Widening Participation Chris Derbyshire - Widening Participation Schools and Colleges Partnership Coordinator Supporting young people into Higher Education

What is widening participation? Some groups are under-represented at university and widening participation seeks to address this Under represented groups include: Low participation neighbourhoods Lower income families First generation university students Looked after young people Young carers Disabilities or learning difficulties And others...

What is widening participation? Schools, colleges and universities need to work together Particularly important since the introduction of £9000 tuition fees Universities have to demonstrate they have measures in place to support fair access and support students at university Support is designed to help with: Informed choices Developing skills and raising attainment Motivation and personal development

Widening participation schemes Before students arrive Subject activities and events at university Opportunities to visit university campuses and meet current students Support in making a strong UCAS application At university Financial support if family income is below £25,000 Additional support for students who fulfil WP criteria Opportunity to work as a WP Ambassador Post university Support with careers for 3+ years after graduation

Who is eligible? Eligibility criteria differs for each university The college helps to identify appropriate students Criteria include: First in immediate family to go to university - does not include brothers / sisters Looked after young people Carers Income related – FSM / college bursary Disability or learning difficulty Low participation neighbourhoods Other circumstances

Activities Campus visits Subject tasters and conferences Summer schools - residential/non-residential Student shadowing E-mentoring Study skills Visits to college – talks by students and WP staff Personal statement support Interview preparation Support for parents

Support for local students All universities provide WP support Local support in Sussex University of Brighton - Compact Plus University of Chichester – Learner Progression Framework University of Sussex – First Generation Scholars We encourage students to benefit from as many opportunities as possible