Over the Spring term, more than 80 students took part and completed our newly launched Break the Ceiling Project. In collaboration with ARU, this programme focused on building confidence, raising aspirations and exploring higher education pathways with white working-class boys.
Male students from Year 9 and 10 from five schools took part in the pilot project. The high level of participation reflected strong motivation and a willingness to engage with the activities about future pathways for this particular group.
Our Break the Ceiling progressive project 2025-26 included two in-school sessions focusing on University and Higher/Degree apprenticeships, followed by a visit to the Anglia Ruskin University campus in Chelmsford. In the first session, students engaged with activities that focused on their transferable skills and the differences between university degrees and higher/degree apprenticeships. In the second session, we had a closer look into the financial side of university and the benefits of the different post-16 pathways. Students ended this session by splitting into two groups for a debate using the knowledge learnt throughout the programme to focus on the positives of both university and apprenticeships.
Once all schools had completed their in-school sessions, everybody came together for a visit to Anglia Ruskin University in Chelmsford on Monday 8 June. They experienced a packed programme with engaging sessions and workshops, including a forensics subject taster, student budgeting session and an autonomous cars workshop (delivered by Select Tech).
Students reflected positively on their experience and what they had learnt over the course of this project. One pupil said to their peer, “I had never considered going to University, but I am actually thinking about it now.”
Projects like Break the Ceiling play an important role in inspiring and encouraging young people to consider higher education. By giving students, the opportunity to experience university life, develop valuable skills, and learn, these initiatives help them recognise higher education is an accessible and achievable pathway.
Let’s hear from our Intern who worked on this Project with us over the Spring term.
My name is Thusharika, and I am a medical student at Anglia Ruskin University and completed an internship with the Make Happen Team. As part of the project, I helped design and create the PowerPoint presentations and educational resources, as well as deliver interactive sessions to Year 9 and 10 students before we welcomed them onto campus to give them a chance to experience university life.
I really enjoyed speaking with the students, supporting the activities, and encouraging them to get involved and ask questions. It was so rewarding to see their confidence grow and watch them become more engaged as the sessions continued. Seeing the impact that these sessions could have on their aspirations and helping them realise that there are different pathways they can take, whether it is going to university or a degree apprenticeship, made the experience really meaningful for me.
Overall, it was a fantastic experience that strengthened my communication, teamwork and presentation skills, and it’s something I would love to be involved in again.
If your school would like to sign up for our Break the Ceiling project in 2026-27, please get in touch with your key Officer or email us on info@makehappen.org.
By Jasmine Gray, Outreach Assistant at Make Happen