School

Each student will experience first-hand what life studying and living at a research-led university is like.

Students will be staying for four days and three nights in the University halls of residence and attending academic sessions in an area of their interest. During the evenings, students will be able to take part in social activities and will also have the opportunity to take a tour of the UK’s second city, Birmingham. Throughout the residential, there will be a team of undergraduate student ambassadors on hand to provide advice and support within a relevant academic stream.

There are two broad academic streams that applicants can choose from. Their stream of choice must be related to current studies or relevant to the degree programme students wish to study. The academic streams will include some of the following areas, but these are all subject to availability of academic staff:

• Humanities: Law, History, English, Philosophy, Theology
• Biological and Health Sciences: Physiotherapy, Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, Biology, Biomedical Material Science, Chemistry
• Engineering: Civil, Electronic, Electrical and Systems, Aerospace, Chemical, Materials Science, Nuclear

In addition to academic lectures and seminars, there are contributions from external organisations.

Students who successfully complete the National Access Summer School and apply to the University of Birmingham will receive special consideration from admissions tutors. If their application is successful, they will receive two offers from the University of Birmingham, the standard offer and a Pathways to Birmingham offer. The Pathways to Birmingham offer is typically a reduction of up to two A level grades (e.g. BBB rather than AAB).

As well as the Pathways to Birmingham offer, students will also be eligible for financial support.

Students who are successful in gaining a place on the National Access Summer School will benefit from:

• Taster lectures from a range of academic disciplines
• First-hand experience of living in university accomodation and socialising with like-minded students
• Impartial advice and guidance regarding their higher education decision-making
• Support with their university applications
• Support from current undergraduates via e-mentoring in Year 13

The National Access Summer School is suitable for Year 12 students who have a strong commitment to study at the University of Birmingham and who are studying A Level, IB or a relevant BTEC course. Applications are open to students who meet the Pathways to Birmingham criteria - check to see if you are eligible.

Students applying to the National Access Summer School must have achieved the minimum academic requirements for their chosen university course at GCSE - please check the University of Birmingham course pages for more information. Medicine and Dentistry applicant have separate academic criteria which is available to view here.

Due to the competitive nature of this programme, applications will be selected based not only on the socio-economic criteria as listed for the Pathways to Birmingham programmes, but also on achieved grades at GCSE and predicted/target grades at post 16 level.

If you are a Realising Opportunities student hosted by a university other than Birmingham, you may apply for the summer school if your home postcode is in a POLAR4 Quintile 1 area. 

The costs of the National Access Summer School are completely covered by the University. This includes travel to and from the University (up to £35), accommodation, all meals during the residential element and all social activities.

Applications for the National Access Summer School 2021 will open in early 2021. 

Register your interest in the programme and we will email you to let you know when 2021 applications are open.

Register your interest now

If you have any questions about the National Access Summer School please email nass@contacts.bham.ac.uk.