Common use of Outreach Activities Clause in Contracts

Outreach Activities. The College works closely with skills development partnerships such as the Employment and Skills Board which brings together businesses, schools, local authorities, colleges, universities, Third sector organisations and other stakeholders across Surrey to focus on key LEP priorities including the development of new flexible and innovative progression pathways to higher level skills. Following the Surrey Area Review in 2016, the 4 General FE Colleges in Surrey are collaborating on the development of joint activities to develop, promote and integrate higher education provision across the County. This will include the development of a common HE prospectus for Surrey. The College will seek, as far as possible, to ensure that access-related expenditure previously funded by the Student Opportunity Fund remains in place. In 2018-2019 we plan to spend tuition fee income above the basic fee on outreach activities that focus on the widening participation of under-represented groups including: • Individuals from lower socio-economic groups or from neighbourhoods where higher education participation is low • Work with students at schools and colleges from disadvantaged backgrounds to raise their attaintment. This will particularly focus on internal progression but it will also link with the HEON National Collaborative Outreach Programme (NCOP) led by the University of Surrey, of which NESCOT is a member. • Some ethnic groups or sub-groups, including white males from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. This is given particular emphasis through NESCOT’s participation in a Catalyst fund project led by Kingston University examining strategies to narrow the gap in attainment in higher education for students from a range of ethnic backgrounds • Disabled people • Mature and part-time learners • Care leavers • Carers • Estranged young people and students Outreach activities will include: • Working with further education students within the college at all levels to promote progression options to vocational HE study including Higher Level Apprenticeships. • Working with relevant local partnerships to raise aspiration, motivation and achievement amongst key groups • Providing internal progression events • Providing 1:1 support for college students researching HE opportunities, completing UCAS applications and appropriate confirming HE progression routes • Providing 1:1 support for college students to develop their CV, undertake job searches, developing their interview techniques and networking skills • Providing enhanced 1:1 IAG for late applicants to HE and enhanced on-programme support • Strengthening of progression routes from feeder schools into Further Education and vocationally-relevant Higher Education • Providing HE fairs and associated taster activities to promote awareness of HE opportunities in local schools and colleges • Linking with HEON and its NCOP project to work with students from neighbourhoods with low levels of participation in higher education to deliver curriculum tasters and masterclasses. • Providing enhanced Information Advice and Guidance and deploying NESCOT’s team of qualified careers advisors through outreach to promote the range of routes into higher education including higher and degree apprenticeships, vocationally-specific HE and part time options. • Jointly marketing HE programmes, where appropriate with other providers to local areas with low HE participation The College has recently appointed a number Events and Social Media Co-ordinator – part funded by the NCOP project – part of whose role is to work with schools, stakeholders and communities to facilitate progression of under-represented groups. This role and those of the wider IAG team and schools liaison teams are evaluated in terms of performance and impact. NESCOT has continued to embed its widening participation strategy through the development of increased progression pathways from level 2 and level 3 programmes to higher education programmes at level 4 and above. Examples of this in the past 12 months have been the new Foundation Degree in Animal Management (Kingston University), the Foundation Degree in Healthcare Play Specialisms (University of West London) and the BA Collaborative Theatre (Top- up – Kingston University). Continution rates for higher education courses at NESCOT have risen from 79% in 2012/13 to 92% in 2015/16. The college will continue to enhance the support students from widening participation groups receive with the following activities: • Students who face unexpected financial hardship whilst on their programme can apply to the college Higher Education Hardship fund for additional support. Household income and expenditure is taken into consideration along the lines of the previous Access to Learning Fund. • Personal Development Planning provides an opportunity to discuss the suitability of the course, review individual support needs and to draw up appropriate support plans. • Access to diagnostic assessment to identify specific support needs • Dedicated HE Additional Learner Support (ALS) is available from interview stage (if requested), to Induction and ‘on-programme’ • Study skills sessions are delivered as an integral part of the cross-college induction and form part of the extended programme induction. • Additional on-programme and 1:1 study skills sessions are provided. • Dedicated HE ALS support is available for students without a disability support assessment. • Dedicated HE Learner Support with access to a highly qualified team of Learning Support tutors – all available to provide specialist advice and support and supplied to those who cannot obtain DSA • Students are provided with a 1:1 tutorial entitlement with additional provision arising from needs identified pre- and post-enrolment. • Close monitoring of attendance patterns and follow-up of unexplained absences by tutors and managers. • Provision of college health and counselling services. • Provision of subsidised nursery places. • Development of the College VLE to support and extend learning opportunities. • Access to the bespoke HE study room in the LRC with pre-arranged support from volunteers At the time of writing NESCOT is awaiting its Quality Revew Visit (scheduled for September 2017). The most recent College QAA IQER (2012) identified a number of strengths in this area, including: • A comprehensive Learning Support Policy that details formal learning support processes. • Responsibilities for the identification, management and delivery of academic guidance and pastoral support are clearly delegated through the management structure. This includes academic guidance such as assessment feedback, pastoral support, personal tutorial, and personal development planning. • All College staff are active in ensuring that students have the support they require to support their learning. Students also access study skills support in the College learning resource centre, on a drop-in or individual basis. • Students spoke very positively about the range and quality of support they receive. • Students undertake an extensive two-day induction during which they are introduced to key College policies and procedures and given programme information. Induction provides information on additional learning support, and there are introductory sessions on assignment design, module and unit structures, assessment strategies and use of the virtual learning environment. Students find the induction process very intensive, but useful in preparing them for their studies. • Students find their tutorials informative and helpful. They also commented on the ease of access to tutors for additional tutorials, which are useful in providing further advice and support.

