1. How do we further embed Widening Participation and Fair Access across the University?

2. What will we cover? Introduction The current environment Group exercise and feedback Widening Participation Access Agreements Fair Access and Contextual Data Group exercise and feedback

3. A period of rapid growth Public sector spending cuts 2012 fees regime OFFA and Access Agreements Increased competition The times they are a changin’…

4. Growth

5. Widening Participation – Group Activity In your groups, discuss what you understand by the term ‘Widening Participation’.

6. What is Widening Participation? “Our aim is to promote and provide the opportunity of successful participation in higher education to everyone who can benefit from it.” Widening participation addresses the large discrepancies in the take-up of higher education opportunities, between different social groups. Under-representation is closely connected with broader issues of equity and social inclusion, so we are concerned with ensuring equality of opportunity for disabled students, mature students, women and men and all ethnic groups.” HEFCE

7. Year 13* Year 12* Year 11 Year 10 Year 9 Year 8 Year 6 STEM ASC Star Student West Side Story Project School Conventions AH Student Associates HE Journey School Conventions Parents/Carers Evenings ACE Days Masterclasses Students into Schools; HE Awareness Talks for Parents Presentations in Schools Campus Tours Open Day HE Conventions Out of Region Activity Evolve@NorthumbriaStudent ShadowingSummer School Presentations in Schools & Colleges Northern Ireland Tour Lunchtime Roadshow Open Day Presentations in Schools & Colleges Campus Tours Post Application Open Days Student Recruitment What do we do? Choices Together (Years 9 -11) School and College Visits-in (Years 9-13) Parents Activities (All years) Students into Schools Activities (All Years) Passport (Year 12 and 13) Aimhigher Associates (Year 10 and Year 12) Student Associates (All years) DIScover Conference (All years) 360° Campus Panoramas Student Shadowing Taster CoursesInformation Advice and Guidance Mature Students Induction Mature Students Study SkillsAdult Learners’ Week * Year 12 and 13 activities are also available to 1 st and 2 nd year college students respectively Adult (19+) Total Events 1980 Total Contacts 48400

8. Our Activity

9. UniversityYoung Entrants (FT – 1 st Degree) Mature Entrants (FT – 1 st Degree) State Schools/Colleges NS-SEC 4-7Low Participation Neighbourhoods Teesside98.141.527.019.8 Sunderland97.441.925.120.9 Sheff. Hallam97.133.017.419.2 Man. Met.95.435.915.316.8 Leeds Met.93.332.714.6 Northumbria91.332.014.019.7 Manchester78.121.37.515.0 Leeds73.118.85.816.8 Ox. Brookes72.441.24.57.4 Newcastle71.520.17.913.0 Durham59.212.84.719.3 Recruitment

10. UniversityYoung Entrants (FT – 1 st Degree) Mature Entrants (FT – 1 st Degree) State Schools/Colleges NS-SEC 4-7Low Participation Neighbourhoods Sunderland97.441.925.120.9 Teesside98.141.527.019.8 Ox. Brookes72.441.24.57.4 Man. Met.95.435.915.316.8 Sheff. Hallam97.133.017.419.2 Leeds Met.93.332.714.6 Northumbria91.332.014.019.7 Manchester78.121.37.515.0 Newcastle71.520.17.913.0 Leeds73.118.85.816.8 Durham59.212.84.719.3 Recruitment

11. UniversityYoung Entrants (FT – 1 st Degree) Mature Entrants (FT – 1 st Degree) State Schools/Colleges NS-SEC 4-7Low Participation Neighbourhoods Teesside98.141.527.019.8 Sunderland97.441.925.120.9 Sheff. Hallam97.133.017.419.2 Man. Met.95.435.915.316.8 Leeds Met.93.332.714.6 Northumbria91.332.014.019.7 Newcastle71.520.17.913.0 Manchester78.121.37.515.0 Leeds73.118.85.816.8 Durham59.212.84.719.3 Ox. Brookes72.441.24.57.4 Recruitment

12. UniversityYoung Entrants (FT – 1 st Degree) Mature Entrants (FT – 1 st Degree) State Schools/Colleges NS-SEC 4-7Low Participation Neighbourhoods Sunderland97.441.925.120.9 Teesside98.141.527.019.8 Northumbria91.332.014.019.7 Durham59.212.84.719.3 Sheff. Hallam97.133.017.419.2 Man. Met.95.435.915.316.8 Leeds73.118.85.816.8 Manchester78.121.37.515.0 Leeds Met.93.332.714.6 Newcastle71.520.17.913.0 Ox. Brookes72.441.24.57.4 Recruitment

