1. SESSION ONE: IMPROVING THE SYSTEM Welcome and introduction from conference chair Mike Baker Journalist and Broadcaster, former Senior Education Correspondent BBC

2. Rt Hon Charles Clarke MP Former Secretary of State for Education and Skills KEYNOTE ADDRESS

3. Questions and discussion

4. Professor Deian Hopkin Vice-Chancellor London South Bank University and Joint Chair 14-19 HE Engagement Board 14-19 Diplomas: getting ready for new admissions criteria

5. The 14-19 Diplomas and admission to Higher Education Professor Deian Hopkin Chair HE Engagement Board (DCFS/.DIUS) Chair, Diploma Development Partnership,SHD

6. bringing your learning to life The general curriculum changes  A-levels  Introduction of extended project  Introduction of Diplomas  Functional skills  Apprenticeships  GCSE  But also Cambridge Pre-U

7. bringing your learning to life The rationale for the Diplomas  Providing a wider range of preparation that conventional groups of A levels including Functional Skills, personal and thinking skills, applied learning linked to major economic and employment sectors  A flexible structure enabling existing qualifications to be embedded  Responding the views of universities and employers over the appropriateness of existing qualifications.  Attempt to bridge the academic and vocational divides  A major contributor to widening participation by offering provision to students who currently do not stay beyond 16

8. bringing your learning to life Alex Singleton, University College London: www.spatial-literacy.org Who goes to university? Symbols of Success Urban Intelligence - Higher Age Profile Welfare Borderline Municipal Dependency Twilight Subsistence Blue Collar Enterprise Metro Multiculture Key Widening Participation Groups Mosaic

9. bringing your learning to life Average Distance from applicant home to accepting institution (2004) Mosaic Alex Singleton, University College London: www.spatial-literacy.org Key WP groups

10. bringing your learning to life Roll out timetable of the Diplomas PhaseDiploma AreaAvailability Phase 1 ICT Health Society & Development Engineering Creative and Media Construction September 2008 Phase 2 Environmental& Land- Based, Manufacturing Hair and Beauty Business Admin, Finance Hospitality and Catering September 2009 Phase 3 Public Services Sport and Leisure Retail Travel and Tourism September 2010 Phase 4 Science Humanities Languages September 2011 National Enntitlement 2013

11. bringing your learning to life Why is HE important?  Universities strongly influence the choices that 14-19 year olds make  The more HEIs understand, the more likely they will be to reach early conclusions on acceptability  Need for support at ‘strategic’ and practical levels for the new Diplomas  Involvement at a local level in 14-19 partnerships  Development of appropriate progression routes such as new Foundation Degrees and Honours Degrees

12. bringing your learning to life What is HE looking for?  What exactly does the diploma contain?  How does the diploma compare with other qualifications?  What kind of student will present themselves in 2010?  Will they fit the present curriculum or will something new have to be offered?  Will the diplomas change?  And…what input can we have?

13. bringing your learning to life Some early concerns by admissions tutors  Diploma content uncertain or even unknown  Diplomas offered only to certain students – the less able?  Diplomas providing limited progression routes especially to professional subjects especially those with a science base  Students potentially set up to fail  Employer attitudes – will they accept the diploma?  The attitude of professional bodies over exemptions

14. bringing your learning to life The threats  Ineffective Information, Advice and Guidance  Diplomas perceived as second-class to A levels  Offered by certain types of school for certain types of pupils leading to certain types of university courses or even certain type of universities  Complexity of qualifications confusing  Some educational specialists casting doubt about the value of the diploma

15. bringing your learning to life The DCFS strategy  Engagement by all universities including the Russell Group  Clear endorsement by major employers and professional bodies  Review of A level following the development of generic Diplomas  Major communication effort  Consistent message by government

16. bringing your learning to life Delivering the strategy  Higher Education Engagement Project Board  Information and communication programme:  Regional Conferences  Information pack  Timeline of actions for HE  Newsletters  Website  Accepting invitations to speak

17. bringing your learning to life Key Groups and Agencies  Diploma Development Partnership Chairs  HE Engagement Project Board  Secretary of State’s advisory groups  Children’s Plan including 14-19  Phase 4 Advisory Group  QCA groups  Edge Foundation  Universities UK Skills Task Group  Lifelong Learning Networks  Aim Higher  Regional Partnerships  National Council for Educational Excellence  UK Skills and Employment Commission.