Outreach Activities. In 2012/13, the University will expand its programme of well-targeted and high quality outreach activities to which it committed in the 2008 access agreement, with a focus on enhancing applications to Durham University from a specific range of backgrounds. The College works closely University recognises that the activities play a broader role in extending educational opportunities to those from non-traditional backgrounds but the specific target is to promote fair access to Durham by increasing applications from students from state schools or colleges and NS-SEC 4-7 backgrounds who do not traditionally apply to Durham. The feedback from participants has shown that activities which work best in raising aspiration and attainment are those where there is direct engagement of students and teachers with skills development partnerships such as the Employment and Skills Board which brings together businesses, University: in particular summer schools, local authoritiesteacher conferences and the Supported Progression Compact Scheme with its series of residential events. Under the present agreement the University therefore intends to expand all of these activities. It will expand school liaison more broadly, collegesbut it will ensure that contact with schools is followed up by invitations to staff and students to engage in day-long and residential events at the University. The University is therefore increasing the volume and coverage of its most successful outreach programmes. The University will therefore continue to use additional tuition fee income to provide: a dedicated team of staff working specifically on realising the aims of the widening access plan, universitiesa compact scheme involving regular targeted contact with students from Year 10 onwards, Third sector organisations dissemination of financial information to applicants and other stakeholders across Surrey to focus on key LEP priorities including prospective applicants, residential summer schools, school and college visits, leadership for the development of new flexible and innovative progression pathways to higher level skills. Following the Surrey Area Review Durham Excellence in 2016Education Partnership, the 4 General FE Colleges in Surrey are collaborating expanded Foundation Centre programme, offering a direct progression route into Durham degrees for LPN, mature, and non-traditionally qualified students , conferences and events for teachers who support higher education progression. A priority will be placed on expansion of the Supported Progression Compact Scheme, which is a series of intensive activities focussed on the development most able, least likely to apply, disadvantaged students from targeted areas. It is making a significant contribution towards increasing applications from state schooled students from NS-SEC categories 4-7 from a region that has one of joint activities the lowest HE participation rates in England. Impact will be achieved both with students participating in the scheme and among their peers at school or college, as one of the intended outcomes of the scheme is removing publicly- held real and perceived barriers to developaccessing a Durham degree. The expansion of the scheme in 2010-11 to include other existing outreach activity is creating an integrated portfolio of contacts with individual students starting in Year 10 and continuing until Year 13. In the 2009-10 pilot year of the scheme for Year 12 students, promote 62 participants started the scheme, with 52 attending the assessed summer school. 49 successfully completed the summer school, of which 41 have applied to the University and integrate higher education provision across 39 received an offer for entry in October 2011. 35 have accepted that offer as their firm UCAS choice. In 2010/11, 120 students in year 12 enrolled on the Countyscheme, who will be applying for University entrance in September 2012. This In 2012/13, the University aims to expand the number of students participating in the scheme in both the pre- and post-16 age ranges. Selection for the scheme will include the development criteria of being from a common HE prospectus for Surreystate school or college and the NS-SEC 4-7 classifications. The College will seekWhen the new scheme reaches its full potential, as far as possible, to ensure that access-related expenditure previously funded by the Student Opportunity Fund remains in place. In 2018-2019 we plan to spend tuition fee income above the basic fee on outreach activities that focus on the widening participation of under-represented groups including: • Individuals from lower socio-economic groups or from neighbourhoods where higher education participation is low • Work with students at schools and colleges from disadvantaged backgrounds to raise their attaintment. This will particularly focus on internal progression but it will also link with the HEON National Collaborative Outreach Programme (NCOP) led by be providing 90 entrants per year to the University of Surrey, of which NESCOT is a member. • Some ethnic groups or sub-groups, including white males from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. This is given particular emphasis through NESCOT’s participation in a Catalyst fund project led by Kingston University examining strategies to narrow the gap in attainment in higher education for students from a range of ethnic backgrounds • Disabled people • Mature and part-time learners • Care leavers • Carers • Estranged young people and students Outreach activities will include: • Working with further education students within the college at all levels to promote progression options to vocational HE study including Higher Level Apprenticeships. • Working with relevant local partnerships to raise aspiration, motivation and achievement amongst key groups • Providing internal progression events • Providing 1:1 support for college students researching HE opportunities, completing UCAS applications and appropriate confirming HE progression routes • Providing 1:1 support for college students to develop their CV, undertake job searches, developing their interview techniques and networking skills • Providing enhanced 1:1 IAG for late applicants to HE and enhanced on-programme support • Strengthening of progression routes from feeder schools into Further Education and vocationally-relevant Higher