Step Into My Shoes is committed to helping young people fulfil their potential in life. Making students more socially mobile through education is a driving goal. We thank all our supporters which include corporations, universities, foundations and individual donors who share our commitment to a prosperous and productive future generation for their support of our work.

We work with State Schools across London Boroughs. All the schools that we work with have an above average percentage of students that qualify for a Free School Meal.

Step Into My Shoes delivers workshops and advanced enrichment schemes with these state schools in collaboration with higher educational institutions. Current higher educational partners include London Business School and Imperial College.

The work focuses on the following key areas:

1. Step Into Industry

Step Into My Shoes delivers Industry Specific Career Schemes. We support industries seeking to diversify Britain’s talent pool and reach students from less privileged backgrounds by giving them access and knowledge of these particular industries. This includes giving students who have little access to knowledge a better understanding of the process and opportunities available to them. We also understand that it is competitive to gain a place at a selective university and employment in key industries. We support young people to develop their interests, industry know-how, skills and portfolios in sync with competitive admissions and recruitment criteria. We focus on a range of industries emphasizing those experiencing a skills shortage in the UK such as the STEM subjects.

2. Step Into University Admissions

Provide quality university admissions advice to state schools

Application guidance in general (including personal statement, subject specific enrichment, interviewing, supplemental work and preparation for admission tests)

• Challenge: Any student applying to a competitive course will benefit from good advice. University admissions teams in the UK are faced with an overwhelming number of applications from students with very similar qualifications and grades. They therefore choose successful candidates on a whole series of different factors which are not limited to academic success. Independent schools, particularly those that have consistent successful track records amongst Oxbridge applicants, have well established large teams of advisors who support their students throughout the application process. Most state schools simply can’t afford to provide the same level of advice.

  "This year, a quarter of a million 16-year-olds will make their A-level choices relying on hearsay, myth and information that is outdated or uncheckable. Those choices will shape their options when it comes to university – and the courses they apply for will then shape their chances of getting in.There is, in short, massive asymmetry of information in the post-16 education system and the critical determinant is class. Kids at private school can rely on schools that have continual informal contact with elite universities. The result is that – for all the hard work being done by outreach teams in Russell Group universities, and by access teams in state schools – there’s an inbuilt advantage among those going to private schools based on informal knowledge." Paul Mason, Journalist

Specific workshops include:

A. Subject Choice

• Challenge: Many state students spend little time reflecting on their subject choice. It is commonly understood that many students tend to simply default to the most popular subjects crowding themselves out of potential offers.

B. Personal Statement

• Challenge: When grade attainment is taken into account, the personal statement becomes the greatest opportunity for students to secure offers at the vast majority of universities. Good advice is critical in students achieving offers particularly at selective universities.

C. University Selection

• Challenge: Universities are not static institutions. With rising fees and competition for top students they react by delivering a range of new courses/opportunities and entry criteria. Many state school students may have little knowledge of what’s on offer or up to date criteria.

3. Step Into Admissions Test Courses:

Step Into My Shoes reserves a limited number of discounted places for students attending non-selective schools who qualify for a free school meal. For more information, please contact us at 0330 122 0721 or info@stepintomyshoes.co.uk