A report launched by the Education Minister, Ruth Kelly, has highlighted the successes of a Glasgow project, amongst other UK projects, that have helped to improve access to degree courses of students from families with no experience of higher education.

As part of the report, entitled "From the Margins to the Mainstream: Embedding Widening Participation in Higher Education", the University of Glasgow's pre-University summer school project was highlighted. The project helps make the transition from school or college to University easier in a number of ways, including: classes on how to take good lecture notes, examining how a university works, and hands-on experience of first-year university course work.

David Hamilton, Director of the Summer School explains:

'The Summer School is one of the University's most significant and long-standing widening participation initiatives. Over the past 20-plus years thousands of students from the west of Scotland's least advantaged areas have spent their summers here preparing for university life. They have used their academic performance on this course to get them into University degree courses.

"The success of Glasgow's Summer School - and dozens of UK universities have followed by example - is largely down to the University's staff who each year give up part of their holidays to teach on this scheme. It's great that their work, and that of the youngsters, is being recognised in this way.'

The findings of the national study was launched at a reception at Church House in Westminster yesterday and was attended by Linda Hamilton from the Recruitment, Admissions and Participation Service at Glasgow University, and MP for Glasgow South West Ian Davidson (pictured), alongside many students who have benefited from projects as well as the co-ordinators of other UK projects.

The report was commissioned by Universities UK and the Standing Conference of Principals (SCOP), is the third in a series of groundbreaking studies undertaken to explore how universities and colleges in the UK are supporting access to higher education for young people from lower socio-economic groups.

Secretary of State for Education Ruth Kelly MP said: 'Higher Education institutions are demonstrating that they are committed to widening participation. We share this commitment. Those with aspiration and talent, irrespective of background, should have the opportunity to reach their potential."

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The report also features case studies this is a collaborative project with 7 Higher Education institutions working together to raise school pupils' aspirations and awareness of further and higher education opportunities; and the national initiative - Widening Access to Medicine, Veterinary Medicine and the Health Professions, a development project aimed at raising awareness of the career possibilities in these fields.

First published: 16 December 2005