More school leavers are going on to study at university, thanks to the success of a new scheme.

In its first year of operation the Sussex Coastal Highway has seen the number of potential undergraduates in Sussex rise by 30 per cent.

Sixteen-year-old Durrington High School pupil Kieran Todd is one of 170 students taking part in the project.

Kieran, from Goring, said: "The scheme has really got me interested in studying. I'm really inspired to study law as a subject.

"I've loved the campus visits and I'd love to revisit a university and sit in on a first-year lecture."

Kieran's mother, Susan, said: "I think the scheme is brilliant. It has meant my son has shown an interest in something he hadn't considered before.

"The scheme has also inspired him to improve his grades at GCSE level so he gets the grades he needs to do his A-levels in order to gain a university place."

The scheme works by identifying school leavers who might not have thought about going to university.

It has seen the number of pupils inquiring about university rise from four out of ten to seven out of ten.

Based at the University of Brighton, it works with 16 schools and further education colleges in Sussex.

It identifies young people from non-academic backgrounds and works with them and their schools to show university could be an option.

Undergraduates have visited schools after volunteering to mentor Year 10 and 11 students in the secondary sector.

Visits to local campuses have been organised where would-be students can attend taster sessions and get a flavour of university life.

Brighton University's partners in the project are the University of Sussex and University College Chichester.

Sussex Coastal Highway project manager Jacky Harding said: "It is fun and hard work for the school leavers but they are excited at the possibility that they could go to university. They are amazed at the range of subjects on offer."