Outcomes for Students. Through our evaluation and analysis, we have identified a gap in degree attainment of BAME students compared to other student groups. We will continue work to close this gap and have set ourselves a stretching target of achieving this. In recognition of the time needed to impact on outcomes, working with students over a three- or four-year period, we have set our baseline and target to cover an average five-year period. Reflecting our substantial progress to date on the previous target and based on an updated baseline of 11.8% (2015-16), we are setting a more challenging target of reducing the differential to 6.0% by 2021-22.
Outcomes for Students. 6. The University of Dundee is successful and plans to remain successful in working with our students to deliver positive outcomes for our students. Fair access and transitions
Outcomes for Students. Following on from a very challenging 2019/2020 academic year, 2020/21 has also proven to be difficult for learners, staff, and the College as a whole. Despite this the overall outcomes achieved are very positive and improved on 2019/2020. Recruitment was a challenge during the spring/summer 2020 lockdown period and staff worked incredibly hard to develop new ways of working to support and accommodate prospective learner through the recruitment, onboarding, and induction stages of their journey. A flexible workstream approach supported the changes needed in learning, teaching, infrastructure, services, and engagement with learners, to meet the needs of learners and successfully deliver the COVID-19 adaptions and mitigations necessary. Overall, the College achieved its SFC credit target (109,571 credits against a target of 109,267). Within this the College achieved its targets for ESF funded credits and the 1,862 credits ringfenced for activity under the National Transition Training Fund and Young Persons Guarantee. The Childcare activity credit target was also achieved. Recruitment and outcomes across the full range of protected characteristics continues to be strongly positive, with consistent volumes of activity for learners with a declared disability, those from identified BAME ethnicities and those that are care experienced. Within this activity, the proportion of learners from the most deprived postcode areas declined by 0.8% to 17.3%, reflecting challenges in recruitment and sustained engagement for those from the most deprived postcode areas. Outcomes for Care Experienced Learners and Learners with Disabilities remain amongst the best in Scotland. Work under our Gender Action Plan to reduce gender segregation within the curriculum and to provide positive opportunities for non-traditional participation within subject areas has proven challenging over the past year as many of the usual introduction and taster activities designed to encourage engagement within non-traditional subject areas have not been possible. This includes the engagement and involvement of school pupils in areas of non-traditional study through a series of targeted inputs and course opportunities offered in partnership with our schools during the summer term. This work was impacted severely by the COVID 19 pandemic, and this has had a disproportionate impact on enrolments within some curriculum areas. Developments in respect of the gender split across those academic areas with gende...
Outcomes for Students. Through our evaluation and analysis, we have identified a gap in degree attainment of Black, Asian and minority ethnic students (XXXX) compared to other student groups. We will continue work to close this gap and have set ourselves a stretching target of achieving this. In recognition of the time needed to impact on outcomes, working with students over a three- or four-year period, we have set our baseline and target to cover an average five-year period.
Outcomes for Students. Fair access and transitions - Education is accessible to students from all backgrounds and students at all levels are supported through successful pathways. The College is currently updating its Access and Inclusion Strategy through its Safeguarding Group and the new strategy will be published in the current session. Priority Outcomes related to Access and Inclusion to be delivered through the period AY 2021/22 to AY 2022/23 include: • increased access to language acquisition and opportunities for usage and increasing the number of learners undertaking SMO FE programmes • enabling more people to access Gaelic culture, through the development of a new arts strategy • increased activity with schools, adult learners, UHI partners, other organisations regionally and nationally to increase coherence in learning provision, specifically working with the BBC and other bodies on the development of SpeakGaelic. • increase the number and location of Gaelic-language FE short courses provided by the College to provide more opportunities to gain fluency and increased access to learning • continue the delivery of Seachdainn nan Teaghlach (Family Learning Week) in partnership with local authorities through Community Learning and Development (CLAD) • establish a scholarship scheme to support students from under-represented groups. Areas of multiple deprivation (Fair Access and Transitions) As a National Centre, SMO recruits students from across Scotland and further afield and so delineated areas of deprivation are not distinct targets for the College. Recognising the changing demographic of Gaelic speakers, it is important to the College that it ensures equality of access and inclusion. However, in common with other island and remote rural locations, it is recognised that there are fewer public services where the College is located, that the rural cost of living is higher than urban living, and that these can cause barriers to access. Our supported distance learning provision is geared towards both reducing barriers to access for rural students and increasing access for students throughout Scotland and beyond to Gaelic language learning. This creates opportunities for progression into Further and Higher Education. The College looks to increase participation from the most deprived areas, where possible. However, it is important to recognise that there are significant challenges in terms of providing access to Gaelic language learning opportunities, particularly in remote ru...
