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Global majority students previously deemed at risk of disengagement have reported improved wellbeing, self-esteem, and ability to overcome workload pressures, following a targeted coaching intervention introduced at Leeds Trinity University.
In 2025, mental health was the most cited reason for students leaving higher education. And students from the global majority were even more vulnerable to mental health challenges, alongside care-experienced students, and those from low socio-economic backgrounds.
Leeds Trinity was one of only two higher education institutions to receive funding from Transforming Access and Student Outcomes in Higher Education (TASO), to run Coaching the Gap, an intervention designed to equip global majority students from disadvantaged backgrounds with the skills to address the circumstances that prevented them from engaging with their studies, such as single parenthood, bereavement, or mental health issues stemming from racial bias and discrimination.
Coaching the Gap ran between October 2024 and April 2025 and offered 23 students who had been identified as most “at risk of disengagement, low attainment or non-completion" six sessions of one-to-one coaching, as well as additional proactive support where needed.
As a result, the students reported improvements in their wellbeing, confidence, time management, relationships with tutors, and higher engagement with their studies. Crucially, the relationship between coach and student was a key enabler of self-awareness, allowing students to be open about their experiences and come up with helpful solutions that best suited their circumstances.
Dr Syra Shakir, Strategic Lead for Race Equity and Associate Professor at Leeds Trinity University, who led the initiative, said: “Leeds Trinity’s mission recognises that we all benefit from better student outcomes. Coaching the Gap extended beyond the academic realm, offering coaching sessions that harnessed a variety of techniques to foster confidence, and support global majority students who faced the threat of academic failure.
“We are committed to listening and learning from our students who took part in this initiative, and whose insights are helping us continue to support other students at risk, ensuring everyone can thrive at Leeds Trinity University.”
Aniqah Janjua, who accessed coaching in the third year of her undergraduate degree, is now a postgraduate student at Leeds Trinity University, and believes the programme changed her life: “During some of the toughest moments in my third year, having that extra support really helped my confidence and ability to stay focused, and reminded me that I was capable, even when I was doubting myself.”
Following its success in 2024/2025, Coaching the Gap will be running again at Leeds Trinity in 2026/2027, for another cohort of global majority students in their second and final year of study, further establishing the University’s commitment to student wellbeing, race equity, diversity, and inclusion. Leeds Trinity recently became the first university in Yorkshire, and just the seventh nationally, to be awarded the Race Equality Charter Silver award by Advance HE, recognising its sector-leading approach to anti-racism across all areas of university life.