Education • Providing HE fairs and associated taster activities to promote awareness of HE opportunities in local schools and colleges • Linking with HEON and its NCOP project to work with students from neighbourhoods with low levels of participation in higher education to deliver curriculum tasters and masterclasses. • Providing enhanced Information Advice and Guidance and deploying NESCOT’s team of qualified careers advisors through outreach to promote the range of routes into higher education including higher and degree apprenticeships, vocationally-specific HE and part time options. • Jointly marketing HE programmes, where appropriate with other providers to local areas with low HE participation The College has recently appointed a number Events and Social Media Co-ordinator – part funded by the NCOP project – part of whose role is to work with schools, stakeholders and communities to facilitate progression of these under-represented groups. This role Durham has worked closely with the organisation, Supporting Professionalism in Admissions, in leading a national group on the use of contextual data in admissions and those has already developed systems to use contextual data in its selection process to ensure that applicants with the greatest merit and potential receive offers. The University intends to pursue these developments further by looking at the availability of other predictors of success at undergraduate level as a basis for selection. The University will employ the wider IAG team services of its Centre for Evaluation and schools liaison teams are evaluated in terms Monitoring (CEM), which is the largest independent provider of performance and impact. NESCOT has continued to embed its widening participation strategy through the development of increased progression pathways from level 2 and level 3 programmes to higher education programmes at level 4 and above. Examples of this educational monitoring systems in the past 12 months have been the new Foundation Degree in Animal Management (Kingston University)world and provides specialist research and evaluation services to a wide range of organisations including universities. In its use of contextual information, the Foundation Degree in Healthcare Play Specialisms (University plans to replace POLAR2 data with the ACORN data set as the socio-demographic indicator. This will provide more precise contextual data for the selection of West London) both UCAS applicants and applicants for the BA Collaborative Theatre (Top- up – Kingston University). Continution rates for higher education courses at NESCOT have risen from 79% in 2012/13 to 92% in 2015/16Supported Progression Scheme. The college University will continue commit a modest level of resource to enhance the support students from widening participation groups receive with the following activities: • Students who face unexpected financial hardship whilst on their programme can apply to the college Higher Education Hardship fund for additional support. Household income and expenditure is taken into consideration along the lines of the previous Access to Learning Fund. • Personal Development Planning provides an opportunity to discuss the suitability of the course, review individual support needs and to draw up appropriate support plans. • Access to diagnostic assessment to identify specific support needs • Dedicated HE Additional Learner Support (ALS) is available from interview stage (if requested), to Induction and ‘on-programme’ • Study skills sessions are delivered as an integral part of the cross-college induction and form part of the extended programme induction. • Additional on-programme and 1:1 study skills sessions are provided. • Dedicated HE ALS support is available for students without a disability support assessment. • Dedicated HE Learner Support with access to a highly qualified team of Learning Support tutors – all available to provide specialist advice and support and supplied to those who cannot obtain DSA • Students are provided with a 1:1 tutorial entitlement with additional provision arising from needs identified pre- and post-enrolment. • Close monitoring of attendance patterns and follow-up of unexplained absences by tutors and managers. • Provision of college health and counselling services. • Provision of subsidised nursery places. • Development of the College VLE to support and extend learning opportunities. • Access to the bespoke HE study room in the LRC with pre-arranged support from volunteers At the time of writing NESCOT is awaiting its Quality Revew Visit (scheduled for September 2017). The most recent College QAA IQER (2012) identified a number of strengths in this area, including: • A comprehensive Learning Support Policy that details formal learning support processes. • Responsibilities for the identification, management and delivery of academic guidance and pastoral support are clearly delegated through the management structure. This includes academic guidance such as assessment feedback, pastoral support, personal tutorial, and personal development planning. • All College staff are active in ensuring that students have the it maintains its excellent retention levels. Post‐entry support they require to support their learning. Students also access measures will be targeted on study skills support for students in the College learning resource centreunder-represented groups. The University hopes that these measures will play an indirect role in encouraging under‐represented groups to apply, on who may be unnecessarily concerned about their ability to cope with a drop-in or individual basis. • Students spoke very positively about the range and quality demanding programme of support they receive. • Students undertake an extensive two-day induction during which they are introduced to key College policies and procedures and given programme information. Induction provides information on additional learning support, and there are introductory sessions on assignment design, module and unit structures, assessment strategies and use of the virtual learning environment. Students find the induction process very intensive, but useful in preparing them for their studies. • Students find their tutorials informative and helpful. They also commented on the ease of access to tutors for additional tutorials, which are useful in providing further advice and support.