Outcomes for Students. Learning with impact - Students at all levels are equipped to flourish in employment, further study and to lead fulfilling lives. The College is a member of DYW West Highland and sees this as an invaluable forum in further developing vocational provision, building on programmes already being delivered in media, teaching, Gaelic development, language and community planning. It is actively exploring opportunities to work more closely with young people to prepare them for the world of work. This activity is also being taken forward in partnership with SDS, with which the College has formed a close working relationship, to develop relevant qualifications, such as the Foundation Apprenticeship in Social Services: Children and Young People and the FA in Creative and Digital Media. The College is committed to working in partnership with schools, with Bòrd na Gàidhlig, with SDS and with local authorities to provide increased access to a range of Gaelic medium learning opportunities. This will be carried out utilising data collated from a wide range of sources to make informed judgements as to the way ahead. It will also be carried out in line with the objectives of Developing the Young Workforce (DYW), such as those outlined in Preparing Young People For the World of Work, and Schools and Colleges Working in Partnership - Recommendation 6 - “… supporting the development of Scotland’s young workforce through the enhancement of vocational education pathways.” This will allow a more focussed targeted approach to this activity which will have maximum impact across the sector. It will also build upon work being taken forward at Subject Network and Faculty level within UHI to more closely liaise with schools across the region. The College will continue to work with the Scottish Government and other partners to support the development of E-schools, initial discussions have taken place with e-Sgoil, xxxx://xxx.x-xxxxx.xxx recognising the potential for the College to provide CPD and other training and learning opportunities. This will include support for teachers and classroom assistants and utilise College expertise in distance learning and the development of digital skills within the College workforce.
Outcomes for Students. 3.1 Fair access and CoWA targets Edinburgh Xxxxxx has a strong commitment to widening the access of students progressing into and through higher education. We are committed to the principle of fairness in access to higher education and promoting the success of under-represented groups who may have experienced barriers to entering higher education for social, cultural or economic reasons. We provide a number of different pathways into the university for school and college leavers. We also provide dedicated support to under-represented groups such as those who are care-experienced and mature learners who are entering higher education for the first time. Our approach to widening participation is a holistic one which focuses on the journey that our students take as they move in, move through and move on from Edinburgh Xxxxxx University. We provide a personalised approach to widening participation recognising that all students have their own identities and experiences that they bring, and which enrich our wider community. All our work in this area is supported by our associated plans for delivering high quality learning and teaching and student experience for learners as well as our Corporate Parenting Plan and community engagement. Key priority areas for our widening participation activities include the recruitment and retention of SIMD20 students and a focus on students from schools with low progression rates (including Schools for Higher Education (SHEP) and Lothian Equal Access Programme for Schools (LEAPS) eligible pupils, those who are care-experienced, first in generation students, refugees and applicants from military or ex-military backgrounds. Our work on equality and diversity remains important, investigating the intersections with protected characteristics including students from Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) backgrounds, disabled students and programmes where there is a significant gender imbalance. Supporting student achievement requires an integrated approach internally between our academic Schools and Professional Services while also working alongside external stakeholders such as Schools, Colleges, local authorities and third sector organisations. The University continues to host and play an active role in the Hub for SUCCESS (Support for University and College for Care Experienced in South East Scotland) project which brings together a consortium of tertiary education and local authority partners with the shared interest of promoting tertiar...
