Continuum Centre for Widening Participation Policy Studies University of East London Karina Berzins Research Fellow www.uel.ac.uk/continuum
Continuum Centre for Widening Participation Policy Studies • First research and development centre of its kind in the UK • Launched April 2003 by the Minister for Lifelong Learning & Higher Education • Established to undertake research and consultancy into widening participation policy and practice • Operate in the space where policy, practice and research meet
Background – Making Connections Policy Domain Widening Participation to HE Research Practice Domain Domain
Today • Background of our data work - Newham • In depth look at the type of LA reports we can develop • Exercise - data, data, data • Look at institutional level report • NNCO research project - Reaching East and Reaching London
The data partnership model and wider interest: Demographics, Educational journey and destinations
Background – The Partnership Story • Longstanding programme of research, started purchasing data in 1999 • Primarily interested in local patterns of HE participation in London, particularly in East London • View increased HE participation and skills as a key drivers for regenerating local communities and securing social investment • Collaborations with national, regional and local government and most recently London Councils
Case Study 1 Local Partnership
Case Study 1 – Partnership with the Local Borough of Newham ‘Education and skills are key drivers of socio - economic change and employment in Newham’ Large local authority with a population of over 310,000 UEL is located entirely within the borough boundaries
Newham in Context – Key Characteristics • 3rd most deprived local authority in England (IMD 2010) • Highest birth rate in the UK & youngest population in the UK • This impacts on education system and future education planning • Most ethnically diverse population in the UK (36% Asian, 35% White, 25% Black or Black British) • High percentage of residents with no or low-level qualifications • Highest unemployment in London (12%) UK 7.7%, and high youth unemployment.
Policy Imperative – Local Knowledge • They needed evidence about young people achieving higher-level qualifications to inform policy and planning • A high percentage of young people study outside Newham at age 16, so did not know anything about the outcomes of their 16-18 and HE • Important to understand the progression of young people to higher education, and their post-study destinations and employment • Wanted to know whether young residents progressed to selective universities and whether young graduates obtained graduate jobs
Research Partnership – Evolving developments • Strong history of partnership between LB Newham and UEL, the only university located in Newham • Discussion with UEL and Continuum led to a collaborative project using HESA data to look at the progression to HE of Newham young residents and subsequently extended to look at graduate employment destinations
Research Questions – Deepening Understanding • Which universities do Newham young residents progress to? • What type of institutions did they progress from and which ones? • Do more young residents progress to HE from 16-18 institutions outside of Newham? • What subjects do they study at university? • What degree classifications do they achieve? • How many go on to further study? • What are their post study destinations? • What industries/job roles do the young graduates enter?
Key Findings – Patterns of HE Participation • HE participation of young Newham residents had increased significantly over a seven year period • The highest growth was in progression to post-92 HEIs (similar to UEL) • Newham young residents are progressing to Russell Group and pre-92 HEIs – but more are progressing from school sixth forms than from sixth form colleges, and mainly from school sixth forms outside of Newham
Implication for Local Policy • The research represented a step change in the way Newham understood the educational journey of young people from the borough. Also how each phase of education influences the outcomes at the next phase and beyond • A recognition that mainstream 16-18 provision in Newham was not catering for the needs and aspirations of the most able young people at 16. • To improve Newham’s A level performance, they need to retain more of their high achieving GCSE students in Newham for their 16-18 study
Impact on Provision – Making a difference As a result, Newham have been working with a group of their schools since 2012 to develop a collaborative sixth form centre in the borough for high achieving GCSE students Newham Collegiate Sixth Form Centre, an A Level centre, specialising in Science and Mathematics opens in September 2014
Borough report example
School level data • Look at one type of report that we can create for a particular school. • Uses data sets we used for the Newham project • Would this be useful? • How would you use this? • What else could we include?
Institution based report
Thinking about data
Data, data, data • How do you collect • How do you feel about data? the data you use? • How is it stored? • How/why is it analysed? • How often? • By whom? • What would help you? • What other "outside" data do you use?
Focused Reports – Useful Knowledge • Design & produce automated reports in pdf format • Borough report – Mini taster reports for each London borough. Indicates how many local residents attend a HEI, where they go, how well they do and whether they gain employment • Previous institution reports – Similar to above but aimed at the school/college the student attended prior to HE study • Subject report – Similar format, but aimed at HEIs examining HE participation by subject
Update on NNCO/ Linking London- Mapping outreach research partnership • Partners: – University of East London – University College London – University of Greenwich – Ravensbourne – Goldsmiths – Linking London – NNCO- HEFCE • NNCO scheme details: – Explicitly aims to encourage more young people into Higher Education – Nationally coordinated approach to work with schools, colleges and HEIs – Scheme involves around 4,300 secondary schools and 200 universities and colleges – 33 local and 3 national networks to support SPoCs – HEFCE funding £22m for 2 years
Three strand project partnership (Developing the Map) • Reaching East – UCL & UEL • Reaching London – University of Greenwich & UEL • Reaching creative industries – Ravensbourne &UEL – Suite of three research projects examining the outreach offer taken up by schools and colleges in East London (and eastward from London), pan-London, and a smaller bespoke piece of research examining creative industry subject area outreach
Hot and Cold HE participation spots The eastern arc of low HE participation- Reaching East strand Source: HEFCE- Polar data
Project outputs- 2015/17 (Mix methods approach) • Provide an in-depth understanding of the delivery and impact of outreach work in the East of London and pan London area, through the mapping exercise (year one) • Gaps, needs and capacity analysis (year two) • Culminates in a seminar series in 2016/17 which will bring together all outreach partners and stakeholders • Sustainability planning
Reporting Timeframe • Reaching East – Interim reporting March 2016 – Final report and Toolkit Jan 2017 • Reaching London – Final reporting July 2016 • Reaching Creative industries and Goldsmith's Reaching Out – Interim reporting July 2016 – Final reporting April 2017
Contact Details Karina Berzins Research Fellow University of East London Email – k.e.berzins@uel.ac.uk Tel: 0208 223 2544
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