Widening participation to HE Linking London conference 2 nd July 2012 Victoria Waite Senior Policy Adviser – London and East

Over a decade of investment WP allocation since Mainstream allocation for disabled students – Improving retention introduced in P4P in Integrated Aimhigher to Lifelong Learning Networks to Funding widening participation

Creating opportunities and realising potential ‘Widening participation is vital in creating a fairer society, securing improvements in social mobility and supporting economic growth………….A diverse student population is essential to vibrant intellectual enquiry and a resilient knowledge economy. It encourages a higher education offer that is socially and culturally diverse, and more representative of local communities’. Source: ‘Opportunity, choice and excellence in higher education’, HEFCE 2011 WHY?

Young participation rate: all groups

WPA and the block grant principle Recognise different institutional missions and contexts Encouraged a life-cycle approach Strategic, mainstreamed and embedded Influence and incentivise e.g. transferred £30 million for relationships with schools BUT no accountability and difficult to disentangle from other funding Limited evidence of what works Flexibility vs accountability

Reductions to HEFCE funding for teaching from to be replaced by increased fee levels HEFCE funds increasingly targeted investment to secure public and student interest Expanded remit and role for OFFA Continued student number controls Core /margin and AAB+ Expanding sector – FECs and alternative providers Regulatory framework Explicit remit to protect and promote the collective student interest Funding WP in 2012 and beyond (1) The changing context for widening participation funding

grant letter: WP confirmed as priority; HEFCE and OFFA to develop shared strategy HEFCE stage 2 teaching funding consultation: From WPA and IR brought together and become Student Opportunity allocation National Scholarship Programme: £50 million in rising to £150 million by Increased contribution to access and retention activities from additional fee income through access agreements Funding WP in 2012 and beyond (2) Continuing to support WP

Maintaining participation in a time of greater competition Impact of fees on student demand The combined impact of changes to the SNC to introduce more dynamism Collaboration in outreach Challenging HEIs to think strategically about widening participation Better targeting of the NSP Policy challenges

Securing the investment Greater accountability Evidence of effectiveness Outcomes focussed Realistic but robust evaluation This is a sector owned responsibility – we need your help! Implications