A new after-school centre offering academic support will open its doors in Clacton this month.

The centre is aimed at raising attainment and encouraging aspiration in students, and will also offer mentoring and workshop opportunities designed to complement school studies.

It is also hoped it will help pupils understand the benefits of high education.

The centre has been made possible thanks to a partnership between Anglia Ruskin University and charity IntoUniversity.

Professor Iain Martin, Vice Chancellor of Anglia Ruskin University, said: “A university education provides incredible opportunities for our students – we are absolutely focussed on providing access to this for students from all backgrounds.

“This is especially the case for communities where many young people don’t even consider university as a possibility for them.

“This exciting partnership aims to help people realise that higher education is indeed an option and looks to hone their skills at a vital point in their lives to enable them to make the most of their talents and abilities.

“This is Anglia Ruskin’s first partnership with IntoUniversity and we are delighted to be working with an organisation that aligns so well with our desire to widen participation and raise aspirations.”

The centre comes after data from the Higher Education Funding Council for England showed that several electoral wards in Clacton are in the bottom fifth of the UK for higher education participation.

In Rush Green ward, just 8.2% of 15-year-olds went into higher education in the 2005/6 and 2010/11 academic years.

The centre will be located at Imperial House, in Rosemary Road, with up to 900 young people hoped to benefit from it every year.

Dr Rachel Carr OBE, chief executive and co-founder of IntoUniversity, said: “We are thrilled to be opening our first centre in Clacton-on-Sea with backing from our partner Anglia Ruskin University.

“We look forward to working with local schools and community groups to support hundreds of young people in Clacton to achieve their aspirations in the years to come.”

The centre will open its doors later this month to both primary and secondary school students.