18. bringing your learning to life Diploma Development Partnership Chairs Group  Monthly Meetings  Oversight of Gateways  Feedback to DCFS officials  Sharing experience across all 14 lines of learning  Engagement with QCA  Engaging with the communication strategy  Encouraging universities to become involved

19. bringing your learning to life Joint Chairs And DFES secretariat UCAS Foundation Degree Forward DFES officers Specialist advisers Higher Education Academy Mission Groups GuildHEUUKUVACQCAQAA Ministers Employers and SSCs Students and parents Universities, schools and Colleges The HE Engagement Board

20. bringing your learning to life Board’s activities  Cross-agency forum for consultation with officials and Ministers  Oversight of HE communications strategy  Participation in conferences and symposia  Commissioned Research e.g. Exeter study of 1994 Universities’ response to 14-19  Preparation of and commentary on briefing materials or Ministerial consultations.  Liaison with universities in order to ensure engagement with partnerships  Coordination of involvement in Diploma Development  Providing information about admissions : first cohorts will be small, therefore concern about some institutions not seeing many students with new qualifications

21. bringing your learning to life What HEIs are currently doing:  Becoming better informed:  qualification content  Assessment criteria  Assessment methods  Grading criteria  Mapping against own qualifications  Becoming engaged in design especially additional and specialised learning  Involvement in consortia  Developing new progression routes.

22. bringing your learning to life Evolution of Phase 2-3 Diplomas  HE Subject Centres involved  Nominations invited from all mission groups to join working groups  HEIs invited to take a more active part in leading partnerships  Learning from Phase 1 Gateways  Even phase 1 is still evolving  Contact Christine West at DCSF

23. bringing your learning to life What more needs to be done  Clear statements from HEI admissions officers (e.g. UCAS website)  Endorsement of content by employers and HEIs  Stronger messages to parents and pupils  Intensification of training and support for teachers and schools.  Clearer navigation through the complexity  Learning from early experience  Continuous evolution of content

24. bringing your learning to life Skills for Sustainable Development Lifelong Learning Network Health and Social Care ABTG Report on the perceptions, opinions and reflections of Higher Education Admissions Tutors and Programme Leaders about the advanced (level 3) diploma in Society, Health and Development October 2007 Dr. Richard Davies Youth and Community Division Elizabeth Barner Youth Affairs Unit

25. bringing your learning to life Three new diplomas  Responding to concerns about the amount and quality of science available in the first 14 lines of learning  In particular the absence of science limits progression to a wide range of university courses  The experience of Maths in Engineering poses questions about other elements e.g. languages or a deeper association with humanities.  Need to introduce more recognisable “subjects” to complement the more sectoral approach  Another bridge between the academic and vocational.

26. bringing your learning to life Phase 4 diplomas  Science, Humanities and Languages  Introduced from 2011  Scoping exercise to Jan 2008; Green Paper later  Expert advisory group to advise Secretary of State  VCs of Leeds, Exeter and London South Bank Universities  Sir Mike Tomlinson  CBI  Industry representative (Vice President CISCO)  Principals of two FE and 6 th Form Colleges  Headteacher  Union representative  Chair of Association of Education Assessors.

27. bringing your learning to life Some early issues  Ensuring that Phase 4 diplomas harmonise with Phases 1-3  Avoiding a new binary divide between academic and vocational  Involving employers/Sector Skills councils in a generic diploma  Creating portable elements e.g. Science for the SHD Diploma; languages for Business-related diplomas; humanities for Creative and Media.  Ensuring the strategies of DCFS and DIUS are aligned.

28. bringing your learning to life Main timeframes for HE: 2007-8  UCAS tariff published (Dec 07-Jan 08)  HEI s to publish indicative admissions policies for new and revised qualifications to inform school and college planning  HEIs to examine specifications in detail when available to inform curriculum planning  New work on additional and specialised learning and on the Phase 4 diplomas

29. bringing your learning to life  The reforms will deliver better prepared students to higher education and for employment:  Knowledge  Skills  Motivation  The reforms will allow greater differentiation between students but acknowledging difference  The diplomas will attract a wider audience  Diplomas will become a ‘standard’ route into HE  Diplomas will be the preferred entry route to some programmes The prize

30. bringing your learning to life The Times 24 Oct 07 New diplomas face admissions hurdle Times Higher 19 Oct 07 A week is a long time in politics…….

31. Thank you

32. Charles Cowap Director of Lifelong Learning and Curriculum Aspire CETL, Harper Adams University College and GuildHE representative Recruit, retain, enhance: the best deal for students

33. Recruit, Retain, Enhance The Best Deal for Students Charles Cowap Harper Adams University College Shropshire 27 November 2007 Admissions to Higher Education Achieving excellence, fairness and efficiency

34. Excellence Excellence must be judged on outcomes Our ‘outcomes’ are graduates Graduates will judge us by what they have done and by what they can do Others will judge our educational function on the quality of our graduates

35. Fairness Is about more than ratios Should also be concerned with ‘preparedness’ Is it ‘fair’ to recruit to a task which many may fail? Should we care if ‘academic rigour’ leads to a lot of student casualties?

