Meet Rob Devo, Higher Education Champion and Deputy Director of Sport and Technology at The Littlehampton Academy
This month we’re talking with Rob Devo, Higher Education Champion and Deputy Director of Sport and Technology at The Littlehampton Academy, about the work he and the school are doing to support students’ progression…
Could you tell us about your role and how it came about?
I’ve always loved working with sixth form students. They’re at such a pivotal moment in their lives and they’ve got so much to offer. So when the opportunity came up to be a Higher Education Champion and help Uni Connect students raise their aspirations and widen their outlook I jumped at the chance.
What does your role involve?
My role involves ensuring that our Uni Connect students have as many opportunities as possible to open their eyes to their multiple progression options. It also involves boosting their confidence and giving them new skills, so that they’re in the best possible position to embrace opportunities as they arise.
Is there anything about your role that has surprised you?
I had envisaged all of my work being with young people but having a holistic approach is vital. So an important part of the role is ensuring that teachers across the school are aware of who are Uni Connect students are and how we can support them.
Another key part of my role is liaising with students’ parents so that they understand the benefits of the support being offered, and get fully behind it. We’ve discovered that doing this makes a real difference, so it’s become a bigger focus.
What events do you organise for Uni Connect students?
We have strong relationships with a lot of local colleges and universities and make sure all our Uni Connect students have the opportunity to experience university life and explore course options.
This year we also secured funding from Sussex Learning Network that enabled some students to travel to open days at universities further afield, that they might not otherwise have visited. It’s so important that our students are able to explore all possible options.
We do a lot of work with our students before these days to ensure they have thought through their schedules and know the questions to ask, so that they can get the most out of their experiences and it pays dividends. Last year 71% of our Uni Connect students went on to university – something we’re really proud of.
Is most of your work focused on progression to university?
We want to make sure that as many students as possible at least consider university as an option, but we spend a lot of time exploring other progression pathways too.
This year we took a large group of students to the Apprenticeship Fair at The AMEX Stadium and we hold regular careers days at The Body Shop’s Head office. They’re a huge local employer and it’s invaluable for students to get a feel for the variety of roles available even within a single company – roles they might not otherwise have been aware even existed!
Have you got any favourite initiatives?
We run one initiative where we have a life skills company come in to help students develop their confidence and interview skills. Immediately following this training they are interviewed by alumni students, who are now in work.
It’s such a great experience for our students because they are able to put their new skills into practice immediately in a very life-like scenario. And the fact that the interviewers are ex students, means they really relate to the follow up advice they’re given. Each year the progress students make on that day is beyond anything we could imagine.
What do you find most challenging about your role?
When you are working with a young person who is brimming with potential but you know the back up is difficult at home, that is frustrating and hard to watch. But in the vast majority of cases we find that parents are hugely grateful for additional support and input and want to get behind it. It’s great to see.
What do you most enjoy about your role?
It’s so satisfying when you see a young person bust out of the box they’ve penned themselves into or others have boxed them into. Sussex Learning Network recently funded a day with Speakers’ Trust that gave students who struggled with speaking in public, new confidence and skills.
At the end of the day each student had to speak on their chosen subject for two minutes in front of an audience. It was a huge ask that I wasn’t sure many would feel comfortable with, but they all did it and they each came away beaming. Those kinds of moments can be life changing in terms of redefining what a young person believes they are capable of, and that’s what my role is all about.
To find out more about our Higher Education Champions in schools and 6th forms across Sussex contact f.lofty@brighton.ac.uk.