Outreach Activities. The College works closely with skills development partnerships such University will to continue to run a number of the most successful Aimhigher interventions and will retain relevant core staff during the interim year 2011-12 and beyond. We also recognise the critical role that both placement students and student ambassadors have had (as part of the Employment and Skills Board which brings together businesses, schools, local authorities, colleges, universities, Third sector organisations and other stakeholders across Surrey to focus on key LEP priorities including Aimhigher programme) in raising the development of new flexible and innovative progression pathways to higher level skills. Following the Surrey Area Review in 2016, the 4 General FE Colleges in Surrey are collaborating on the development of joint activities to develop, promote and integrate higher education provision across the County. This will include the development of a common HE prospectus for Surrey. The College will seek, as far as possible, to ensure that access-related expenditure previously funded by the Student Opportunity Fund remains in place. In 2018-2019 we plan to spend tuition fee income above the basic fee on outreach activities that focus on the widening participation aspirations of under-represented groups including: • Individuals from lower socio-economic groups or from neighbourhoods where higher education participation is low • Work with students at and helping to demystify HE. We are keen to continue to use our own BU students to this end. We will continue to target schools and colleges from disadvantaged backgrounds identified during the Aimhigher period and will explore how to raise their attaintment. This will particularly focus on internal progression but it will also link with expand this outreach to schools outside the HEON National Collaborative Outreach Programme (NCOP) led by the University of Surrey, of which NESCOT is a member. • Some ethnic groups or sub-groupsAimhigher geographical area, including white males from economically disadvantaged backgroundsat national level. This is given particular emphasis through NESCOTIn addition, our close links with local Academies in LPN areas – notably St Aldhelm’s participation in and Oakmead – will be developed further. We are currently leading a Catalyst fund small research project led by Kingston University examining strategies designed to narrow the gap in attainment in learn about future students aspirations for their higher education for students and have conducted recorded interviews with children from a range of ethnic backgrounds • Disabled people • Mature schools to elicit the ‘applicant voice’. This has informed our plans for fair access and part-time learners • Care leavers • Carers • Estranged young people our wider student experience activities and will be developed into a local ‘children’s commission’ for the ongoing engagement of BU with schools in our locale. The recorded material will be used in an internal awareness raising and staff development programme. The activities which are proposed to be funded are Summer Schools, Mentoring, Campus visits, Taster Days, Master Classes, Information and Guidance sessions, Staff Development, supporting Looked After Children (LAC) Virtual Schools, and students Outreach activities will include: • Working with further education students within a disability. All of the college at all levels to promote progression options to vocational HE study including Higher Level Apprenticeships. • Working with relevant local partnerships above events for pre-16 learners have been proven to raise aspiration, motivation and achievement aspirations amongst key groups • Providing internal progression events • Providing 1:1 support for college students researching HE opportunities, completing UCAS applications and appropriate confirming HE progression routes • Providing 1:1 support for college students to develop their CV, undertake job searches, developing their interview techniques and networking skills • Providing enhanced 1:1 IAG for late applicants to HE and enhanced on-programme support • Strengthening of progression routes from feeder schools into Further Education and vocationally-relevant Higher Education • Providing HE fairs and associated taster activities to promote awareness of HE opportunities in local schools and colleges • Linking with HEON and its NCOP project to work with students from neighbourhoods with low levels of participation in higher education to deliver curriculum tasters and masterclasses. • Providing enhanced Information Advice and Guidance and deploying NESCOT’s team of qualified careers advisors through outreach to promote the range of routes into higher education including higher and degree apprenticeships, vocationally-specific HE and part time options. • Jointly marketing HE programmes, where appropriate with other providers to local areas with low HE participation The College has recently appointed a number Events and Social Media Co-ordinator – part funded by the NCOP project – part of whose role is to work with schools, stakeholders and communities to facilitate progression of under-represented target groups. This role and those of the wider IAG team and schools liaison teams are evaluated in terms of performance and impact. NESCOT has continued to embed its widening participation strategy through the development of increased progression pathways from level 2 and level 3 programmes to higher education programmes at level 4 and above. Examples of this in the past 12 months have been the new Foundation Degree in Animal Management (Kingston University), the Foundation Degree in Healthcare Play Specialisms (University of West London) and the BA Collaborative Theatre (Top- up – Kingston University). Continution rates for higher education courses at NESCOT have risen from 79% in 2012/13 to 92% in 2015/16. The college will continue to enhance the support students from widening participation groups receive with the following activities: • Students who face unexpected financial hardship whilst on their programme can apply to the college Higher Education Hardship fund for additional support. Household income and expenditure is taken into consideration along the lines of the previous Access to Learning Fund. • Personal Development Planning provides an opportunity to discuss the suitability of the course, review individual support needs and to draw up appropriate support plans. • Access to diagnostic assessment to identify specific support needs • Dedicated HE Additional Learner Support (ALS) Evidence is available from interview stage (if requested)local Aimhigher Area evaluations and widely acknowledged by national research. Post-16 support for learners will be offered through specific guidance in helping students make appropriate applications to HE. BU will fund a peripatetic impartial HE guidance role for target schools. By 2012/13 we intend to have in place Compact Agreements with relevant target schools and colleges. We will build these agreements during 2011/12. In time, these are likely to Induction extend to our target institutions’ feeder schools at Primary level. In this context, we recognise that parents, carers and ‘onguardians are important influencers and will endeavour to reach more parents via Primary-programme’ • Study skills sessions are delivered as an integral part of level feeder schools over the cross-college induction and form part of the extended programme induction. • Additional on-programme and 1:1 study skills sessions are provided. • Dedicated HE ALS support is available for students without a disability support assessment. • Dedicated HE Learner Support with access to a highly qualified team of Learning Support tutors – all available to provide specialist advice and support and supplied to those who cannot obtain DSA • Students are provided with a 1:1 tutorial entitlement with additional provision arising from needs identified pre- and post-enrolment. • Close monitoring of attendance patterns and follow-up of unexplained absences by tutors and managers. • Provision of college health and counselling services. • Provision of subsidised nursery places. • Development of the College VLE to support and extend learning opportunities. • Access to the bespoke HE study room in the LRC with pre-arranged support from volunteers At the time of writing NESCOT is awaiting its Quality Revew Visit (scheduled for September 2017). The most recent College QAA IQER (2012) identified a number of strengths in this area, including: • A comprehensive Learning Support Policy that details formal learning support processes. • Responsibilities for the identification, management and delivery of academic guidance and pastoral support are clearly delegated through the management structure. This includes academic guidance such as assessment feedback, pastoral support, personal tutorial, and personal development planning. • All College staff are active in ensuring that students have the support they require to support their learning. Students also access study skills support in the College learning resource centre, on a drop-in or individual basis. • Students spoke very positively about the range and quality of support they receive. • Students undertake an extensive two-day induction during which they are introduced to key College policies and procedures and given programme information. Induction provides information on additional learning support, and there are introductory sessions on assignment design, module and unit structures, assessment strategies and use of the virtual learning environment. Students find the induction process very intensive, but useful in preparing them for their studies. • Students find their tutorials informative and helpful. They also commented on the ease of access to tutors for additional tutorials, which are useful in providing further advice and supportnext few years.

