The Hargreaves Foundation supports The Linacre Institute

The Trustees of The Hargreaves Foundation are pleased to announce that funding has been awarded to The Linacre Institute, a small social mobility charity based in Leeds, Yorkshire, aiming to improve academic engagement and attainment.

Over the past 10 years, Linacre has developed a strong reputation and proven track record for improving educational outcomes for young people who face some of the greatest barriers to learning and accessing a fair education across Yorkshire. In 2022, for example, 14% of students received offers from Oxbridge, and 80% from Russell Group institutions, both well above the regional average in the state school sector.

The funding from The Hargreaves Foundation will support their Reach Higherprogramme, which helps bright, but isolated, state school sixth formers in some of the most disadvantaged postcodes in and around Yorkshire, earn places at highly selective universities, where they are underrepresented; data from The Sutton Trust shows that typically less than 1% of students from state schools in Yorkshire receive places at Oxbridge.

The Linacre Institute’s highly personalised and resource intensive programme is designed specifically to develop oracy skills and nurture intellectual curiosity, providing students with the academic inspiration, support and mentoring they require to acquire places at these universities.

Student case studies consistently demonstrate the impact of the Institute on these young people’s perception of themselves and their capabilities. One student who earned a place to study at Cambridge University said, “I can’t thank the Linacre Team enough for all of their support. The summer schools haven’t only allowed me to explore my subject in depth far beyond what the a-level spec allows, but they have also inspired me to apply to a world class university and follow my dreams”.