1. WIDENING PARTICIPATION Opportunity and challenge

2. SUE HATT Action on Access Aimhigher Regional manager for SW Principal Lecturer in Economics, UWE

3. OVERVIEW The policy context The Aimhigher programme Aimhigher activities Student success Implications for HE Issues to consider

4. THE POLICY CONTEXT From Access …to WP…to student success What does 50% by 2010 mean? Progression rates to HE: 90% A level students 50% of students with vocational level 3 quals Range of funding streams: Aimhigher institutional funds Lifelong Learning Networks (LLNs)

5. The Aimhigher Programme Aims and objectives Deliver a coherent national outreach programme Operate most intensively in disadvantaged areas Target groups under-represented in HE –manual backgrounds –certain minority ethnic groups –disabled people

6. Social class of accepted applicants by subject group 2000 (Source: UCAS)

7. Aimhigher Activities Taster events with young people in schools, colleges and the workplace Raising awareness, aspirations and attainment Promotion of vocational routes into and through HE Work with parents, carers and community groups

8. Student Success, 2002

9. Implications for HE Diversity of WP students Differences by institution and subject Greater variety of: educational experiences progression routes social backgrounds The work-based route: APL and APEL

10. Issues to consider Transitions to HE Recognition of prior learning experiences Diversifying assessment Developing an appropriate curriculum –content –mode –timing –delivery

11. CONTACT DETAILS Sue Hatt Faculty of Humanities, Languages and Social Science University of the West of England Coldharbour Lane Bristol BS16 1QY email: Susan.Hatt@uwe.ac.uk Tel: 0117 3442361