Widening Access to Higher Education and 2012: How do we measure it? Dr. Graeme Atherton Aimhigher Central London Partnership Manager, University of Westminster

Summary Access to HE – background and policy Drivers of Access to HE Evidence of impact of previous Olympics here Potential impact of Olympics Conclusions and questions

Access to HE: Background and Policy Gap by social class significant but narrowing slightly – Young ft entrants from IV – III 27.9% 02/03 to 29.8% 06/07 (1) Several measures & definitions Numbers/population/geography/youth cohort survey (2) Significant investment by present govt £450m + 2006-07 National Audit Office report (3) Different investment streams Aimhigher/Lifelong Learning Networks/Postcode Premium/OFFA & Access Agreements (4)

Drivers of Access to HE Attainment – large gap at GCSE by social class – 35% gap at 5 A-C highest & lowest quartiles (10) Aspirations – 60% 11-16 yr olds in non-work households want to go to HE vs 74% in where 2 parents work (11) Information, Advice and Guidance - 70% of HE students wanted more & better advice pre HE (12) Progression routes - 89% 2 A-levels+ go to HE vs 40% Level 3 vocational qualifications (13) Above factors interact together

Evidence of Impact of Previous Olympics Not significant evidence Sydney – increase in overall participation post 2000 but could be due to re-classification (14) Individual projects based around Beijing – featured today e.g. London Beijing Vocational Education Project Focus been on potential growth in international students (15)

Potential Impact of Olympics Attainment Learning materials with Olympic theme (16) Integration of Olympic themes to core curriculum Achievements in sports supporting wider subject attainment Evaluation of School Sports Partnership (SSP) Programme suggests physical education can have positive impact on attainment (!&)

Potential Impact of Olympics Aspirations Olympic themed outreach projects focused on: subjects e.g. Engineering, Languages (18) groups e.g. boys/those with disabilities HE involvement in volunteering allowing HE to reach new young people/adults (19)

Potential Impact of Olympics Information, Advice and Guidance Probable relationship less here Need for effective IAG though in particular subjects to support: Raising of aspirations (above) Creation of new progression routes (below

Potential Impact of Olympics Progression Routes New provision of Level 1/2/3 courses in Olympics related areas – 60,000 person yrs of employment (20) New/Adjusted/Expanded existing Level 4 provision to allow progression (21) New courses co-funded with/delivered for employers – part time/flexible/modular

Discussion As with other Olympic: societal impact scenarios strategic integration with current initiatives needed – Games/Education/Access Could theories e.g. Olympic Tourism & ‘leveraging’ be applied to access context? Widening Access benefits will not just ‘happen’

Discussion To capture impact – concurrent mapping of any access:Olympics projects needed Tracking of participants Identification of where impact expected & measure of access Further research could benefit both: Event Legacy Theory Widening Access Theory

Full paper available as draft Contact Thank You Full paper available as draft If you want to discuss any of the issues in the paper please contact me: Dr. Graeme Atherton athertg@wmin.ac.uk

References 1) Higher Education Statistical Agency (2008) Performance Indicators Cheltenham: HESA (2) Atherton, G. (2008) ‘Who is widening participation for? The lost case of Aimhigher Central London Partnership’ Paper to the Exploring learning trajectories” Conference to launch the Widening Participation Research Centre Edge Hill University 20/21st May 2008 (3) National Audit Office (2008) ‘Widening participation in higher education’ London: NAO (4) National Audit Office (2008) as above (5) Atherton, G. & Hall, J. (2007) ‘Application to Higher Education amongst Different Ethnic Groups in Greater London: Is there no place like home?’ (6) Atherton, G. & Hall, J. (2007) as above (7) HEFCE (2005) Young participation in Higher Education Bristol:HEFCE (8) HEFCE (2005) as above (9) HESA (2006) Student Tables 2005/06 Chetenham: HESA (10) Department of Education and Skills (2006) Social Mobility: Narrowing Social Class Educational Gaps – supporting materials to a speech by the Rt Hon Ruth Kelly MP Secretary of State for Education and Skills to the Institute for Public Policy Research London:Dfes (11) The Sutton Trust (2008) Ipsos MORI Young People Omnibus Survey – 2008 http://www.suttontrust.com/reports/MORI2008.pdf (12) Purcell, K., Elias, P., Ellison, R., Atfield, G. , Adam, D., & Livanos, I. (2008) Applying for Higher Education – the diversity of career choices, plans and expectations – Findings from the First Futuretrack Survey of the ‘Class of 2006’ applicants for Higher Education Warwick: Warwick Institute of Employment Research

References (13) Department of Education and Skills (2003) Widening Participation to Higher Education London: Dfes (14) Price Waterhouse Coopers (2008) Impact of the Olympic Games on HE in the host city London: London Higher (15) Price Waterhouse Coopers (2008) (16) For example of materials being developed with Olympic theme go to: http://getset.london2012.com/home (17) Loughborough partnership (2008) The Impact of School Sport Partnerships on pupil attainment Loughborough University: Institute of Youth Sport (18) For information on the HEFCE funded Routes into Languages project go to: http://www.routesintolanguages.ac.uk/london (19) HEFCE (2007) The HE sector and the Olympic Games Bristol: HEFCE (20) Experian (2006) Employment and Skills for the 2012 Games: research and evidence London: Learning and Skills Council & London Development Agency (21) HEFCE (2007) (as above) (22) Higher Education Policy Institute Demand for Higher Education in 2020 and beyond (23) HEFCE (2008) ‘HEFCE to provide £105m to expand employer engagement courses’ 21st February 2008 http://www.hefce.ac.uk/news/hefce/2008/employer.htm (24) Thorne, D. & Atherton, G. (2008) Behind the Lines: Exploring models of HE engagement with 14-19 Diplomas London: Learning and Skills Council