36. Efficiency Efficiency, effectiveness and economy – three E’s of public sector management Measurements of efficiency in recruitment? – Cost per student recruited – Ratio of contacts:applicants:recruits – Cost per graduate/employed graduate? Recruitment v. retention

37. Progression How many students progress through HE as they originally intended? The reasonable expectation of a new student entering HE …. Measuring progression

38. Progression through Higher Education HESA Performance Indicators 2005/06

39. So what counts as success? BSc Agric HND Agric HND Negotiated Studies BSc Negotiated Studies

40. Some practical measures Initial guidance – Open days – Higher Education Choices Conference – Informed choice Induction – Screening for dyslexia – Maths screening

41. Practical measures Learning Support – Literacy – Numeracy – General study skills Academic and Professional Development Module

42. Practical measures Vocational Curriculum – Focus – Motivation – Professional accreditation Careers Guidance and Support – Careers Service + Links to outreach and R&D

43. Conclusions Beware fallacies of composition The importance of advice and guidance Student aspirations and motivation The Curriculum Student Support Vocational preparation Following graduation …

44. Ben Marks Managing Director Opinionpanel Research Trends and developments in student decisionmaking

45. Admissions to Higher Education Conference 45 Trends and developments in student decision making Admissions to Higher Education Conference 27 th November 2007 Ben Marks Managing Director Opinionpanel Research

46. Trends and developments in student decision making Admissions to Higher Education Conference 46 Topics 1. Web 2.0 2. Fees 3. Open days

47. Trends and developments in student decision making Admissions to Higher Education Conference 47 Web 2.0

48. Trends and developments in student decision making Admissions to Higher Education Conference 48 Web 2.0 Facebook83% MySpace55% YouTube50% Bebo.com37% MSN Groups21% Hi5.com17% WAYN.com15% Faceparty.com14% Yougo further.co.uk14% Friendsreunited.com12% Flickr.com9% Yahoo! Groups9% Ringo.com8% Student membership of online communities - October 2007 Source: Opinionpanel, October 2007

49. Trends and developments in student decision making Admissions to Higher Education Conference 49 Web 2.0 Source: Opinionpanel, September 2007 How students use Facebook - October 2007

50. Trends and developments in student decision making Admissions to Higher Education Conference 50 Fees

51. Trends and developments in student decision making Admissions to Higher Education Conference 51 Fees “I don't think £3000 is too much to pay for a decent education, however it depends on whether it is a decent education. The recent strikes by lecturers brought it home that we have very little control over our education…” Male 2nd year, University of Leeds, July 2006

52. Trends and developments in student decision making Admissions to Higher Education Conference University X Fees

53. Trends and developments in student decision making Admissions to Higher Education Conference Only a small number feel £3,000 is too much to pay for their course Note the very price sensitive middle group £5,000 is an important (psychological?) price point for students at this university Fees University Y (large modern uni)

54. Trends and developments in student decision making Admissions to Higher Education Conference To deter 50% fees would need to be around £11,000! Note, far more price elastic at this university Fees University Z (a Russell Group uni)

55. Trends and developments in student decision making Admissions to Higher Education Conference 55 Open days

56. Trends and developments in student decision making Admissions to Higher Education Conference 56 Open days Which of the following did you get to do on the open day at your current / your declined university? DID DO WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAVE DONE CurrentDeclinedCurrentDeclined 10,52410,59710,27018,677 Tour the university85%78%5%10% Visit the department you hoped to join84%77%8%11% Chat informally with staff71%52%9%16% See a presentation64%54%6%8% Chat informally with university students61%41%11%18% Free time to explore57%38%12%15% Tour university accommodation56%49%17%24% Sample the catering30%21%10% Tour the town26%23%17%22% Go to a mock lecture19%15%25%22% None of these1%2%32%24% Usefulness of activities at open day or university visit Opinionpanel Higher Expectations 2006/7

57. Trends and developments in student decision making Admissions to Higher Education Conference 57 Summary Applicants communicate via Web 2.0 – its therefore a great word of mouth marketing opportunity Open days can be engaging and exciting. But they can also be a let-down. Universities need to find out what works best. Fee expectations are wide ranging. They often reflect league table ranks. But not always. Universities can differentiate themselves with great open days and communications and great open days

58. Trends and developments in student decision making Admissions to Higher Education Conference 58 Ben Marks Opinionpanel Research T: 020 7288 8789 F: 020 7288 8772 E: benmarks@opinionpanel.co.uk W: www.opinionpanel.co.uk Aberdeen House 22 Highbury Grove London N5 2EA

59. Questions and discussion

61. SESSION THREE: RESPONDING TO CHANGE Student support arrangements of today and tomorrow – implications for fair admissions Sir Martin Harris Director OFFICE FOR FAIR ACCESS (OFFA)

62. Pat Killingley Director of Higher Education BRITISH COUNCIL Implications of the growing internationalisation agenda

63. Internationalisation: implications for Admissions Pat Killingley British Council

64. Outline International Student Context Implications for Admissions Challenges

65. Postgraduate trends overview Postgraduate education marked the fastest growth since 1996: »Postgraduate taught degrees increased by 141% since 1994 »Postgraduate research degrees increased by 76% since 1994 The ratio between PG and UG changed from 39% : 61% in 1996 to 49% : 51% in 2005.

