Leeds Futures - Politics
Our national outreach programme, Leeds Futures – Politics, is designed to inspire Year 12 students who are interested in studying Politics, International Development and International Relations at university and support them to gain a place at the University of Leeds.
On the programme, you will develop your subject knowledge through a series of academic taster workshops, giving you the opportunity to experience teaching from academics in the Schools of Politics and International Studies (POLIS). The programme also includes activities that support your skills development, insight into life as an undergraduate student and support your university applications.
After taking part in the programme, eligible students will receive a guaranteed contextual offer from the University of Leeds if they apply for the BA Politics, BA International Development or BA International Relations courses in the School of POLIS. This offer is dependent on you completing the compulsory elements of the programme.
What’s included in the Futures Programme?
The programme, running from March in Year 12 to December in Year 13, comprises a series of online sessions, as well as two in-person visits to the University of Leeds campus. Students taking part in the programme will also be supported to write and submit a university-style assessment.
Through the academic content of the programme, you will explore how global problems such as climate change, terrorism, poverty, education and global health are mediated through different levels of political agents – locally, nationally and internationally.
The information below gives you a general idea of the activities, and some of the dates, involved.
Our online sessions will take place on evenings after school between 05:00pm - 06:00pm, in the hope that the programme has minimal impact on your current studies.
Year 12
- Online launch event in March, providing you with more information about the programme and the assessment, as well as the conditions of the guaranteed offer. An opportunity to meet the other participants on the programme as well as staff and students in the School of Politics and International Studies
- A visit to the University of Leeds on Thursday 9th April 2026, giving you the opportunity to experience life as an undergraduate student, taking part in taster lectures and seminars
- Online subject taster sessions, helping you develop your insight into the courses taught in the School of POLIS
- Progression to Higher Education workshops such as ‘Student Finance’ to ensure you have the information you need as you prepare your university applications
- Support sessions to ensure you feel prepared to write your university assessment during the summer holidays
Year 13
- Workshops to support your university applications and transition to university
- Study skills sessions, helping you develop your revision skills and providing you with tools to manage your exam anxiety
- Another visit to the University of Leeds in October 2026, which centres around the extra-curricular opportunities available at the University, and is led by our Student Ambassadors
- An opportunity to receive feedback on a draft of your assessment before our submission deadline
- A Futures Graduation – an online celebration of your achievements throughout the programme and information on how we will continue to support you as you transition to university.
The Leeds Futures - Politics Journey
What are the eligibility criteria?
To be eligible for the Leeds Futures - Politics programme you must meet at least one of the following criteria:
Be care experienced
You will be eligible under this criterion if you have lived or spent time in public or kinship care at any point growing up, or you are currently living in care. Find out more about other support for care experienced students that you might be eligible for.
Have a home postcode in an area with low participation in HE
We determine this criterion by assessing your home postcode against government data. This includes the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD), which highlights economically and socially disadvantaged areas, and POLAR 4 (Participation of Local Areas), which indicates the likelihood of young people entering higher education from different regions. You can use our postcode checker to check your eligibility but final confirmation will only be provided once your application has been fully assessed by the Social Sciences Outreach Team.
Have been eligible for Free School Meals
You are/were eligible for free school meals during GCSE studies or later. This will be checked through a reference from your school/college.
Please read our full application guidance and eligibility criteria before filling out an application for the programme.
Applicants who have submitted applications to the scheme can expect to find out if they have been successful in gaining a place mid-February 2026.
The programme will then commence with our online launch event in March.
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