13. UniversityYoung Entrants (% Non Continuation) Mature Entrants (% Non Continuation) Durham1.69.0 Newcastle2.59.3 Leeds3.810.1 Manchester4.59.8 Ox. Brookes4.58.0 Sheff. Hallam6.39.3 Northumbria6.713.7 Leeds Met.8.110.6 Teesside8.311.0 Man. Met.9.817.3 Sunderland10.918.4 Retention

14. UniversityYoung Entrants (% Non Continuation) Mature Entrants (% Non Continuation) Ox. Brookes4.58.0 Durham1.69.0 Newcastle2.59.3 Sheff. Hallam6.39.3 Manchester4.59.8 Leeds3.810.1 Leeds Met.8.110.6 Teesside8.311.0 Northumbria6.713.7 Man. Met.9.817.3 Sunderland10.918.4 Retention

15. Group Activity In your groups, discuss what you can do in your school/service to encourage Widening Participation.

16. Access Agreements A greater focus on outcomes and targets A greater focus on outreach, including collaborative working A focus on retention for those with relatively low retention rates Higher expectations of those with furthest to go on access, particularly in terms of outcomes

17. “ We are now entering uncharted territory and none of us can predict exactly how the new higher fees will affect student behaviour. There is a real risk that disadvantaged students in particular will start to feel they cannot afford to go to university.” Sir Martin Harris Director of Fair Access Access Agreements

18. Fair Access A system “that provides equal opportunity for all individuals, regardless of background, to gain admission to courses suited to their ability and aspirations.” Schwartz Report 2004

19. Schwartz Principles A fair admissions system should be transparent A fair admissions system should enable institutions to select students who are able to complete the course as judged by their achievements and potential A fair admissions system should strive to use assessment methods that are reliable and valid A fair admissions system should seek to minimise barriers for applicants A fair admission system should be professional in every respect and underpinned by appropriate institutional structures and processes.

20. Ten precepts covering : Recruitment and selection Information to applicants Complaints and appeals QAA Code of Practice

21. Encouraged by the Schwartz Report through two mechanisms contributing to transparency: Centralising the Admissions Service. Transparency in relation to entry requirements and any contextual factors which may be taken into account. Linking WP and Fair Access/Admissions

22. If a university has 28,000 applications, makes 17,000 offers for 5,000 places, and wishes to support national policy initiatives in HE including widening inclusion and fair access, meet the institution strategy and mission as well as external agreements with OFFA, the funding councils etc, ensure excellent standards and potential on entry, meet targets to avoid financial penalties and have fair admissions and provide a good applicant experience… …how does it do it? Contextual Data in Admissions

23. “data or information which may be part of, or additional to, that provided by the applicant…that sets the application in its educational or socio-economic context.” What is Contextual Data?

24. For Widening Participation – to target aspiration raising and WP and fair access activities To inform the decision as to who to interview To inform admissions decision making To identify applicants who need additional learner support or practical advice during their application, transition or when registered as a student To help assess applicants eligible for bursaries or other financial support For statistical and qualitative monitoring and report purposes. How is Contextual Data used?

25. Disability In care/looked after Disrupted schooling Interviews Auditions Portfolio review Written tests What Contextual Data is already used?

26. School performance – average GCSE for 5 A* - C Average school ‘Best 8’ GCSE performance Average of QCA points per qualification In receipt of/entitled to free school meals In receipt of/entitled to EMA Activities in preparation for HE Ethnic origin (after offer) Occupational background (after offer) Socio- economic class IIIM – VII (not available) What else is available?

27. Contextual Data for Fair Access “We want you to encourage universities to collect and monitor a range of information on their applications as well as their admissions. This could usefully include the number of applications to different courses; the offers made to applicants, including the grades and subjects required; and how many applicants are actually admitted. This will help direct and focus access activities, and increase understanding of the patterns of application and admission which best support wider participation.” Vince Cable and David Willets The Contextual Debate

28. Only a small number of institutions currently use contextual data to inform admissions decision making… University of Manchester (Contextual data is) “simply additional information provided to admissions decision makers alongside applicants’ UCAS forms. No decisions will be made on the basis of this information alone and all undergraduate applicants must meet our standard academic criteria to be considered for entry.” The Contextual Debate

29. Data is dispersed across several agencies Not all qualifications are included in ‘average scores’ Inconsistencies across data sets Issues of data quality Inconsistent reporting of contextual data by schools Difficulty of verifying some data collected by UCAS GCSE results ‘self-declared’ Individual disadvantage not identified Charging for data sources The Contextual Debate

30. Thanks for getting involved… …and we look forward to working with you! Student Services 1 st Floor, Trinity Building City Campus West miriam.clift@northumbria.ac.uklizz.patrick@northumbria.ac.uk Widening Participation and Fair Access