66. International Students’ Level of Study Trends 1995 - 2006

67. International Student Enrolment in UK: UG vs. PG Study

68. International Students Enrolments in USA: UG vs. PG Study

69. Ratio between UK and non-UK students (Full-time and Part-time students) Level of studyRatio: Full timeRatio Part timeTotal Postgraduate Research48%33%41% Postgraduate Taught51%15%29% First Degree11%4%10% Other Undergraduate21%5%9% Total19%9%15% Source: HESA (2006), British Council analysis

70. UK/US Comparisons Level of StudyUKUS Postgraduate31% (172,965)12% (259,717) Undergraduate10% (183,115)2% (172,744) Total15% (356,080)4% (564,766) Source: HESA, IIE; British Council analysis International students as % of the total student population 2005-06

71. Admissions and their importance The 1 st -year students account for 53% of all students To maintain the current numbers (no growth), universities have to recruit almost 200,000 students each year Increasingly, overseas students are coming to the UK in their 2 nd or 3 rd year to “top up” their degrees. Analysis of HESA suggests that about 32,360 students are currently in the UK on similar arrangements.

72. UK National Strategy: Prime Minister’s Initiative 70,000 additional students in UK HE by 2011 Marketing & Communications Partnerships Student Experience

73. Applying to study overseas 60% of the students consider applying to 1 to 3 institutions Source: Student Decision Making Study

74. Increasing flexibility and diversity of studies in the UK 65% of the students think 1 week to 1 month is acceptable time to receive a response from the institution they’ve applied to Source: Student Decision Making Study

75. Challenges Increasing competition for international students (e.g. traditional sending countries are becoming host countries - China 162,000 students; Malaysia 44,390; Singapore 66,000; Japan 121,812). How can the admissions process contribute to our competitive advantage? Top up degrees: institution to institution arrangements - how sustainable are they in the long-run? Students’ expectations re response time from institutions are getting shorter: how can we respond to this change in the market? Transparency issues: some competitor countries (e.g. Australia) are offering transparent application process (courses and tuition fees). How can we respond?

76. Anthony McClaran Chief Executive UCAS Working with UCAS in the future

77. ADMISSIONS TO HIGHER EDUCATION Achieving excellence, fairness and efficiency 27 November 2007 WORKING WITH UCAS IN THE FUTURE Anthony McClaran Chief Executive

78. OVERVIEW 5.The applicant journey: joining up admissions and finance 2.Advanced Diplomas: preparing to admit diploma students 1.‘PQA’ and the work of the Delivery Partnership 3.The review of the Tariff 4.Progressing with vocational qualifications

79. 1. ‘PQA’ and the work of the Delivery Partnership Adjustment of choices Achievements  Code of Practice on Feedback  Extension of Entry Profiles

80. 1. ‘PQA’ and the work of the Delivery Partnership Art and Design reform Unresolved areas  The ‘gathered field’  Timings and adjustments

81. 2. Advanced Diplomas: preparing to admit diploma students Comprehensive information and communication strategy: -HEIs -Schools - Parents -Pre - applicants  UCAS has key role to play  Member of HE Engagement Partnership Board  Tariff for the Advanced Diploma

82. 3. The review of the Tariff The next steps  Why review?  Challenges: balancing volume with relevance for progression  Consultation

83. 4. Progressing from vocational qualifications A level progression rate to HE: 84% Vocational Level 3 progression rate to HE: 51% (Source: Youth Cohort Study 11) The invisibility of vocational qualifications Positive responses: -Monitoring admissions and progression -Clarity of entry requirements (Entry Profiles) -Tariff “The provision of the UCAS Tariff appears to have had a positive effect on the acceptance of qualifications other than GCE A levels – VCEs in particular – by admissions staff.” (Source: Action on Access 2006)

84. 5. The applicant journey: joining up admissions and finance Service will begin to operate during the 2009 entry cycle “Our vision is to bring together online applications for university and college with applications for student finance.” Inspiring the Student Finance Service, January 2006  Agreement reached between UCAS and SLC on data sharing

85. Anthony McClaran Chief Executive Rosehill New Barn Lane Cheltenham GL52 3LZ t: +44 (0) 1242 544990 f: +44 (0) 1242 544959 e: a.mcclaran@ucas.ac.uk

86. Questions and discussion