24 th June Widening Participation in the 21 st Century: A decade of learning Level Zero Foundation Years – the Cinderella Programmes of Widening Participation. A Longitudinal Study of Students from Foundation Year to Graduation Nikki Hughes Manchester Metropolitan University

24 th June 2010Widening Participation in the 21st Century: A decade of learning 2 “It is the mark of a civilised society to aim at eliminating such inequalities as have their source, not in individual differences, but in its own organisation” R.H. Tawney, 1964

24 th June 2010Widening Participation in the 21st Century: A decade of learning 3 What are Level Zero Foundation Years? Additional integral year of study Provide access to HE for students not in possession of sufficient, traditional or appropriate subject-specific qualifications Attract students from non-traditional or under-represented groups Offered by the majority of UK HE institutions 25% increase in numbers between 2002/03 and 2006/07

24 th June 2010Widening Participation in the 21st Century: A decade of learning 4 MMU Foundation Year Vital Statistics Linked to 120 degrees Delivered at 4 centres (MMU, MMU Cheshire, Manchester College and Trafford College) Grown from 240 students in 2000 to 1074 in 2009/10 63% cohort male (43% of institution) 52% cohort white (72% of institution) 16% cohort aged (9% of institution)

24 th June 2010Widening Participation in the 21st Century: A decade of learning 5 A longitudinal study of students from Foundation Year to graduation Does MMU’s Foundation Year “Work”?

24 th June 2010Widening Participation in the 21st Century: A decade of learning 6 Comparative Progression from Year 1 (Level 4) to Year 2 (Level 5) of former Foundation Year Students

24 th June 2010Widening Participation in the 21st Century: A decade of learning 7 Comparative progression at University level

24 th June 2010Widening Participation in the 21st Century: A decade of learning 8 Comparative progression by Faculty

24 th June 2010Widening Participation in the 21st Century: A decade of learning 9 Comparison of Degree Outcomes of Former Foundation Year Students with Direct Entrants

24 th June 2010Widening Participation in the 21st Century: A decade of learning 10 Comparison of degree outcomes of former Foundation Year students

24 th June 2010Widening Participation in the 21st Century: A decade of learning 11 Comparison of degree outcomes of former Foundation Year students Degree outcome Former FY? 2004/052006/072007/082008/09 1, 2i or 2iiYes82%85%93%92% NoNo data90%93%91% 1 or 2iYes28%35%50%49% NoNo data53%58% 1Yes2%6% 11% NoNo data10%11%13%

24 th June 2010Widening Participation in the 21st Century: A decade of learning 12 There is now very little to differentiate between a former Foundation Year student and a direct entrant other than their background…..

24 th June 2010Widening Participation in the 21st Century: A decade of learning 13 Differences in Socio-economic Group

24 th June 2010Widening Participation in the 21st Century: A decade of learning 14 Ratio of enrolments from SEC 4-7 to enrolments from SEC 1-3 for the Foundation Year and University from

24 th June 2010Widening Participation in the 21st Century: A decade of learning 15 Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Data WP groupYearMMU loc-adj benchmark MMUFoundation Year State Schools % 2005/ / Classes 4,5,6,7 % 2005/ / Low Part Neighb % 2005/ /08*15*14*

24 th June 2010Widening Participation in the 21st Century: A decade of learning 16 Differences in Ethnicity, Gender and Age

24 th June 2010Widening Participation in the 21st Century: A decade of learning 17 Proportion ethnic minority students in successful Level 4 cohort

24 th June 2010Widening Participation in the 21st Century: A decade of learning 18 Proportion male students in successful Level 4 cohort

24 th June 2010Widening Participation in the 21st Century: A decade of learning 19 Proportion of students aged in successful Level 4 cohort (2007/08)

24 th June 2010Widening Participation in the 21st Century: A decade of learning 20 Students from all social groups are equally likely to participate in higher education if they achieve the relevant qualifications N. Barr, 2003 Higher Education Policy Institute, 2003

24 th June 2010Widening Participation in the 21st Century: A decade of learning 21 Acknowledgement Doug Bett – formerly Planning and Management Information, MMU.

24 th June 2010Widening Participation in the 21st Century: A decade of learning 22 Entry Qualifications Level 3 qualification / tariff points plus GCSE mathematics and English grade D or level 3 numeracy and communication

24 th June 2010Widening Participation in the 21st Century: A decade of learning 23 Scope of Study Institutional-level data sources have been examined to –compare the progression from Level 4 (Year 1) to Level 5 (Year 2) of the 2003/04, 2004/05, 2005/06 and 2006/07 cohorts of FY students with that of direct entrants to Level 4. –compare the age, gender and ethnicity of the former 2003/04, 2004/05, 2005/06 and 2006/07 cohorts of FY students studying at Level 4 with that of direct entrants. –compare degree outcomes of the 2003/04, 2004/05 and 2005/06 cohorts of FY students with that of direct entrants.

24 th June 2010Widening Participation in the 21st Century: A decade of learning 24 Comparative progression by Department

24 th June 2010Widening Participation in the 21st Century: A decade of learning 25 Comparison of degree outcomes of former Foundation Year students