Aim Higher
Aimhigher's goal is to increase participation in higher education towards 50% of those aged 18-30, by the end of the decade. Also, to make significant progress year on year towards fair access, and to bear down on rates of non-completion. If this is to happen, it is critical that more of our young people who come from families with no background in HE are able to enter universities and other institutions. At Don Valley we have took part in Aimhigher for the past three years and hope to continue into the future.

Here is a sample of what we do each year for Aimhigher...

Advanced Extension Award Masterclasses at Sheffield University
These are university level lessons for Year 12 and Year 13 students that are taught in the university by university lecturers. Students get a real flavour of what it will be like for them on courses they might wish to pursue in future.

Aimhigher Roadshow (All of Year 9) at Doncaster North CLC
This has involved all of the year group meeting and getting involved with activities provided by Aimhigher. We were even on BBC Radio Sheffield one year as there were so many pupils involved!

The roadshow didn't come this year - we hope to welcome them back next year.

Year 7 Passport to University at Huddersfield University
Now in it's third year, we go to Huddersfield with other Doncaster pupils from Campsmount and Hall Cross and have a fantastic time. It involves a Mystery treasure Hunt around the campus, poster design activities, a mini-lecture, mortar-board and gown photos, formal "graduation" ceremony and not to mention an enormous lunch!

Year 7 "Learning Game" Day

Maximise Learning & Study Skills Events for Year 10 and 11

Arts Week at Doncaster North CLC (with Leeds University)

Year 9 D:Cent Dance Day at McAuley RC High School (with Leeds University)

Aimhigher Roadshow (Post-16) at Doncaster College
Some of our Year 13 students went to this Aimhigher venture in town and came back with lots of ideas and shopping bags full of prospecti!

Sixth Form New York visits
Our A level Business Studies and A level RE students went to New York City in early 2006 for a variety of conferences and International links. Students raised much of the funds themselves in order to afford the trip -- well done to them!

Leeds University Drama specialists

Year 11 Mentoring by University students - see below

Year 8 Learning Game Day

Impact Theatre performance for Year 10

Lots more besides organised by individual departments in school and part-funded by Aimhigher.

University Mentoring Programme 2003-2006
This year was our third year of participation in the Doncaster Education City Mentoring programme. Our partner Universities were Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield and Doncaster College HE (based at High Melton). As with previous years, mentors were professionally trained by world-leading mentoring experts at Cardif University. These university undergraduates agreed to come in to school for 16 weekly sessions with our Year 11 pupils. The mentoring involved assignment writing guides, lesson objectives, revision guides and planning, de-stressing and action planning. The majority of pupils were thrilled to learn more about university life and the vast range of courses they could study. Likewise, the university mentors were surprised by the similar common backgrounds, hobbies, likes/dislikes of themselves and our pupils - they were amazed that some pupils weren't considering further or higher education.

Don Valley School has appreciated the hard work and committment from the mentors and wishes them all well for their future careers.