(PRWEB UK) 27 March 2012
New College of the Humanities (NCH), London?s new independent college for undergraduate teaching of the humanities, has today announced that it will provide wide-ranging support for Villiers Park Educational Trust.
Villiers Park works to provide comprehensive academic support for able students, many of whom come from less advantaged backgrounds. Based in Cambridgeshire, Villiers Park offers support to students nationwide, and relies on the backing of institutions such as NCH. An extensive range of activities including a Scholars Programme, subject-specific residential courses, masterclasses and online extension activities make up the organisation?s Inspiring Excellence Programme.
Richard Gould, Chief Executive of Villiers Park, said, ?I welcome the support provided by New College of the Humanities. Our organisations share the same commitment to fostering a passion for learning beyond the constraints of a narrow examination specification.?
NCH will fund a week long History course this summer, at which Dr Suzannah Lipscomb, the College?s Convenor and Senior Lecturer in History, will lecture. The course will be attended by 25 exemplary students with wide ranging backgrounds from across the UK, who will be supported in completing challenging, university-level coursework, and will develop skills in team-building, research and communications.
Dr Suzannah Lipscomb said, ?It?s vital to foster young people?s enthusiasm for learning, to spark their curiosity, and to help them to develop the skills needed to articulate their opinions.?
?At NCH, we believe in developing academic excellence through our tutorial system, and in opening up this intellectual experience to all through our provision of Scholarships and Exhibitions. The partnership with Villiers Park is another wonderful opportunity to open up access to excellence in education to people from less advantaged backgrounds.?
In addition to this support, NCH has also committed to providing funds to support a Villiers Park Scholar, a student from a less advantaged background who has high academic potential. Starting in September the Scholar will benefit from four years? support from Year 10 to Year 13.
During this four-year period, the Scholar has the opportunity to take part in a five day residential course at Villiers Park and attend masterclasses at various universities. The Scholar is assigned a learning mentor to support them at school, and an undergraduate taking the subject they are most interested in provides e-mentoring. The programme aims to enable Scholars to reach their full potential, and gain a place at a leading university or other centre of excellence.
It is intended that this is the start of a long term partnership which will provide NCH students with the opportunity to contribute to the support that Vililers Park provides to able students across the UK.
The partnership, along with NCH?s own means-tested full Scholarships and generous Exhibitions, awarded for academic merit, forms a further part of the College?s on-going commitment to widening participation.
Notes to Editors
New College of the Humanities (NCH) offers a new model of higher education for the humanities in the UK. NCH students will have one of the best staff-student ratios in UK higher education and will benefit from a high number of contact hours as well as engaging and challenging weekly one-to-one tutorials.
Our Professors are international experts in their fields and our full time academic staff members have been selected for their passion and proven ability for teaching in addition to their research interests.
NCH will welcome its first intake of students in September 2012 and will prepare students for undergraduate degrees in: Economics BSc, English BA, History BA, Law LLB, and Philosophy BA.
In addition to their degree, all NCH students will also study four modules from one of the other degree subjects or Politics as a contextual course, plus core courses in Applied Ethics, Logic & Critical Thinking and Science Literacy as well as a Professional Skills course. They will be awarded the Diploma of New College of the Humanities to acknowledge this additional study.
The College is centrally located in Bloomsbury, London?s university district, and students will have access to many of the resources of the University of London: the exceptional library in Senate House, the University of London Union, sports facilities, and many other opportunities to enrich themselves through extra-curricular activity.
NCH will make offers of full Scholarships, or generous Exhibitions worth 60% of the fees, to almost 30% of its first cohort.
The applications process is independent of UCAS and applications can be made in addition to the five UCAS choices. Visit http://www.NCHum.org for all enquiries and applications.
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Villiers Park Educational Trust is a UK registered charity (no. 225920) which helps very able young people to reach their full academic potential and develop a passion for learning.
We are committed to fair access – enabling students from less advantaged backgrounds to gain places at leading universities or other centres of excellence. Villiers Park works in four key ways.
Our Scholars Programme provides comprehensive and cohesive support for highly able students from less advantaged backgrounds. The Inspiring Excellence Programme of activities for students sets out to challenge and inspire the most able post-16 students nationwide. The Schools Advisory Service supports staff developing the quality of everyday classroom provision for all students, including those with high academic potential. Finally, we have a growing national role in advocacy for fair access to university.
For more information, please contact Richard Gould, Chief Executive on rg(at)villierspark(dot)org(dot)uk or call 01223 872601
http://www.villierspark.org.uk/
