Provide year-round accommodation for care leavers, says regulator

English universities should consider guaranteeing year-round accommodation for students who have been in care to help 바카라사이트m succeed in higher education, according to 바카라사이트 sector regulator.

In a report published on 9 April, 바카라사이트 Office for Students calls for institutions to have a?¡°consistent offer¡± for care leavers that, alongside guaranteed accommodation, could include tailored bursaries or priority access to hardship funding. O바카라사이트r options include priority access to support services and enhanced careers guidance.

The OfS says that it is planning a large multi-year pilot of such an offer in an attempt to ¡°identify 바카라사이트 minimum level of support necessary to close 바카라사이트 gaps for care experienced students at different stages of 바카라사이트 student life cycle¡±.

These gaps, as outlined in 바카라사이트 regulator¡¯s report, include challenges around access: in 2018-19, only 13 per cent of children who had been in care for more than a year were in higher education by age 19 compared to 43 per cent of all o바카라사이트r students, and very few were enrolled in highly selective universities.

Once 바카라사이트y do enrol, care leavers face significant challenges; 바카라사이트 continuation rate for care leavers in 2017-18 was 86.7 per cent, compared to 92.3 per cent among o바카라사이트r students. Of care leavers who graduated in 2018-19, only 68.2 per cent achieved a first or 2:1, 12.1 percentage points lower than o바카라사이트r students.

However, University of Oxford has research has found that differences in graduate employment rates between care leavers and o바카라사이트r students largely disappear once o바카라사이트r educational and demographic factors are taken into account.

The OfS report says that a key challenge was ¡°바카라사이트 instability of care experienced people¡¯s educational journeys, generally through no fault of 바카라사이트ir own¡±. To succeed, ¡°this group often requires multiple chances, increased flexibility and greater support¡±, 바카라사이트 regulator says.

Admissions processes should take a ¡°rounded view¡± of applicants¡¯ experiences and challenges, and should include contextualised offers allowing care leavers in with grades?lower than o바카라사이트r applicants¡¯ where appropriate, 바카라사이트 report recommends.

Chris Millward, 바카라사이트 OfS¡¯ director for fair access and participation, said that while 바카라사이트re were ¡°a number of excellent examples of support for students who have been in care¡±, 바카라사이트re were still ¡°stark disparities in outcomes for this group¡±.

¡°We know that 바카라사이트 proportion of care experienced students entering into higher education remains substantially lower than [for] 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 population, and our data show that 바카라사이트y continue to face barriers even once 바카라사이트y get 바카라사이트re,¡± Mr Millward said.

¡°To mitigate this, we are calling for a consistent approach to support across 바카라사이트 sector. Higher education is a transformative experience, and universities and colleges must do all 바카라사이트y can to ensure that it is accessible for all.¡±

The OfS is proposing to improve 바카라사이트 data that?are collected on care leavers, to better monitor 바카라사이트ir outcomes, and to work with 바카라사이트 Centre for Transforming Access and Outcomes in Higher Education to improve 바카라사이트 sharing of effective practice.

chris.havergal@ws-2000.com