1. Charlotte Wheatland, UEA
Widening HE participation: outreach and the new collaborative outreach programme
Charlotte Wheatland, UEA

2. What is outreach? Targeted work with under-represented groups
Aim to increase ‘Social Mobility’
Raising:
Aspiration
Awareness
Attainment

3. Current outreach work Range of activities offered to schools eg.:
Mentoring
Summer Schools
Primary Schools events
Subject specific events eg. Sport for Boys, Medical Aspirations, Street Law
Teacher and Adviser events and CPD
Schools are often targeted based on a range of criteria:
Low participation neighbourhoods
Free School Meals percentage
Under-represented groups - LAC, BME, Mature, GRT, Estranged students…

4. Why engage in outreach?
Roughly what percentage of young people now progress to HE?
30% B. 60% C. 50%
A student from an advantaged background is how many times more likely to progress to HE than a disadvantaged student?
2.4 times B. 5 times C. 1.5 times
By what percentage has mature and part time learner participation at university dropped since 2006:
60% B. 30% C. 45%

5. Why engage in outreach?
What percentage of young people from the lowest household income backgrounds progress to top tariff universities?
10% B. 3.6% C. 1%
Graduates from low household income backgrounds earn how much less than those from high household incomes (when having studied the same course at the same HEI)?
10% less B. 6% less C. 20% less
What percentage of judges are independently educated?
74% B. 40% C. 90%

6. What works Progressive, ongoing programmes
Pathways to Law with The Sutton Trust
K+ at King College
Medical Aspirations at UEA

7. What works
Mentoring programmes
92%
95%
100%
82%

8. What works Collaborative activities Looked After Children Conference
Move on up
Royal Society for Medicine Careers event

9. Ongoing challenges Reaching the right students
Overcoming perceived barriers
Resource - engaging schools and colleges in an increasingly pressured environment
Demonstrating impact

10. The future of outreach?
NCOP (National Collaborative Outreach Programme)
Collaborative outreach
Target wards
Emphasis on evaluation and impact measurement
Includes progression to HE study more generally
2-4 year funded programme

11. NEACO (Network for East Anglian Collaborative Outreach)
Involves UEA, NUA, ARU, University of Suffolk and University of Cambridge + the nine FECs in East Anglia
Main emphasis is on a physical presence embedded in key schools and colleges – HE Champions
Bringing together existing practice, charities, third sector engagement and Opportunity Area work

12. Phase one: jan - jul 2017 Focus on Year 12 and 13
Year 13s yet to make an application
Study skills support
Confidence building
Mental health support
Tutoring
Parent information
Emphasis on Colleges and Sixth Forms with the largest number of students from target wards

13. Phase one: jan - jul 2017 HE Champions based in: City College Norwich
Easton and Otley College
College of West Anglia
Paston Sixth Form College
East Norfolk Sixth Form College
Plus support for:
Thetford Academy
Ormiston Victory Academy
Open Academy
Springwood High School
Sprowston High School
Hellesdon High School
Dereham Sixth Form

14. PHASE TWO: Sept 2017 – dec 2018
Expansion of the programme to include Y9-Y13
Further HE Champions based in:
Thetford
Great Yarmouth
Dereham
North of city centre
South of city centre
Framework of activities created based on each school’s specific needs and perceived barriers, may include:
Mentoring
Employer and campus visits
Study skills projects
Community events
Travel fund

15. Main Benefits… People resource embedded in schools and colleges
Support for school staff
Emphasis on disadvantaged young people
Identifying gaps in provision to address perceived barriers for HE progression
Bespoke programme based on the needs of individual schools and young people
Ability to trial new activities and programmes – building on existing excellent outreach and careers work
Supporting students with aspirational career planning and attainment

16. What activities would you like to see?
Contact Charlotte Wheatland (Head of Outreach) with your thoughts: