At Queen Mary University of London, the role of the education liaison is quietly reshaping how students, schools and the institution itself connect. Operating at the intersection of outreach, recruitment and academic support, these specialists are tasked with more than simply promoting degree programmes. They interpret complex entry requirements for teachers and advisers, guide prospective students through an increasingly competitive admissions landscape, and help ensure that once students arrive on campus, the education they receive is responsive to their needs and backgrounds.
As universities across the UK grapple with widening participation targets, shifting funding models and growing scrutiny over the value of a degree, education liaisons have emerged as key players behind the scenes. At Queen Mary – a research-intensive university with a long-standing commitment to social mobility – their work is central to translating policy into practice, turning abstract institutional strategies into tangible opportunities for learners from a wide range of communities.
This article examines what education liaison means in practice at Queen Mary University of London: who these professionals are, how they operate in schools and colleges, and why their efforts are becoming increasingly critical to the future of higher education.
Strengthening pathways between schools and Queen Mary University of London
Through a combination of targeted outreach and collaborative planning, we build long-term relationships with teachers, advisers and school leaders that make progression to Queen Mary feel both achievable and exciting. Our team co-designs activities with partner schools – from subject taster days and campus immersion visits to student shadowing and mentoring schemes – ensuring that each intervention is aligned with curriculum needs and local priorities. These initiatives are underpinned by clear information, impartial guidance and a strong focus on raising aspirations for learners from a wide range of backgrounds.
We also offer a structured menu of support designed to remove barriers at each stage of the journey from classroom to campus, working closely with careers departments and pastoral teams to identify where we can add the most value. This includes:
- Application and UCAS support for students and advisers
- On-campus and virtual masterclasses led by Queen Mary academics
- Teacher CPD opportunities linked to current research and pedagogy
- Parent and carer information sessions demystifying university life and finance
| Offer | Key Audience | Typical Format |
|---|---|---|
| Pathway Days | Years 10-12 | On-campus taster program |
| Adviser Briefings | Teachers & careers staff | Online or in-school sessions |
| Student Ambassadors | Prospective applicants | Peer-led talks and Q&A |
Inside the education liaison role connecting diverse learners with higher education opportunities
Acting as the vital conduit between schools, colleges, communities and Queen Mary University of London, the education liaison professional curates pathways that make higher education feel both reachable and relevant for learners from every background. This means building trust with teachers and advisers, designing outreach that reflects the realities of local communities, and translating complex admissions processes into clear, human language. Through campus visits,targeted workshops and bespoke guidance sessions,they help demystify everything from personal statements to student finance,ensuring that aspirations are shaped by potential rather than postcode.
On any given week, the role can involve collaborating with widening participation teams, responding to queries from parents, or tailoring events for learners with very different needs and ambitions. To keep engagement meaningful, liaison staff often combine data insights with on-the-ground conversations, adapting resources and activities to close specific opportunity gaps. Typical strands of activity include:
- School and college outreach: subject taster days, classroom talks and progression-focused assemblies
- Targeted support for underrepresented groups: mentoring schemes, transition programmes and bespoke campus tours
- Advisor progress: CPD sessions for teachers and careers staff on admissions trends and application support
- Information, advice and guidance: one-to-one and group sessions on course choice, routes in and financial planning
| Activity | Main Audience | Key Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Campus revelation days | Year 10-12 learners | Increased confidence about university life |
| Application clinics | Prospective applicants | Stronger, more informed applications |
| Community briefings | Parents & guardians | Clearer understanding of support and finance |
Targeted outreach strategies to support underrepresented students into Queen Mary
Through a mix of data-led planning and community partnership, Queen Mary focuses its liaison activity where it can make the greatest difference for students who are least represented in higher education. Working closely with schools, colleges and local organisations, education liaison officers design programmes that respond to specific barriers – from a lack of role models to financial worries – and deliver them directly in classrooms, youth hubs and online. This includes sustained contact from Year 9 onwards, interactive academic tasters, and one-to-one guidance that demystifies the Russell Group landscape and makes routes into university feel both realistic and achievable.
These activities are tailored with precision rather than applied as a one-size-fits-all offer, drawing on local intelligence and student feedback. Key strands of work include:
- Community-based mentoring led by current Queen Mary students with similar backgrounds.
- Contextual admissions advice for teachers, parents and carers, clarifying how potential is recognised beyond grades.
- Subject-specific immersion days for fields where participation gaps are most acute, such as STEM and law.
- Financial readiness workshops covering bursaries, scholarships and budgeting in accessible language.
- Digital bridges – online masterclasses and virtual campus experiences for learners facing travel or caring constraints.
| Focus Group | Key Barrier | Queen Mary Response |
|---|---|---|
| Care-experienced learners | Limited tailored guidance | Dedicated liaison contact and bespoke visits |
| First-generation students | Low familiarity with university routes | Family information events and guidance clinics |
| Local widening-participation schools | Restricted access to enrichment | On-campus programmes and in-school workshops |
Practical recommendations for educators collaborating with Queen Mary’s education liaison team
To ensure that every encounter with the liaison team has real impact for your learners, start by clarifying your aims and constraints. Share curriculum maps, recent assessment briefs and any known attainment gaps so that workshops, campus visits and online sessions can be tailored to your cohort rather than delivered as generic outreach. Establish a single school or college contact to streamline communication, and agree preferred timelines for bookings, transport arrangements and consent forms. This not only reduces administrative friction but helps the team build a longitudinal understanding of your context, from subject choices at Key Stage 4 to post‑16 progression patterns.
Consider co‑designing activities that extend beyond one‑off events and support sustained aspiration‑raising. Such as, you might blend in‑class preparatory tasks, live Q&A sessions with current undergraduates, and follow‑up reflection activities that link back to your learning outcomes. Use the liaison team’s insight into admissions trends, financial support and student life to enrich PSHE, careers guidance and tutor time. The table below suggests simple ways to embed their expertise across the school year.
| School Focus | Suggested Collaboration | Quick Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| GCSE options | Subject‑taster talks | Informed course choices |
| Post‑16 pathways | Campus visit with taster lectures | Clearer HE progression routes |
| UCAS preparation | Personal statement workshop | Stronger draft applications |
| Parental engagement | Evening information session | Increased family buy‑in |
In Retrospect
As universities grapple with widening participation and a rapidly changing educational landscape, the education liaison work at Queen Mary University of London offers a glimpse of what a more joined‑up system can look like.It is a model built not just on outreach events and glossy prospectuses, but on long-term relationships with schools and colleges, targeted support for under‑represented groups, and a clear commitment to evidence-based practice.
Whether this approach will be enough to counter mounting pressures on students and teachers alike remains an open question.But as policy makers talk about social mobility and opportunity, Queen Mary’s liaison efforts underline a crucial point: bridging the gap between school and university is not a matter of a single intervention, but of sustained, collaborative work. In that sense,the real test of success may lie not only in who arrives on campus,but in how the pathway to higher education is reshaped for the next generation.
