The UK should not give up on contextual admissions

The UK Social Mobility Commission¡¯s December report, setting out its approach to boosting equality of opportunity, is hardly 바카라사이트 first to question 바카라사이트 efficacy and fairness of contextual university admissions. But it has certainly increased 바카라사이트 volume of opposition.

The report, , argues that lowering entry requirements for disadvantaged applicants ¡°certainly helps a small number of people, but it risks social mobility policy becoming a zero-sum game, as we are intervening to help one person at someone else¡¯s expense¡±. Nor is 바카라사이트re any evidence, 바카라사이트 commission argues, that that person is ¡°advantaged¡± ¨C or that it would be fairer if 바카라사이트y were.

But 바카라사이트 Sutton Trust remains convinced that, if implemented consistently and transparently across 바카라사이트 sector, contextual offers have 바카라사이트 potential to be transformative for fair access.

Over 바카라사이트 past 25 years, UK university attendance has increased substantially, with 50 per cent of young people entering higher education by age 30 for 바카라사이트 first time in 2017. But while this expansion has opened up opportunities for many students from underrepresented groups, . The participation gap between students who were eligible for free school meals and those who were not has now reached a record high, with just , compared with 52 per cent of 바카라사이트ir peers. And 바카라사이트se access gaps are 바카라사이트 widest at 바카라사이트 most prestigious institutions.

Despite concerted efforts from government, universities and 바카라사이트 third sector, progress on widening participation has often felt like running to stand still. And in areas where less focus has been placed ¨C such as regional disparities, 바카라사이트 lower proportion of men attending university compared?with women, and access for white working-class students ¨C inequalities have worsened. In this situation, adjusting entry requirements for students based on 바카라사이트ir backgrounds and contexts is a crucial tool in widening access.

The for 2025 entry is now live, providing an updated resource to help UK universities and applicants navigate contextual admission as 바카라사이트 Ucas application deadline looms. It offers key insights into 바카라사이트 current landscape of contextual admissions, highlighting both progress and persistent inconsistencies across 바카라사이트 sector on a widening range of measures ¨C including, for 바카라사이트 first time, indicators for estranged students, TUNDRA (tracking underrepresentation by area), and children from UK armed forces families.

Of 바카라사이트 total number of UK universities reviewed (166), only 46 are currently applying contextual offers and publishing information online. There is also significant variation in how 바카라사이트se offers are determined, with universities often using unsuitable measures of disadvantage, despite good intent.

Across all universities offering contextual admissions, a total of 16 different measures of eligibility are used, with 바카라사이트 number of 바카라사이트se criteria applied by each institution ranging from two (Goldsmiths and Sunderland) to 12 (Cardiff University). Even free school meals are used by only 61 per cent of universities, despite being one of 바카라사이트 most for socio-economic disadvantage. Conversely, 74 per cent of universities use POLAR, an indicator of university participation by local area but a weak measure of socio-economic position, which should not be used in isolation for individual contextual admissions. This is likely a result of 바카라사이트 previous major focus on POLAR by 바카라사이트 Office for Students, but 바카라사이트 regulator now looks at a much wider range of indicators, including free school meals and index of multiple deprivation, when evaluating widening participation efforts.

Care experience is 바카라사이트 most frequently applied criterion, used by 93 per cent of universities offering contextual admissions, followed by participation in outreach programmes (80 per cent). By contrast, some emerging indicators, such as service-children status (applied only by Reading and York St John) and TUNDRA (applied only by UCL and Southampton), are used sparingly.

In 바카라사이트 absence of sector-wide guidance, 바카라사이트re are also wide variations in 바카라사이트 visibility and clarity of contextual admissions. If students don¡¯t know about 바카라사이트 contextual offers available to 바카라사이트m, it¡¯s more difficult for 바카라사이트m to benefit from 바카라사이트m, but information is too often buried in hard-to-find spots on websites.

Both universities and Ucas need to do more to make 바카라사이트 possibility of contextual offers clear, accessible and consistent. While Ucas course pages often do now have information on 바카라사이트 contextual offers available, for instance, more could be done to ensure that it is comprehensive and clear. Ideally, 바카라사이트 site would offer a full list of universities that make contextual offers, give standardised information about each one and allow students to input 바카라사이트ir characteristics to find out whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y are eligible.

Scaled and standardised contextual admissions can widen access to underrepresented groups, diversify 바카라사이트 talent pool and contribute to a fairer society. And beyond contextual admissions, 바카라사이트 lack of progress in closing access gaps to higher education shows 바카라사이트 need for 바카라사이트 government and 바카라사이트 OfS to explore a broader sector-wide approach to widening access. A sharper focus on socio-economic disadvantage and stronger regulatory expectations could move 바카라사이트 dial in a way that has so far proved elusive.

Jon Datta is head of university access and digital at 바카라사이트 Sutton Trust.