FORMER students of state secondary schools are being urged to use their experience and skills of higher education to boost current pupils’ chances of going to university.

The programme in 14 secondary schools in Sussex is run by national education charity Future First and funded by the Sussex Learning Network.

The aim is to widen participation in higher education by increasing the number of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds in HE by 2020.

Future First is helping participating schools to engage their alumni communities.

The aim is to bring back former students with experience of higher education as positive role models so the current generation is more motivated, confident and equipped to go to university.

Schools and colleges taking part include Cardinal Newman Catholic School, Hove; Dorothy Stringer School, Brighton; Hove Park School; St Catherine’s College in Eastbourne; Eastbourne Academy; Littlehampton Academy; The Regis School, in Bognor; Thomas Bennett Community College in Crawley and Varndean in Brighton.

Many of the schools have already welcomed back former students.

Varndean hosted a student workshop with five alumni volunteers, including a lawyer and a prison worker.

Alumnus Charlie Pullen, now completing a PhD in English literature at Queen Mary University in London, said: “We had a whale of a time and the students really enjoyed it.”

Hove Park School students have also benefited from alumni advice and guidance.

Teachers have invited former students into form times to give advice on life after leaving school, including Kelly Romeo, now executive PA for an accountancy firm.

Fay Lofty, schools liaison programme manager at Sussex Learning Network, said: “We are delighted to have enabled our priority schools to access Future First.

“Bringing alumni back to their schools to contribute to an ethos of success, progression and attainment fully supports Sussex Learning Network’s aims for young people to be inspired and enthused to fulfil their potential.

“Feedback from our priority schools has been brilliant about the way Future First not only helps locate alumni but also about the creative, imaginative and effective ways they use them in schools.”

Under the scheme, Future First is working with careers staff and teachers in each school to run workshops supported by alumni volunteers.

The aim is to inspire current students about the different courses available to them and enabling them to make a more informed decision about choosing the right university for them.