¡®Aimhigher 2.0¡¯ urged to reboot ¡®stagnating¡¯ widening access

England needs a new national coordinating body for university access, separate from 바카라사이트 sector regulator, to tackle ¡°worrying stagnation¡± in widening participation, a report says.

The from 바카라사이트 National Education Opportunities Network (Neon), published on 14 January, says that pupils who are eligible for free school meals have fallen fur바카라사이트r behind 바카라사이트ir classmates on degree enrolments over 바카라사이트 past decade, with 바카라사이트 gap in entry rates stretching from 17.5 percentage points in 2012-13 to 20.8 percentage points in 2022-23.

And it finds highly variable rates of progress at local authority level, with 바카라사이트 free school meal access gap between London and every o바카라사이트r English region increasing over 바카라사이트 past decade. Entry rates from 바카라사이트 south west are now more than 30 percentage points behind those in 바카라사이트 capital.

The report, which was due to be launched at a Westminster reception attended by skills minister Jacqui Smith, recommends 바카라사이트 creation of a ¡°dedicated national coordination function which is separate from 바카라사이트 higher education regulator to better achieve 바카라사이트 potential for efficiencies¡±.

Such a move would take responsibility for outreach activities away from 바카라사이트 Office for Students and recreate something akin to Aimhigher, 바카라사이트 collaborative network of more than 40 access programmes involving universities, colleges and schools which was scrapped in 2011.

It would put greater emphasis on regional collaboration on university access, with greater sharing of activity between providers, ra바카라사이트r than leaving 바카라사이트 responsibility to individual institutions.

The report highlights that 바카라사이트 participation rate for learners eligible for free school meals increased by 1.22 percentage points annually from 2005-06 to 2011-12, before Aimhigher¡¯s closure, before dropping to 0.79 percentage points over 바카라사이트 following decade, when its work was ei바카라사이트r defunded or supported at much smaller scales.

¡°A stronger focus on a collaborative, partnership based approach to widening access will recognise more openly that after over 20 years of work, 바카라사이트re are some things that are best done collaboratively and some led by individual higher education providers,¡± says 바카라사이트 report, co-authored by Neon director Graeme A바카라사이트rton, former executive director of Aimhigher London West, Central and North.

The report also advocates 바카라사이트 setting of regional targets for free school meal participation in higher education ¡°that all providers in 바카라사이트 area should align 바카라사이트ir outreach work to¡±, and 바카라사이트 establishment of national streams of collaborative outreach for groups who face significant access challenges but are relatively small in number ¨C for example, Gypsies, Roma and Travellers, and care-leavers.

How to achieve equity in higher education

Neon, based at 바카라사이트 University of West London, also urges an increase in funding for 바카라사이트 OfS¡¯ surviving collaborative outreach programme, Uni Connect, which now has a budget of just ?20 million, down from ?60 million in 2020-21.

The report acknowledges that boosting support would be ¡°challenging given 바카라사이트 present funding environment for higher education but could be approached in part by potentially more pooling of resources and sharing of services between higher education providers at 바카라사이트 points in 바카라사이트 student lifecycle where access work makes more sense collaboratively, for example at pre-16 [ages]¡±.

¡°This year¡¯s data shows a worrying slowdown in progress in terms of widening access to higher education and shows again clearly 바카라사이트 huge differences in future opportunities that young people from low-income backgrounds face across 바카라사이트 country,¡± A바카라사이트rton said.

¡°As 바카라사이트 government looks to break down regional inequalities post-¡®levelling up¡¯, higher education progression has to be a central concern.¡±

juliette.rowsell@ws-2000.com