Abstract

The University of Cambridge Higher Education Field Academy (HEFA) (www.access.arch.cam.
ac.uk/schools/hefa) involves teenagers in new archaeological excavations within English rural settlements. While the research aim is to reconstruct the development of today’s villages, hamlets and small towns, the social aim is to raise the educational aspirations of state-educated 13–15-year-olds and instil skills which will help them fulfil those ambitions.
HEFA began in 2005, when it was funded by Aimhigher, itself set up in 2003 to increase the number of young people from lower socioeconomic groups and disadvantaged backgrounds attending university. HEFA was supported by English Heritage between 2009 and 2011. HEFA’s track record since 2005 has enabled it to weather policy U-turns and deep funding cuts, deliveringmore than 12,000 learning days to c 4,000 young people interested in subjects ranging from accountancy to zoology. Rigorous monitoring shows that more than 90% of HEFA participants rate it good or excellent and that after completing HEFA, 80% feel more positive about post-16 education, 85% have developed new skills and more than 90% plan to attend university, a rise of 25-60%.