School Staff Zone Newsletter Coversheet

LA communications to schools

Title: / SEO Advance programme – New school partnerships sought
Summary: / A new 3-year work readiness and career training programme for high-attaining students from underrepresented backgrounds across London.
Target school(s): / Secondary schools, Sixth Forms
Specific schools
For attention of: / Heads
Author:
Contact: / Joel Summers, Schools and Projects Manager
Email: /
Telephone: / 020 7400 0414
Newsletter date: / 25/09/2017
Action required/
due date:

SEO Advance programme – New school partnerships sought

Attached are details of SEO Advance, an innovative and impactful new 3-year work readiness and career training programme for high-attaining students from underrepresented backgrounds across London. The SEO Advance programme comprises a curriculum of 5 elements:

1)  Work experience insight days across multiple industry areas, increasing to longer placements in Year 13 in students’ industry of choice;

2)  University open days at institutions such as Oxford, Cambridge, Southampton and Birmingham, where students network with current students and take part in sample academic sessions;

3)  Workshops and training in technical, industry-specific skills, as well as holistic personal development coaching in goal setting, building resilience, and developing networks;

4)  Fostering a sense of community and giving back through community outreach and voluntary work;

5)  Mentoring by industry professionals and university students, many of whom are alumni of SEO London's programmes.

The SEO Advance programme is generously sponsored and supported by top firms across a range of industries, including Barclays, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, BlackRock, Columbia Threadneedle Investments, Alpha Financial Markets Consulting, the Royal Academy of Engineering and AMV BBDO.

Having successfully launched SEO Advance on September 2nd, the programme is now looking to establish new school partnerships in order to go on affording opportunities to the most able students who often lack the knowledge and connections needed to excel in the most prestigious industry areas.

Schools desired to be a part of the new partnerships should:

1)  have approximately 45% or more students on roll eligible for Pupil Premium funding;

2)  have a Year 11 cohort, preferably with an additional sixth form, and;

3)  be situated within Kensington & Chelsea, Hammersmith & Fulham, Islington, Haringey and Ealing.

If your school is interested in finding out more about the SEO Advance programme or would like to discuss a new partnership, please contact Joel Summers, Schools and Projects Manager at SEO London on , or call 020 7400 0414.