Virtual Conference
Virtual Conference
Explore our free Teachers and Advisers Virtual Conferences, featuring expert-led webinars and an exhibition hall to enrich your CPD online. Offered free of charge with the opportunity to engage first-hand with Russell Group University representatives.
Aims & Benefits
Using an online platform, our free Advancing Access virtual conferences offer the same quality of information, advice and training as university-led CPD events. Virtual conferences are open access, free of charge and will provide you with the opportunity to:
- Hear first-hand from university staff from each Russell Group university about its admissions processes and entry requirements
- Ask any questions you may have via an online chat facility and share ideas with colleagues on a range of topics
- Access the guidance provided during ‘on the ground’ conferences with no requirement for travel
What happens during our Virtual Conference
Webinars
Our webinars cover a range of topics and will enable teachers and advisers to support more of their students to progress to Russell Group universities.
Webinars are interactive and include chat room-style discussion forums that allow you to ask questions that will be answered by our university representatives.
Exhibition Hall
Our virtual exhibition hall includes a stall for each of our 24 Russell Group university partners.
You will be able to speak with university representatives through an online chat facility. At least one representative from each university will be present, which means you will have access to all 24 universities in one space. There will also be a range of materials to download: for example, information on accommodation, summer schools, scholarships and bursaries.
Q&A Forum
Use our Q&A discussion forum to ask questions on any topic to our panel of experts. You can also use the forum as an opportunity to network with staff from other schools and colleges.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do I need to access the conference?
You can access our virtual conferences through a web browser using a desktop or laptop computer, tablet or mobile phone. We recommend using a computer if possible for the best experience.
We also recommend using either Chrome, Edge or Firefox to access the platform. You will not need to download any new software to access our conferences, nor will you need a microphone or webcam.
How will I be able to interact with university staff online?
You will be able to interact with university staff in the webinars, exhibition hall and Q&A forum. The webinars include a chat room where you can ask questions and receive answers about the content covered. In the exhibition hall you can chat with staff from each university directly.
The Q&A forum gives you the chance to ask questions to a number of university staff at once and receive multiple replies. You can also respond to other users' questions in the Q&A forum. Please bear in mind that every message you type will be visible to all users, so please don't divulge sensitive personal information about any students you may be supporting.
Who should attend the conference?
Advancing Access virtual conferences are designed for teachers and advisers working in schools, colleges and local authorities across the UK. In general, our conferences are appropriate for staff supporting students who are making subject, qualification, career and university choices from age 14 onwards.
Our conferences are not aimed at students, although students are still able to take part if they wish to. Outreach practitioners working for universities, UniConnect or charities may also find our conferences useful.
I can't make the whole event - can I leave early/arrive late?
Yes - feel free to join and leave the event at times convenient to you. Please click the log out button at the top right of the screen once you've finished - you can still then log in again later during the evening if you wish to (just click the link in your email).
If you miss a particular webinar, you will be able to watch it again shortly afterwards on the Advancing Access website.
Will I receive a copy of the presentations I attend?
We will make copies of presentations available on our website shortly after the event.
Do I need speakers?
We recommend having speakers or headphones for the best user experience as our webinars contain sound, however subtitles are available too.
Do I need a microphone?
No, you will type all your questions in our chat room-style web forums.
Do you provide subtitles?
Yes, we provide subtitles on the webinars. To access the subtitles, hover over the video and click the "CC" icon once it appears.