What is Widening Access?
One of the Office for Students (OfS) primary regulatory objectives is to ensure that all students, from all backgrounds, with the ability and desire to undertake higher education, are supported to access, succeed in, and progress from higher education
As a Higher Education Provider, we are expected to address the risk posed to fair access andsuccessful participation by knowledge, skill and attainment gaps emerging across childhoodb by making meaningful and effective contributions to supporting schools to raise pre-16 attainment.
The Access and Participation Plan (APP) should relate to those groups of students who are at risk of not experiencing equality of opportunity in higher education – including but not limited to students:
- In receipt of free school meals
- Who are first generation scholars
- From low-income backgrounds and areas where participation in higher education is low
- With certain characteristics, including care experienced, students who are estranged from their families, military families, refugees or asylum seekers and students from Roma, Gypsy and Traveller communities
- From under-represented ethnic backgrounds
- Who live with a disability
- Who experience multiple barriers to higher education or who are identified when looking
at intersections of characteristics, such as male students who are in receipt of free school
meals
Our team have strong and long-standing relationships with local community groups, key stakeholders and third sector charities across Bedfordshire and nationally, which strengthens the widening access work that we already do. In addition, our work collaboratively supports the University of Bedfordshire’s Community Engagement and Civic Agreement.
We can offer individual, long-term and bespoke projects to support learners in school and college. We deliver these on our campuses, at schools or colleges, or online, and can be co-developed to meet each schools’ needs.
Vision
Our vision is to provide all students from all backgrounds the support and knowledge to make informed decisions about their future so there are equal rates of progression to Higher Education.
We aim to increase the number of young people from under-represented groups and backgrounds who progress to higher education.
Stage
Introduce the concept of University to target groups
Offer range of opportunities to expose them to University
Support them as they progress through the education system
Analysis of target groups in terms of entry to HE
Target
- First Generation Scholars (Parents or siblings who have not been to Uni before)
- Students who are receipt of FSM (Free School Meals) PP (Pupil Premium)
- New emerging Group 800,000 children in poverty but do not fall into PP or FSM
- White Working Class Boys
- Students from BME background
- Students from disabled background
- Students from care background
- Students who are independent from their families (financially estranged)
- Students who have caring responsibilities
- Parents/Carers of above groups
- Teachers/professionals (gate keepers)
