Pre entry support for Care Experienced and Estranged Students (CEES)
You’ll have support on your student journey from start to finish at Edge Hill University. We offer dedicated support for all care leavers, care experienced, estranged, kinship care and foyer students. There’s plenty available and our doors are always open.
How we can help
We understand that as a student with care-experience and/or estrangement, you may want information and support for specific concerns. Our team is available to support you with any questions you might have during the transition into university.
At Edge Hill, our definition of a student who is care-experienced is someone who, at any stage of their life, and for any length of time, has been in care of their Local Authority. Find our full list of definitions online.
Benefits of coming to Edge Hill
- Support on researching and applying for higher education (HE) and student finance; including choosing your qualifications and subjects for HE progression, including for younger students.
- Assisting you to participate in any dedicated outreach activities that we may offer for care experienced and estranged students.
- Attending bespoke visit(s) to the Edge Hill University campus to meet with us, as well as current students and other staff to provide you with more detailed information about our on-course offer which includes financial support, accommodation, enhanced and bespoke careers guidance and pastoral support packages, such as our Care Leavers Bursary. and 365 accommodation offer.
- Financial and pastoral support for you to attend Edge Hill University open days and offer holder days.
- With your consent, we can also liaise with your Local Authority staff or your support workers to discuss the support we can offer and would be happy to contribute to the development of your Personal Education Plan.
- Supporting you during results day, especially during the Clearing and/or confirmation processes.
- Aiding in your transition to Edge Hill once you have been made an offer to study with us, for example by facilitating one to one meetings with relevant teams across the University if needed.
As a mark of our support for care experienced students, we have signed the Care Leaver Covenant and have also been awarded the NNECL Quality Mark in light of our support package. We have also taken the Stand Alone Pledge to support our estranged students.
Hear from a current student
“At Edge Hill there is always help available. If you’re going through something and you’re suffering alone, you don’t have to be. There’s always a friendly face, there’s no problem that you won’t be able to get help with.”
Current student, Lily Joy Lancashire
If you are a current Edge Hill student and would like to access our on-course support, visit our dedicated support page.
Professional support
We work with educational practitioners, school/college staff, virtual schools and wider Local Authority teams to offer support to students in care/about to leave care and those supporting estranged students. We welcome enquiries from anyone seeking support for them. This also includes providing Continued Professional Development (CPD) opportunities for professionals supporting care-experienced and estranged students to develop their knowledge and confidence of progression to higher education.
Meet your team
Anna Wooley, our Widening Access Manager, is your specific point of contact for any care experienced and estranged students who would like more information about approaching and transitioning into higher education and Edge Hill University. Anna is also assisted by the Widening Access Team of Hannah, Louise and Stephanie. The team can offer you individualised support at whatever stage of your pre-University educational journey, and at any age.
Useful resources
Further support and useful resources for Care Experienced and Estranged Students:
TAP – Connect with current Edge Hill students Turn2Us Become Stand Alone SFE