Outreach Activities. In 2013/14, the University will expand its programme of well-targeted and high quality outreach activities to which it committed in the 2008 and 2012 access agreements, with a focus on enhancing applications to Durham University from a specific range of backgrounds. The College works closely with skills development partnerships such as University recognises that the Employment and Skills Board which brings together businesses, activities play a broader role in extending educational opportunities to those from non-traditional backgrounds but the specific target is to promote fair access to Durham by increasing applications from students from state schools, local authoritiesLPNs and NS-SEC 4-7 backgrounds who do not traditionally apply to Durham. The feedback from participants has shown that activities which work best in raising aspiration and attainment are those where there is direct engagement of students and teachers with the University: in particular summer schools, collegesteacher conferences and the Supported Progression Compact Scheme with its series of residential events. Under the present agreement the University therefore intends to expand all of these activities. It will expand school liaison more broadly, universities, Third sector organisations but it will ensure that contact with schools is followed up by invitations to staff and other stakeholders across Surrey students to focus on key LEP priorities including engage in day-long and residential events at the development University. The University is therefore increasing the volume and coverage of new flexible and innovative progression pathways to higher level skillsits most successful outreach programmes. Following the Surrey Area Review in 2016In summary, the 4 General FE Colleges in Surrey are collaborating on the development of joint activities University will continue to develop, promote and integrate higher education provision across the County. This will include the development of a common HE prospectus for Surrey. The College will seek, as far as possible, to ensure that access-related expenditure previously funded by the Student Opportunity Fund remains in place. In 2018-2019 we plan to spend use additional tuition fee income above to provide: a dedicated team of staff working specifically on realising the basic fee on outreach activities that focus on aims of the widening participation of under-represented groups including: • Individuals from lower socio-economic groups or from neighbourhoods where higher education participation is low • Work with students at schools and colleges from disadvantaged backgrounds to raise their attaintment. This will particularly focus on internal progression but it will also link with the HEON National Collaborative Outreach Programme (NCOP) led by the University of Surreyaccess plan, of which NESCOT is a member. • Some ethnic groups or sub-groups, including white males from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. This is given particular emphasis through NESCOT’s participation in a Catalyst fund project led by Kingston University examining strategies to narrow the gap in attainment in higher education for students from a range of ethnic backgrounds • Disabled people • Mature and part-time learners • Care leavers • Carers • Estranged young people and students Outreach activities will include: • Working with further education students within the college at all levels to promote progression options to vocational HE study including Higher Level Apprenticeships. • Working with relevant local partnerships to raise aspiration, motivation and achievement amongst key groups • Providing internal progression events • Providing 1:1 support for college students researching HE opportunities, completing UCAS applications and appropriate confirming HE progression routes • Providing 1:1 support for college students to develop their CV, undertake job searches, developing their interview techniques and networking skills • Providing enhanced 1:1 IAG for late applicants to HE and enhanced on-programme support • Strengthening of progression routes from feeder schools into Further Education and vocationally-relevant Higher Education • Providing HE fairs and associated taster activities to promote awareness of HE opportunities in local schools and colleges • Linking with HEON and its NCOP project to work compact scheme involving regular targeted contact with students from neighbourhoods with low levels year 10 onwards, dissemination of participation in financial information to applicants and prospective applicants, residential summer schools, school and college visits, the expanded Foundation Centre programme, offering a direct progression route into Durham degrees for LPN, mature, and non-traditionally qualified students , conferences and events for teachers who support higher education progression. A priority will be placed on expansion of the Supported Progression Compact Scheme, which is a series of intensive activities focussed on the most able, least likely to deliver curriculum tasters and masterclassesapply, disadvantaged students from targeted areas. • Providing enhanced Information Advice and Guidance and deploying NESCOT’s team It is making a significant contribution towards increasing applications from state schooled students from NS-SEC categories 4-7 from a region that has one of qualified careers advisors through outreach to promote the range of routes into higher education including higher and degree apprenticeships, vocationally-specific HE and part time options. • Jointly marketing HE programmes, where appropriate with other providers to local areas with low lowest HE participation rates in England. Impact will be achieved both with students participating in the scheme and among their peers at school or college, as one of the intended outcomes of the scheme is removing publicly- held real and perceived barriers to accessing a Durham degree. The College has recently appointed expansion of the scheme since 2010-11 to include other existing outreach activity is creating an integrated portfolio of contacts with individual students starting in Year 10 and continuing until Year 13. In the 2009/10 pilot year of the scheme, of the 62 year 12 initial participants, 49 successfully completed the summer school, of whom 41 applied to the University, 35 accepted their offer as their firm choice and 31 enrolled in October 2011. In 2010/11, of the 124 year 12 participants in the scheme, 111 successfully completed the summer school, and 62 have accepted Durham’s offer as their firm choice for entry in October 2012. In 2013/14, the University aims to expand the number of students participating in the scheme and the geographical