Foot Anstey, Cornwall pupils and the South West’s university gap

Fewer than one in five. That was the share of pupils on free school meals in the South West who went on to higher education in 2021/22, the lowest rate anywhere in England.

A programme working with schools across Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset is trying to shift that number. And it has just signed up its first law firm.

National law firm Foot Anstey has become the first law-firm employer partner of the Colyton Foundation‘s Your Future Story programme. The two organisations say they share a mission to improve social mobility and broaden access to opportunity for young people from under-resourced backgrounds across the South West.

📷Students from the first Your Future Story cohort

What Your Future Story does

In its first year, the programme supported 127 year-7 students from 32 schools across Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset. Every one of them achieved among the top 20 to 25% of pupils nationally at Key Stage 2, and around 90% were eligible for free school meals.

Support carries on as they move into Year 8 and through the rest of their time at secondary school. A second cohort of 130 students joins the programme this year.

Over ten years, the aim is to support 1,000 young people through mentoring, employer engagement, university visits, personal development, academic support, and targeted support for educators and parents.

Why the South West

According to the foundation’s evidence base, only 18.7% of pupils eligible for free school meals in the South West progressed to higher education in 2021/22. The national figure was 29%.

Limited transport links and fewer enrichment opportunities add to the barriers, even for young people who have already shown strong academic potential. That’s why employer engagement is built into the programme. It is designed to help participants connect classroom learning with future careers, and to reach the insight, role models and workplace experience that are often harder to find in rural and coastal communities.

📷Students from the first Your Future Story cohort

What Foot Anstey will do

The firm will work alongside schools, universities and employers to help young people understand the routes open to them through higher education and professional careers.

Its colleagues will host employer insight visits, giving students first-hand experience of a professional services environment and an introduction to the wide range of careers in the legal sector.

The partnership forms part of Foot Anstey’s 1% investment of net profits into its Responsible Business programme.

What schools have seen so far

Now entering its second year, the programme has already had a measurable effect, according to the foundation. Schools reported students becoming more confident, more ambitious and more aware of the opportunities available to them.

Teachers also pointed to the value of employer and university visits in helping young people picture themselves in places and careers they may not have thought were open to them before.

Nick Wakeling, Director of the Colyton Foundation, said: “This partnership brings together two organisations with a shared ambition to improve social mobility and broaden access to opportunity. Foot Anstey’s commitment to supporting young people makes the firm a natural partner for Your Future Story, and we’re excited about what we can achieve together.

“As our first law-firm employer partner, Foot Anstey will give young people valuable insight into the legal profession and first-hand experience of a professional-services environment, helping to build their confidence, broaden their horizons and keep future choices open.”

Bola Gibson, Executive Director for Responsible Business at Foot Anstey, said: “We’re proud to become the Colyton Foundation’s first law firm employer partner and contribute to the important work being delivered through Your Future Story.

“Access to professional environments and role models earlier on in education can play an important part in helping young people understand the wide range of opportunities available to them and build aspiration. We’re looking forward to welcoming participants into the firm, sharing our experiences and supporting them as they consider their next steps.”

📷Students from the first Your Future Story cohort

📷Students from the first Your Future Story cohort