New data from UCAS shows that the Academic Attainment Programme (AAP) has a significant impact on participants’ success rates in their applications to the most competitive universities.
The Academic Attainment Programme (AAP) is the College's flagship outreach programme, supporting UK state school students throughout the first year of A-Levels (or equivalent) to realise their full potential. It provides a sustained programme of supplementary expert tuition that responds to the maintained sector’s structural difficulties to fully support those students with the highest potential. Since its pilot in 2021, the AAP has taught over 2000 students and included 20% of schools in England with sixth forms. Its virtual delivery enables student engagement from every region of the UK and is accessible to those who cannot easily travel to events or who must maintain personal commitments, such as part-time jobs or caring responsibilities.
Data from UCAS has now provided us with a demographically matched control group against which to measure the comparative performance of our first AAP cohort, now beginning their second year of university.
Results show that more than 9 in 10 of all AAP 2021-22 participants received offers from Russell Group universities, and their rates of applications, offers and acceptances to these 24 universities were very significantly higher (p<0.01) than UCAS-benchmarked control groups. This includes AAP participants who are eligible for free school meals, are from an underrepresented ethnic minority group, or who live in the most socioeconomically disadvantaged areas.
AAP 2021-22 participants were also very significantly more likely (p<0.01) to apply, be made offers, and be accepted to Oxbridge than UCAS-benchmarked control groups. In the past two years, AAP applicants to the University of Cambridge have had an offer rate of 38% - almost twice the standard University-wide average (21%).
Qualitative data reinforces the AAP’s transformational impact: 95% of participants report feeling more confident in their A-Level studies and strengthened in their subject-specific knowledge and skills. Over the course of the Programme, the proportion of participants who felt confident sharing their ideas and articulating them clearly in academic settings increased from 61% to 87%, and the proportion who feel they have a network of peers with shared interests and aspirations increased from 59% to 80%.
We are continuing to build on the AAP’s success with a significant expansion planned for the next Programme, made possible by the generous support of a donor and the Isaac Newton Trust. From this year, we will expand the AAP into a two-year course, taking participants all the way from GCSE to university. The number of participants will also increase to 1000. Through this expansion, we hope to empower even more students from underrepresented and disadvantaged to achieve academic excellence and transform their futures.
Applications for the AAP 2024-26 are now open until 7 October 2024. Year 12 (S5 – Scotland/Y13 – N.I.) students can now find out more here: www.lucy.cam.ac.uk/aap-apply