Text provided by Gagan Chaggar, from the University of West London, for the UniTasterDays Teachers' Guide to University.
Universities are keen to support you with
your school priorities, such as supporting
attainment and aspirations, and providing
guidance and opportunities for learners who are
underrepresented in higher education.
As a former secondary teacher, I wish I had
known about these great opportunities. So to support you, I have included some information below.
Widening Participation focuses on supporting learners from under-represented groups in higher education, who may miss out on the opportunity to progress their education. It’s all about addressing inequalities and priorities in groups and communities, and exploring options in the world of university, apprenticeships and work.
Universities create Access and Participation
Plans (also known as APPs) which outline how
they will improve equality of opportunity through
widening participation and fair access, as
directed by our regulator, the Office for Students
(also known as OfS).
The Office for Students ask universities
specifically to ‘improve equality of opportunity
for underrepresented groups to access, succeed
in and progress from higher education’. This
work varies for many universities, but we are
all directed to deliver projects with thorough
evaluations and impact measures.
Department names for those delivering this
activity usually contain some, or a combination,
of the following words and teams:
• Access and Participation
• Outreach
• Schools and Colleges
• Widening Access/Participation
Here is an idea of what universities offer, based
around University of West London activities:
- Long term projects: Young People’s
Lectures development programme,
National Saturday Clubs, Storytelling
projects, in specific settings such as Pupil
Referral Units.
- For specific groups: care leaver cooking
sessions, mature learner programmes,
specific projects aimed at working-class
communities.
- Career development activities: work
experience for widening participation
students, discover university days, subject
taster days.
- Ad hoc programmes: working with local
schools, colleges, councils, community
and voluntary organisations to develop
reactive programmes.
If you have an idea for a project, please do
contact a university as there may be flexibility
in their offering.
Widening participation teams work with those
who meet specific criteria, as set by the Office
for Students and universities. As an example,
this includes the following for the University of
West London:
• young people from a working-class
background
• learners eligible for free school meals.
• disabled learners
• mature learners
• care leavers and looked after children
• young and adult carers
• learners with no parental/carer history of
higher education in the UK
• learners from the Gypsy, Roma, and
Traveller backgrounds
• refugees and asylum seekers
Remember, even if you know your students do
not have an interest in going to university, you
can still engage in activities.
A quick internet search should reveal your
local universities. Then visit these universities’
websites for details about their outreach,
widening participation or schools/college
work. You can also browse opportunities on
UniTasterDays which is a national directory
of university opportunities for schools.
You can contact them to generally connect or
with a specific request. Also, get signed up for
any newsletters and pass these links onto other
relevant people at your institution.
I strongly recommend seeking out teacher networking opportunities with universities as a great way of meeting people, receiving innovative continuing professional development and supporting your most vulnerable learners.