reach of the scheme in both the pre- and post-16 age ranges. Selection for the scheme will be on the criteria of being from a number Events state school and Social Media Cothe NS-ordinator – part funded by SEC 4-7 classifications. When the NCOP project – part of whose role is new scheme reaches its full potential, it will be providing 90 entrants per year to work with schools, stakeholders and communities to facilitate progression of the University from these under-represented groups. This role and those As a national counterpart of the wider IAG team and compact scheme’s regional focus, in August 2012 Durham University will host a Xxxxxx Trust summer school for year 12 students. The week long summer schools liaison teams are evaluated designed to give bright students from non-privileged homes an experience of a leading university. The aim is to equip students, most of whom will be the first in terms of performance and impact. NESCOT has continued their families to embed its widening participation strategy through the development of increased progression pathways from level 2 and level 3 programmes go on to higher education programmes education, with the knowledge and insight to make high quality applications to highly selecting universities. A high proportion of students from the Xxxxxx Trust summer schools enrol at one of the participating institutions. Visiting year 12 students will be supported by an enthusiastic team of Durham Student Ambassadors, led by an experienced management team. Durham University is pleased to be working with the Xxxxxx Trust and aims to continue this collaborative work in future years. Durham has worked closely with the organisation, Supporting Professionalism in Admissions, in leading a national group on the use of contextual data in admissions and has already developed systems to use contextual data in its selection process to ensure that applicants with the greatest merit and potential receive offers. The University intends to pursue these developments further by looking at all the predictors of success at undergraduate level 4 as a basis for selection. The University is employing the services of its Centre for Evaluation and above. Examples Monitoring (CEM), which is the largest independent provider of this educational monitoring systems in the past 12 months have been the new Foundation Degree in Animal Management (Kingston University)world and provides specialist research and evaluation services to a wide range of organisations including universities. In its use of contextual information, the Foundation Degree in Healthcare Play Specialisms (University is replacing POLAR2 data with the ACORN data set as the socio-demographic indicator. This will provide more precise contextual data for the selection of West London) both UCAS applicants and applicants for the BA Collaborative Theatre (Top- up – Kingston University). Continution rates for higher education courses at NESCOT have risen from 79% in 2012/13 to 92% in 2015/16Supported Progression Scheme. The college University will continue commit a modest level of resource to enhance the support students from widening participation groups receive with the following activities: • Students who face unexpected financial hardship whilst on their programme can apply to the college Higher Education Hardship fund for additional support. Household income and expenditure is taken into consideration along the lines of the previous Access to Learning Fund. • Personal Development Planning provides an opportunity to discuss the suitability of the course, review individual support needs and to draw up appropriate support plans. • Access to diagnostic assessment to identify specific support needs • Dedicated HE Additional Learner Support (ALS) is available from interview stage (if requested), to Induction and ‘on-programme’ • Study skills sessions are delivered as an integral part of the cross-college induction and form part of the extended programme induction. • Additional on-programme and 1:1 study skills sessions are provided. • Dedicated HE ALS support is available for students without a disability support assessment. • Dedicated HE Learner Support with access to a highly qualified team of Learning Support tutors – all available to provide specialist advice and support and supplied to those who cannot obtain DSA • Students are provided with a 1:1 tutorial entitlement with additional provision arising from needs identified pre- and post-enrolment. • Close monitoring of attendance patterns and follow-up of unexplained absences by tutors and managers. • Provision of college health and counselling services. • Provision of subsidised nursery places. • Development of the College VLE to support and extend learning opportunities. • Access to the bespoke HE study room in the LRC with pre-arranged support from volunteers At the time of writing NESCOT is awaiting its Quality Revew Visit (scheduled for September 2017). The most recent College QAA IQER (2012) identified a number of strengths in this area, including: • A comprehensive Learning Support Policy that details formal learning support processes. • Responsibilities for the identification, management and delivery of academic guidance and pastoral support are clearly delegated through the management structure. This includes academic guidance such as assessment feedback, pastoral support, personal tutorial, and personal development planning. • All College staff are active in ensuring that students have the it maintains its excellent retention levels. Post‐entry support they require to support their learning. Students also access measures will be targeted on study skills support for students in the College learning resource centreunder-represented groups. The University hopes that these measures will play an indirect role in encouraging under‐represented groups to apply, on who may be unnecessarily concerned about their ability to cope with a drop-in or individual basis. • Students spoke very positively about the range and quality demanding programme of support they receive. • Students undertake an extensive two-day induction during which they are introduced to key College policies and procedures and given programme information. Induction provides information on additional learning support, and there are introductory sessions on assignment design, module and unit structures, assessment strategies and use of the virtual learning environment. Students find the induction process very intensive, but useful in preparing them for their studies. • Students find their tutorials informative and helpful. They also commented on the ease of access to tutors for additional tutorials, which are useful in providing further advice and support.

