Forward Thinking FAQs

Forward Thinking is a progressive programme of activities for students from Year 8 through to Year 11 who are currently attending a Forward Thinking partner school. The programme is designed to offer students an insight into higher education and professional career routes, along with opportunities for skills building and self-development. 

We work with a select group of partner schools within the local area. We are currently not accepting new schools onto the programme, however if you think your school may be eligible, please email forwardthinking@contacts.bham.ac.uk and we may be able to consider your school for future cohorts. 

The programme is targeted at gifted and talented young people from less advantaged backgrounds who are likely to have little or no knowledge of higher education, but who have the academic potential to consider future progression to university. Students must be studying at a Forward Thinking School and be in Year 8 at the time of application. Students must meet specific widening participation criteria to be eligible to apply. For further information, please contact us at forwardthinking@contacts.bham.ac.uk.

Applications must be completed on our online application portal and students must receive an invitation to apply from their school coordinator. Each coordinator will be able to invite up to 10 Year 8 students to apply for the programme (further information on how to send invites can be found in the portal guide).

Please send an email to forwardthinking@contacts.bham.ac.uk with the name and email address of the new coordinator so that we can update the portal and ensure our records are accurate.

On the homepage of the portal, you will see an orange ‘reset password’ button. Select this and enter your registered email address. This will send a password reset email to you. Please follow the instructions in the email to reset your password and login to the portal. Please note, the link in the email will expire after four hours. If you require further assistance, please contact forwardthinking@contacts.bham.ac.uk.

You can view your student’s application status when you login to the online portal. Once they submit an application, you will receive an email notification requesting you to verify their application on the portal. To verify the application, simply read through the information on the form, confirm that it is correct to the best of your knowledge, and add any additional comments or information if you feel it is relevant. Once it has been verified, the application will then automatically be sent to the Forward Thinking team to process.

Forward Thinking consists of an event/interaction each year of the programme. The structure of the programme is as follows:

Year 8 – Launch event

Year 9 – University experience day

Year 9 – Subject taster day

Year 10 – Mentoring (takes place in school over 10-12 weeks)

Year 11 – Celebration event

Travel to Forward Thinking events needs to be covered and arranged by the school. Prior to the event, details will be sent to the school confirming the times of the event and drop off/pick up points.  

It is important for school coordinators to let the Forward Thinking team know if your students are expected to attend the relevant events. We ask you to do this via the Forward Thinking portal (further information on how to do this can be found in the portal guide). We will then follow up with any non-attenders on things they need to complete. 

We offer a number of outreach programmes for students in Years 12 and 13 known as Pathways to Birmingham. These programmes provide students with a further insight into higher education, and completion leads to numerous benefits including a reduced offer to study at the University of Birmingham (if their application is successful) as well as eligibility to receive up to £3,500 per year of study. 

As Forward Thinking is our pre-16 programme, it is not included in Pathways to Birmingham. However students are able to apply to a Pathways programme after Forward Thinking if they wish to continue receiving support from us. 

We have capacity to accommodate at least six students from every Forward Thinking partner school. Depending on the eligibility of the whole cohort, we may be able to take more students from your school, up to a maximum of 10 students in total.  

Forward Thinking is a progressive programme of activities for students from Year 8 through to Year 11 who are currently attending a Forward Thinking partner school. The programme is designed to offer students an insight into higher education and professional career routes, along with opportunities for skills building and self-development. 

Applications to Forward Thinking are by invitation only. Speak with a teacher at your school to find out if you are eligible to take part. Please note, we only work with a select group of local schools and you have to be in Year 8 to apply.

After you have submitted your application, your school coordinator will review your application and send it to us. The Forward Thinking team will then review all applications and select students based on the eligibility criteria. We will then let you, your parent/carer and school coordinator know via email if you have been selected for the programme. 

Forward Thinking consists of an event/interaction each year of the programme. To successfully complete the programme, you must attend these events and complete a questionnaire at the start and end of the programme. The events are as follows:

Year 8 – Launch event

Year 9 – University experience day

Year 9 – Subject taster day

Year 10 – Mentoring (takes place in school over 10-12 weeks)

Year 11 – Celebration event

By taking part in Forward Thinking, you will be able to:

• Visit and explore our campus, and meet current staff and students
• Better understand what university is about and why people go
• Explore a range of university subjects
• Make informed choices about your future and what to do when you leave school
• Meet and work with students from different schools
• Receive 1-to-1 mentoring support from a current university student
• Develop your skills and knowledge 

There is absolutely no requirement to apply to the University of Birmingham (or any university) after completing Forward Thinking. The programme is designed to help you understand what you would like to do in the future and the pathway to get there, whether that involves going to university or not.

Your child has been identified by their school as someone who is gifted and talented, with the academic potential to consider future progression to university. This programme is designed to help students from less advantaged backgrounds and underrepresented groups gain an insight into higher education and professional career routes.

By taking part in Forward Thinking, your child will be able to:

• Visit and explore our campus, and meet current staff and students
• Better understand what university is about and why people go
• Explore a range of university subjects
• Make informed choices about their future and what to do when they leave school
• Meet and work with students from different schools
• Receive 1-to-1 mentoring support from a current university student
• Develop their skills and knowledge 

If your child has been invited to apply for the programme, please complete the application form with them, checking the information carefully before they submit. Once on the programme, students will take part in different events each year. Speak to your child about these experiences and encourage them to reflect on their thoughts and explore what they have learnt further. 

Parents are invited to attend the programme launch event when their child is in Year 8 and also the celebration event in Year 11. These events are held on the University of Birmingham campus and are a great way for parents to find out more about the programme and understand what their child has achieved by taking part.

We work with a select group of partner schools within the local area. We are currently not accepting new schools onto the programme, however if you think your child’s school may be eligible, please speak to the school and ask them to contact us at forwardthinking@contacts.bham.ac.uk and we may be able to consider the school for future cohorts.