Pupils in Bradford will be among 200 young people from disadvantaged backgrounds taking part in scheme to help them gain places at leading universities.

A-level students at schools including Buttershaw Business and Enterprise College, Carlton Bolling College, Thornton Grammar and Aire Valley School, will be involved in the 18-month programme run by Leeds University.

It includes advice sessions and lectures, workshops, academic taster sessions, the chance to meet high-achievers from similar backgrounds and a five-day stay at a hall of residence.

Ceri Nursaw, head of access and community engagement at the university, said: “We know this programme works. There are many students at universities around the country who are progressing towards good degrees, who might never have achieved their full potential without it.”