The Access Project
Charity 1143011
Overview
Summary
The Access Project appears to be a targeted social-mobility organisation rather than a general education provider. Its model combines sustained in-school relationships, academic tuition and application-focused coaching to help young people from under-resourced areas progress to highly selective universities. It occupies an intermediary position between schools, universities, employers, volunteers and donors, using these relationships to address both attainment and navigation barriers. Its emphasis on “top” universities is distinctive: it seeks not only wider participation in higher education, but access to institutions perceived to offer greater long-term opportunity.
Operational geography
Coverage: National
Operational areas:
Evidence and reasoning
Supporting evidence
Rubery and Rednal
Confidence: high
A June 2026 first-party account confirms that a University Access Officer had worked at Colmers School for nearly two years and describes current programme activity including one-to-one support, workshops, assemblies and a newly rolled-out programme. Birmingham City Council places Colmers School in Rubery & Rednal ward.
- The Access Project, “My students inspire me” – Empowering pupils in the West Midlands, 9 June 2026
The organisation's University Access Officer states that she has worked at Colmers School for nearly two years and describes The Access Project's direct tuition, mentoring, workshop and assembly activity there. - Birmingham City Council, Colmers School and Sixth Form College directory record
Colmers School and Sixth Form College is located in Rednal and is recorded in the Rubery & Rednal ward.
Handsworth Wood
Confidence: high
The Access Project's current staff page assigns a University Access Officer to King Edward VI Handsworth Wood Girls' Academy. Its latest impact report also lists the academy as a West Midlands partner school for 2024/25. The academy is in Handsworth Wood ward.
- The Access Project, Meet the team
The current Midlands and North programme-team listing identifies Eve Jacobs as University Access Officer for King Edward VI Handsworth Wood Girls' Academy. - The Access Project, Impact report 2026 covering academic year 2024/25
King Edward VI Handsworth Wood Girls' Academy is listed among The Access Project's West Midlands school partners. - Birmingham City Council / Department for Education school records
King Edward VI Handsworth Wood Girls' Academy is recorded in Handsworth Wood ward.
Sparkhill
Confidence: high
The Access Project's current staff page assigns a University Access Officer to Moseley School, while its latest impact report records Moseley School as a West Midlands partner in 2024/25. Birmingham City Council records the school in Sparkhill ward.
- The Access Project, Meet the team
The current Midlands and North programme-team listing identifies Milly Hayes as University Access Officer for Moseley School. - The Access Project, Impact report 2026 covering academic year 2024/25
Moseley School is listed among The Access Project's West Midlands school partners. - Birmingham City Council, Moseley School and Sixth Form directory record
Moseley School and Sixth Form is recorded in Sparkhill ward.
Heartlands
Confidence: high
The Access Project's current staff page assigns a University Access Officer to Waverley School, and its latest impact report identifies Waverley as a West Midlands partner in 2024/25. The school is in Heartlands ward.
- The Access Project, Meet the team
The current Midlands and North programme-team listing identifies Eve Jacobs as University Access Officer for Waverley School. - The Access Project, Impact report 2026 covering academic year 2024/25
Waverley School is listed among The Access Project's West Midlands school partners; the report also describes a long-term partnership supporting activity at the school. - Birmingham City Council, Waverley School directory record
Waverley School is recorded in Heartlands ward.
Weoley and Selly Oak
Confidence: medium
The Access Project's current staff page assigns a University Access Officer to the University of Birmingham School, which is strong evidence of an active school-based operational relationship. However, no recent programme-specific article or impact-report entry was found to describe the scale or start date of delivery at this school.
- The Access Project, Meet the team
The current Midlands and North programme-team listing identifies Eshika Kaypee as University Access Officer for the University of Birmingham School. - Birmingham City Council, The University of Birmingham School directory record
The University of Birmingham School is recorded in Weoley & Selly Oak ward.
Remaining uncertainties
- The evidence supports delivery through partner-school sites rather than an independently operated Birmingham office or public-facing service site. No Birmingham premises owned or leased by The Access Project were identified; the charity's published contact address is in London.
- Hamstead Hall Academy and Holte School were listed as West Midlands partners in the 2024/25 impact report, but the more current staff-page evidence reviewed did not identify a named University Access Officer for either school. Their present status as active Birmingham delivery locations is therefore not confirmed.
