On Wednesday evening over 600 students and guests (including parents and teachers) attended a graduation ceremony. The school students came from schools and colleges across the Bristol area and were ‘graduating’ from the University’s Pathways to Law and Access to Bristol.

Pathways to Law gives 16-18 year olds an insight into studying law at university. The scheme, set up in 2006 by The Sutton Trust and The Legal Education Foundation with support from major law firms, takes place over a two year period and provides students with a range of academic, advice and careers sessions at the Law School.

Access to Bristol gives students in their first year of a level study (or equivalent) an insight into studying a variety of subjects at university (24 are on offer). All the students begin by taking part in an interactive law lecture, run by the Law School, and then move on to study in subject streams, including politics, theatre, geography and chemistry.

Lois Bibbings, Professor of Law and the School’s Pathways to Law Co-ordinator, said:

These programmes are aimed at local students from backgrounds under-represented in top universities like Bristol. Many may not have previously considered going to university or are from families who don't have a history of attending university. They performed brilliantly and should be proud of their achievement – and we hope to see many of them coming back here to study 

In the style of a traditional graduation ceremony, family and friends gathered in the Great Hall of the Wills Memorial Building as students were presented with their certificates. There were speeches by Mark Ekins, a Bristol alumni, and Professor Judith Squires, Pro Vice-Chancellor at the University of Bristol, as official photographs.