Leeds Futures

Leeds Futures is a national outreach programme designed for individual learners in Year 12 / Year 1. It provides students with the opportunity to learn more about a subject area they are interested in pursuing at university, whilst developing their study skills and careers awareness.

Students enrolling on the programme choose to specialise in a particular subject area. They will then attend a variety of subject-related activities alongside receiving advice and guidance on practical matters such as UCAS applications, accommodation choices and student finance.

Apply

Applications for Leeds Futures Health Sciences (including Dentistry and Medicine) have now closed.

Applications for all other Leeds Futures programmes are open and will close on Sunday 2 February 2025.

For full details of what is included in the 2025 Leeds Futures programmes or to apply please follow the link to the subject you are interested in.

Arts and Humanities

Health Sciences

Environment

Social Sciences

STEM (Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics)

How it works

Students sign up, individually, to a subject-specific Futures strand and take part in a sustained series of activities throughout Year 12 until the point of submitting their UCAS application in Year 13 / Year 2.

Over the course of the programme, students will experience what it’s like to study a particular subject at the University of Leeds. They will take part in after-school live webinars, Q and A sessions with existing students, and attend on-campus taster days.

Year 12 / Year 1 Spring term 

Following registration, students will be sent a programme for their chosen subject area. This will include a range of activities including subject-specific webinars, study skills sessions and broader talks to support students in applying to university and the routes available.

Year 12 / Year 1 Summer term

Students will be invited to attend a campus taster day to gain an insight into student life and what it’s like to study their chosen subject area at Leeds. Taster events include lectures and workshops, chats with current students and a campus tour.

Year 13 / Year 2 Autumn term

Focusing on the university application process, students will be offered sessions to support them with the UCAS process and writing personal statements. Students will also be provided with an overview of Access to Leeds and the support provided by the University’s Plus Programme.

Eligibility

Priority for places on our Futures programmes will be given to students who live in an area with low levels of progression on to Higher Education (use our online postcode checker) and/or who meet one or more of our other Access to Leeds criteria:

  • You’re from a household with a gross annual income of £25,000 or below OR in receipt of 16–19 Bursary Fund with an income threshold of £25,000 OR in receipt of free school meals during your GCSE or post-16 studies.
  • Your parents or carers did not go to university.
  • You attend a school achieving below the national average Attainment 8 score at GCSE.
  • Your studies have been disrupted due to personal circumstances. We consider each application on an individual basis, so unfortunately we cannot provide an exhaustive list of situations that meet this criterion. However, they could include: caring responsibilities, experienced a recent close family bereavement, living independently from your parents/carers, studies impacted by a mental or physical health condition. 
  • You are care experienced (this could include public or kinship care). 

Certain programmes may include additional eligibility criteria. For specific information, please look at the webpage for the Futures programme that you are interested in applying for. 

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