- The available evidence does not establish that The Access Project delivers in every Birmingham ward, or that its Birmingham operation is citywide. Its evidenced local footprint is a network of selected partner schools across several wards.
- University and funder partnerships, including Oxford colleges supporting particular school programmes, materially support delivery and enrichment but do not create additional Birmingham operational sites in the evidence reviewed.
Additional evidence needed
- A current 2025/26 or 2026/27 list of all Birmingham partner schools, including programme status and start/end dates.
- Confirmation from The Access Project of whether it maintains any Birmingham office, staffed hub, regular outreach venue or other physical site beyond partner schools.
- Programme-level information showing student numbers, delivery frequency and whether tuition is delivered on school premises, online, or through a mixture of both at each Birmingham partner school.
- Confirmation of whether Hamstead Hall Academy and Holte School remain active partners after the 2024/25 academic year.
Areas of work
- Education/training
- Recreation
Who they help
- Children/young People
How they help
- Provides Advocacy/advice/information
- Provides Human Resources
- Provides Services
Discoveries involving this organisation
The Atlas has not published any Discoveries involving this organisation yet.
Observations
It addresses both grades and access to institutional knowledge
The organisation appears to treat unequal university access as a combined attainment and navigation problem. Tuition supports exam performance, while mentoring, coaching and university visits may help students understand choices, applications and transition processes that are often less accessible through informal networks.
Why it matters
This helps explain why its offer is more intensive than information or outreach alone: it is designed to reduce several linked barriers at once.
Show evidence
“The programme includes personalised one-to-one or group tuition, coaching and in-school mentoring.”
Source:Organisation“It works with students to make strong applications, get the grades and transition to university.”
Source:Organisation
Its operating model depends on cross-sector partnership
The Access Project appears to function as a bridge across institutions rather than delivering a wholly self-contained service. Schools contribute funding and host staff, while university partners, corporate sponsors, donors and volunteer coaches appear to provide resources, access and capacity.
Why it matters
Its reach and resilience may depend on maintaining relationships across sectors. This also suggests potential value in mapping which partners are concentrated in particular places or absent from the network.
Show evidence
“Around 25% of the programme is paid for by schools.”
Source:Organisation“The rest is funded by university partners, corporate sponsorships and donations.”
Source:Organisation“It invites volunteers to join its community of volunteer coaches.”
Source:Organisation
It pursues selective-university access as a route to mobility
The organisation appears to make a strategic claim that access to top universities can improve social mobility, rather than treating university entry alone as the intended outcome. This focus may concentrate support where disparities in access to selective institutions are especially pronounced.
Why it matters
Understanding this distinction clarifies its niche among education charities and raises useful questions about how it defines success after admission, including retention, wellbeing and longer-term outcomes.
Show evidence
“Its mission is to help under-resourced young people place at top UK universities.”
Source:Organisation“It states that this gives students the best chance of social mobility.”
Source:Organisation“83% of its Year 13 students received an offer from a top university in 2025.”
Source:Organisation
- Which areas, schools and student groups receive support, and whether provision reaches places with the greatest unmet need.
- How outcomes differ by prior attainment, region, ethnicity, disability, care experience or family income.
- Whether students enrol, remain and thrive at university after receiving offers.
Remaining uncertainties
- A current list or map of partner schools, universities and local delivery areas.
- Independent outcome data on grades, enrolment, retention, degree completion and post-university destinations.
- Information on referral criteria, programme duration, capacity and waiting lists.
Additional evidence needed
Charity Commission profile
Activities
We help motivated students from disadvantaged backgrounds win places at top universities.
Charity objects
A) TO ADVANCE FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT THE EDUCATION OF CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE IN SUCH WAYS AS THE TRUSTEES THINK FIT, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO: - MAKING FACILITIES AND SERVICES AVAILABLE TO THEM WITH THE PARTICULAR (BUT NOT LIMITED) AIM OF HELPING THEM WIN PLACES AT UNIVERSITIES, COLLEGES OR INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION; AND - AWARDING TO OR PROCURING THE AWARD TO THEM OF FINANCIAL OR OTHER SUPPORT. (B) TO PROVIDE FOR THE RECREATION OF CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE BY PROVIDING FACILITIES AND SERVICES TO THEM, WITH THE PARTICULAR (BUT NOT LIMITED) AIM OF HELPING STUDENTS GAIN PLACES AT UNIVERSITIES, COLLEGES OR INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION.