Raising Aspirations in Secondary Education (RAISE)

Students enjoying subject taster lecture as part of the RAISE programme

The RAISE programme is a range of fun, interactive lectures, workshops and competitive quizzes for students in Years 7 to 11. They are designed to motivate and inspire students around particular subjects, and in the long term raise achievement at GCSE.

The programme is designed to support secondary school students by raising aspirations and breaking down perceived barriers to higher education. From interactive lectures to big quizzes, the events take place throughout the academic year and are free to attend for schools. Discover more about the different events below to find the perfect one for your students.

Please note that event dates for 2020 are yet to be confirmed but please see last year’s programme of lectures below to get a sense of the typical topics and subjects covered.

Year 7/8 Christmas Science Lectures

 

Talk 
Subject
Date / Time 
Unwrapping Stonehenge
Archaeology
16 December 2019, 10:15
Creepy Crawly Christmas
Biological Sciences
16 December 2019, 12:00
Merry Chemistrymas - Santa Rebooted
Chemistry
16 December 2019, 13:30
How We Put Santa Together Again
Biomedical Materials Science
17 December 2019, 10:15
Physics of Hot and Cold
Physics
17 December 2019, 12:00
Hidden Earth- The Science of the Underworld
Geology
17 December 2019, 13:15

 

One hour interactive, fun and educational lectures with students helping with demonstrations. Schools can only book onto one lecture per day unless additional spaces become available. There is no upper limit to the number of students a school can bring.

Year 8 Health Big Quiz

6 March 2020, 09:45 - 14:30

The 2019-20 programme will see the introduction of the new Y8 Health Big Quiz.  The Health Big Quiz is aimed at students who might be interested in careers in the Health Professions. Different rounds will focus on different disciplines within the health professions. The event is designed to get students to understand in more detail the academic requirements and different career opportunities available. There will be rounds focusing on Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, Physiotherapy etc. Schools can enter up to 4 teams (a maximum of 4 students per team).

Year 9 Physics Big Quiz

21 January 2020, 09:45 - 14:30

Schools can enter up to 4 teams (a maximum of 4 students per team). There will be 6 rounds focusing on different areas of the Physics curriculum which will include a specialist round, schools will be informed of the topic in advance. There will be trophies, prizes and medals awarded to the top place teams with spot prize questions throughout the day. 

Year 9 History Big Quiz

10 February 2020, 09:45 - 14:30

Schools can enter up to 4 teams (a maximum of 4 students per team). There will be 6 rounds focusing on different areas of the History curriculum which will include a specialist round, schools will be informed of the topic in advance. There will be trophies, prizes and medals awarded to the top place teams with spot prize questions throughout the day. 

Year 10 Biology Big Quiz

29 June 2020, 09:45 - 14:30

Schools can enter up to 4 teams (a maximum of 4 students per team). Each round focuses on a different area of the Biology curriculum. There is also a key note lecture and a Specialist round, the topic of which all schools are informed of before the event.

Year 10 Maths Big Quiz

4 March 2020, 09:45 - 14:30

Schools can enter up to 4 teams (a maximum of 4 students per team). Each round focuses on a different area of the Mathematics curriculum. There is also a key note lecture and a Specialist round, the topic of which all schools are informed of before the event.

Year 10 Achieve Conference *NEW*

24/25 June 2020, 09:45 - 14:30

Due to the large number of bookings for the Year 11 Achieve Conference in 2019, we will be running the same conference for year 10 students in June 2020. The conference is aimed at reinforcing key messages about the importance of the final year of GCSE’s  and the need to continue to work hard in order to achieve academic potential. Schools can take the decision to bring their students at the end of year 10 or at the beginning of year 11. Schools can book up to 40 places.

If you would like more information or have any questions, please contact Mohammed Ansar at m.ansar@bham.ac.uk or on 0121 414 7169.

Year 11 Achieve Conference

17/18 September 2020

One day conference aimed at supporting students to realise the importance of Year 11 and how their GCSE grades will impact on their future educational and careers choices. Schools can book up to 40 places.

How to book

All RAISE events are free to book, however we request that schools secure the relevant permissions before requesting places for students. To book, schools should email Outreach Officer Mohammed Ansar at m.ansar@bham.ac.uk with the name of the event and the number of students they would like to bring.