This article describes a novel UK school/university partnership, the "Plymouth Model" designed to encourage young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to aim for higher education (HE) study. The model incorporates the activity of university students, researchers and teachers working together to improve aspirations and outcomes for pupils and potentiate their own intellectual, professional and personal development. Background policy and curriculum development models are outlined and a UK study in which inner city primary and secondary school teachers' views and pupils' aspirations were gauged before and after the school/university partnership model was implemented. The intervention led to a significant increase in pupils' motivation to go on to HE study and findings further suggest that the problem of aspiration and motivation for progression to HE may lie not with the pupils themselves, or with their parents or carers but with their teachers. The serious implications of the findings for policy and practice are discussed and suggestions made for future research.