Outreach Activities. The College works closely with skills development partnerships such as the Employment and Skills Board which brings together businesses, schools, local authorities, colleges, universities, Third sector organisations and other stakeholders across Surrey to focus on key LEP priorities including the development of new flexible and innovative progression pathways to higher level skills. Following the Surrey Area Review in 2016, the 4 General FE Colleges in Surrey are collaborating on the development of joint activities to develop, promote and integrate higher education provision across the County. This will include the development of a common HE prospectus for Surrey. The College will seek, as far as possible, to ensure that access-related expenditure previously funded by the Student Opportunity Fund remains in place. In 2018-2019 we plan to spend tuition fee income above the basic fee on University’s outreach activities that focus on the widening participation of under-represented groups including: • Individuals from lower socio-economic groups or from neighbourhoods where higher education participation is low • Work with students at schools and colleges from disadvantaged backgrounds to raise their attaintment. This will particularly focus on internal progression but it will also link with the HEON National Collaborative Outreach Programme (NCOP) led by the University of Surrey, of which NESCOT is a member. • Some ethnic groups or sub-groups, including white males from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. This is given particular emphasis through NESCOT’s participation in a Catalyst fund project led by Kingston University examining strategies to narrow the gap in attainment in higher education for students from a range of ethnic backgrounds • Disabled people • Mature and part-time learners • Care leavers • Carers • Estranged young people and students Outreach activities will include: • Working with further education students within the college at all levels to promote progression options to vocational HE study including Higher Level Apprenticeships. • Working with relevant local partnerships to raise aspiration, motivation and achievement amongst key groups • Providing internal progression events • Providing 1:1 support for college students researching HE opportunities, completing UCAS applications and appropriate confirming HE progression routes • Providing 1:1 support for college students to develop their CV, undertake job searches, developing their interview techniques and networking skills • Providing enhanced 1:1 IAG for late applicants to HE and enhanced on-programme support • Strengthening of progression routes from feeder schools into Further Education and vocationally-relevant Higher Education • Providing HE fairs and associated taster activities to promote work raises awareness of HE opportunities and increases aspirations which, with the attainment raising work undertaken by schools, supports progression through driving motivation. The model of awareness+aspiration+attainment=progression has been developed by the Progression Trust and shows that the first two elements, which are the main focus of the universities’ outreach work, are crucial alongside attainment raising. Separating attainment raising activities from work that increases ambition and motivation is difficult. Attainment can also be measured in local schools and colleges • Linking a number of ways, with HEON and its NCOP project to work with students from neighbourhoods with low levels of participation performance in formal examinations being only one such measure. Successfully obtaining a place within higher education is equally a measure of attainment. Within our Access Agreement commentary we have highlighted our core programmes to deliver curriculum tasters and masterclasses. • Providing enhanced Information Advice and Guidance and deploying NESCOT’s team of qualified careers advisors through outreach to promote the range of routes into higher education including higher and degree apprenticeships, vocationally-specific HE and part time options. • Jointly marketing HE programmes, where appropriate with other providers to local areas with low HE widen participation The College has recently appointed a number Events and Social Media Co-ordinator – part funded by the NCOP project – part of whose role is to work with schools, stakeholders and communities to facilitate progression of under-represented groups. This role includes a range of activities which focus directly or indirectly on supporting and those raising attainment and we have highlighted some examples below. Since the Manchester Access Programme (MAP) began 10 years ago, 1,604 MAP students have successfully progressed into The University of Manchester. Nearly 1000 more have progressed into other HEIs. As the wider IAG team programme works with students in their first year of post-16 study, we are able to support students in their university applications to ensure they are making informed decisions and schools liaison teams giving themselves the best chance of being made an offer and attaining their first choice place. Feedback from students shows that increased confidence and the academic skills gained through participation in the programme has given them the motivation to realise their ambitions. We are evaluated in terms now working to expand the number of performance and impact. NESCOT has continued to embed its widening participation strategy students who can benefit from a programme like MAP through the development of increased our Manchester Distance Access Scheme, the growth of which is embedded within one of our Access Agreement targets. Our School of Social Sciences delivers a programme of pre-university courses to post-16 students in a range of disciplines. The aim of the course is to equip students with the skills and knowledge they need to successfully apply and transition into a social sciences degree programme.7 The course consists of six 2-hour workshops and students who successfully complete the scheme will be eligible for one A-level grade (or equivalent) towards their offer at Manchester. 47 of the 59 students who attended the pre-university courses during 2015/16 passed the course and 28 applied to Manchester. 13 students gained places at Xxxxxxx Group Universities, 8 of which were at The University of Manchester, and 11 gained places at other universities. The programme has now expanded to 100 participants during 2016/17 and covers all 5 discipline areas within the School of Social Sciences. Feedback from teachers shows the positive impact the courses have on student outcomes, ‘It has proven to be a real motivator and has stimulated students’ interest in Economics - focusing their determination to achieve high grades and to adopt a more approach academic to their studies – it’s a must do!’ (A level economics teacher, Oldham Sixth Form College.) The University is one of the biggest providers of Nuffield Research Placements for post-16 students and in 2016 we provided 60 placements. The Nuffield Foundation are currently undertaking a large-scale evaluation of the impact the placements have on exam results, progression pathways into HE and performance during HE. Our Students Union has established LIGHTSS, a student led revision support project which has been running since 2014/15. LIGHTSS operates from level 2 a community centre in Longsight and level 3 programmes aims to higher education programmes at level 4 offer local students a place to revise for their GCSE/A-Level English, Maths and aboveScience exams. Examples of The project employs a qualified teacher to plan and deliver revision sessions as well as recruiting University students to support skills development on a 1:1 basis. Feedback from participants shows they feel this additional support has contributed to their GCSE success and made them more likely to consider university as an option in the past 12 months future. Another student-led project within the Students’ Union is Reading Mentors, where volunteers help children who need extra support to become more confident and able readers. Mentors are working in 3 primary schools targeted using the Manchester Prioritisation Model. Teachers have been observed an improvement in pupils’ reading ability and confidence following their engagement with the new Foundation Degree in Animal Management (Kingston University), the Foundation Degree in Healthcare Play Specialisms (University of West London) and the BA Collaborative Theatre (Top- up – Kingston University). Continution rates for higher education courses at NESCOT have risen from 79% in 2012/13 to 92% in 2015/16project. The college will continue University’s WP and Outreach Team also delivers a primary literacy support scheme supports which leads a small cohort of pupils through a 6 week programme of story writing. The scheme was developed in 7 xxxx://xxx.xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxxxxxxxxx.xx.xx/connect/schools-and-colleges/courses/ response to enhance the support students requests from widening participation groups receive with the following activities: • Students teachers who face unexpected financial hardship whilst on their programme can apply to the college Higher Education Hardship fund for additional support. Household income and expenditure is taken into consideration along the lines of the previous Access to Learning Fund. • Personal Development Planning provides an opportunity to discuss the suitability of the course, review individual support needs and to draw up appropriate support plans. • Access to diagnostic assessment to identify specific support needs • Dedicated HE Additional Learner Support (ALS) is available from interview stage (if requested), to Induction and ‘on-programme’ • Study skills sessions are delivered as an integral part of the cross-college induction and form part of the extended programme induction. • Additional on-programme and 1:1 study skills sessions are provided. • Dedicated HE ALS support is available for students without a disability support assessment. • Dedicated HE Learner Support with access to a highly qualified team of Learning Support tutors – all available to provide specialist advice and support and supplied to those who cannot obtain DSA • Students are provided with a 1:1 tutorial entitlement with additional provision arising from needs identified pre- and post-enrolment. • Close monitoring of attendance patterns and follow-up of unexplained absences by tutors and managers. • Provision of college health and counselling services. • Provision of subsidised nursery places. • Development of the College VLE to support and extend learning opportunities. • Access to the bespoke HE study room in the LRC with pre-arranged suggested extra support from volunteers At the time of writing NESCOT is awaiting its Quality Revew Visit (scheduled University could help pupils in preparation for September 2017)Year 6 SATS exams. The most recent College QAA IQER (2012) identified University has developed a number of strengths strategic partnerships with external organisations which focus on attainment raising activities such as The Tutor Trust8 and the Brilliant Club9. These organisations place current students (both UG and PG) into schools in Greater Manchester and the North West where they undertake tutoring across primary, secondary and post-16 learners. 348 University of Manchester students are Tutor Trust Tutors, which represents 77.68% of the tutors working in Greater Manchester schools. The Trust are currently undertaking evaluation of the impact of their work on pupil progress with randomised control trials which the University will support through our research expertise. The University has been partnering with the Brilliant Club and their Scholars Programme since 2015 where we worked with 70 young people in 7 schools. By the end of 2015/16 academic year, we had worked with 728 students, from primary pupils through to post-16 students. Evaluation of the impact of this area, including: • A comprehensive Learning Support Policy work shows that details formal learning support processes84% of pupils are able to complete written work at the same standard as a pupil one key stage above after participating in the programme compared with 55% at the start. • Responsibilities for Progression data shows that students who complete the identification, management and delivery of academic guidance and pastoral support are clearly delegated through the management structureScholars Programme were more likely to progress to a highly-selective university. This includes academic guidance such as assessment feedbackpupils eligible for free school meals of which 58% progressed to a highly-selective university compared with a national progression rate of 11%. Future growth and priorities:  To continue to grow the number of students progressing into the University through our access programmes including the Manchester Access Programme, pastoral support, personal tutorial, Distance Access Programme and personal development planningrelated activities. • All College staff are active in ensuring that students have  To support the support they require to support their learning. Students also access study skills support in the College learning resource centre, on a drop-in or individual basis. • Students spoke very positively about the range and quality of support they receive. • Students undertake an extensive two-day induction during which they are introduced to key College policies and procedures and given programme information. Induction provides information on additional learning support, and there are introductory sessions on assignment design, module and unit structures, assessment strategies and use evaluation of the virtual learning environmentimpact of tutoring, working with the Tutor Trust. Students find  To continue to grow the induction process very intensive, but useful number of pupils engaged in preparing them for their studies. • Students find their tutorials informative our Brilliant Club partnership through visits to the University and helpful. They also commented on the ease of access to tutors for additional tutorials, which are useful in providing further advice and supportcontact with University researchers.