Summer schools

Summer Schools 2022

Breaking personal barriers, breaking academic barriers and building a fairer community.

What will you remember about 2020-2022? Whilst an infamous virus breached the species barrier and wildfires raged across US state borders, humans too were breaking barriers. From demanding an end to racially motivated violence through the Black Lives Matter movement to ensuring that exam grades were given on the basis of potential, not postcode, we have shone the spotlight on inequality. As a result, extraordinary people have overcome obstacles we never thought possible; not least the development of a vaccine over 10 months and the roll-out of the vaccine to over 80% of adults in less than a year!

Please note applications for our 2022 Summer Schools are now closed.

Our 2022 residential summer schools will explore the theme of ‘Breaking Barriers’ and will encourage participants to join us in our pledge to build a fairer world.  You will have the chance to experience what it is like to be at university, living in student accommodation for four days and experiencing different aspects of student life, from cooking for yourself to participating in sports and social activities and making new friends.  Alongside this, you will explore how learning happens at university and will build your own skills through our Breaking Barriers activities.

The summer school is divided into three sections:

Breaking personal barriers 

Where is your ‘glass ceiling’? What barriers might you face and how can you overcome them? How does knowing yourself and understanding others help you to succeed?

Breaking academic barriers 

Taster sessions from our research themes such as  ‘Future Human’ and ‘Migration and Movement’, will break down traditional boundaries between subject areas and highlight some of the differences between learning at school and at university. Does breaking down academic barriers help us to overcome the global challenges we face?

Building a fairer community  

Using your knowledge of different subjects you will creatively explore solutions to the inequalities which create barriers in our communities. Student ambassadors from a range of subject areas will support you to develop your vision for the future, in a form of your choice. This may be a podcast, a video clip, a poster, an essay… The options are endless! At the end of the summer school we will showcase these visions of the future in our digital time capsule, to enable future generations to understand and measure the progress made towards reducing inequalities in our communities.


Breaking Barriers

Let's make 2022 a year to remember for all the right reasons

Watch the video

Why apply?

The University of Kent has lots of experience running summer schools to introduce students to university life, to help them understand their options and make the choices about the next steps in their educational journey. We also want to give participants the chance to build skills to help them succeed.

The Summer Schools will provide the space and the support for participants to think deeply and to try new things, the chance to meet new people, to ask questions, and to express their opinions.

The Summer schools will be run on the University of Kent's Canterbury Campus.  Students will live in University accommodation for the duration of each residential.

What is the cost? 

The summer school is free of charge, including  accommodation, meals and all academic sessions including activities and prizes!  Support with the cost of travelling to the campus may also be available.

Who can apply?

There are two Summer Schools, one for students currently in Year 10 and one for students in Year 12 or Level 3 Year 1 at an FE College.  The Summer Schools are aimed at students who:

  • Are keen to work across different subject areas 
  • Are happy to work in a small team
  • Would like to develop the knowledge, skills and experience to stand out in their job, sixth form, college and / or university applications 

Priority is given to students at the University’s partner and KMPF schools and colleges.

Applications for the 2022 Summer Schools are now closed.

Summer school dates

The 2022 Summer Schools will take place on the following dates: 

Year 12: Wednesday 13 - Saturday 16 July 2022

Year 10: Tuesday 27 – Friday 29 July 2022

Accommodation will be provided in single rooms with ensuite facilities in student halls of residence on the University's Canterbury Campus.  For Year 12 students, rooms will be in either mixed or single sex student flats. Year 10 students will be housed in single sex accommodation only.

Our research

We are running a research project, led by Transforming Access and Student Outcomes, to see whether participation in a university summer school will help young people to aspire and progress to university. 

Our 2022 Year 10 and Year 12 summer schools are part of this project. Students who take part will be asked to complete a series of questionnaires so that we can find out about their intention to apply to university, their sense of belonging towards university and their current knowledge about university. More information about the research project is available via the summer schools application form.