1. Widening participation as a positive investment in the future
John Selby
Director, Education and Participation

2. The policy context Lower socio-economic classes are under-represented
Need to raise aspiration, attainment and progression to HE for learners from under-represented groups
Need to continue to enhance student success rates
Need to address skill needs of adult population
Not about lowering standards.

3. Our investment in widening participation to date
Widening participation allocation £353million in :
Widening access: £95.4million
Improving retention: £243.7million
Widening access and improving provision for disabled students: £12.9million
Aimhigher :
Core funding: £239.5million (jointly from HEFCE and DIUS)
Aimhigher Associates: £21million
Summer schools: £10.5million
Vocational progression:
£105million invested in 30 Lifelong Learning Networks

4. Achievements to 2001

5. Achievements since 2001 State sector 86.4 87.2 Lower SECs 27.9 29.8
Roughly 93% of school and college students are in the state sector; half the population in lower socio-economic classes; and 20% live in low participation neighbourhoods
These figures are not reflected in HE participation.
The proportion of full time first degree entrants:
State sector
Lower SECs
LPNs n/a
Source: Full-time young participation by socio-economic class (DIUS; 2008)

6. WP priorities for the future
Schools
Communities
Institutions.

7. Schools
Fund a small number of projects at around £120k each, running over 2 years
Projects to develop models of good practice in linking schools and HEIs
Offer some funding for research by HEIs to evaluate their school-college links
Outcomes
We will be at centre of the debate about HE-school links, develop policy and issue advice
The HE-school link will be written into the school improvement plan.

8. Communities
Around £200k to be invested to extend previous ‘Four Cities’ work
Encouraging a firm commitment from institutions informed by the research to embed strategic WP developments across the areas.
Research commissioned in four new communities:
East London
Cambridgeshire
Salford
Leeds.

9. Institutions Single strategic assessment:
Incorporating access agreement
Identifying the place of WP in institutional missions’
Measuring success
Recording activity and WP commitments
WP team will work with institutional teams to identify a small number of HEIs that we can work with to interrogate data, understand better what institutions do, and use this to influence the debate across the sector.

10. Conclusion A success story Further investment
Increasing participation while
Maintaining retention and student achievement
Further investment
Building on success
Recognising the complexity of the issue
Continuing to work with the sector
Working with schools and communities.