Access to HElooking forward

Kath DentithHead of Access

Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education

Reasons for uncertainty

Responding to uncertainty

The Government’s policy priorities

1) ‘increasing social mobility’2) ‘extending fair access to HE and the

professions’3) ‘attracting a higher proportion of students

from under-represented groups’4) ‘the Government also wants to support…

mature students’5) ‘effective collaborative work on widening

participationGuidance to OFFA

Policy priorities: increasing social mobility/ attracting under-represented groups

Access to HE students:• 37% disadvantaged / other

widening participation groups

• 27% minority ethnic groups

• 10% disability / learning difficulty

• 70% women

• 77% aged 20-40

Policy priorities: extending access to the professions

Progression of Access to HE students to HE courses

• 36% subjects allied to medicine

• 15% social studies• 9% biological sciences• 7% education• 5% business and

administrationHESA data

Demand:44,237 total learners on Access to HE courses

Response to demand:1,580 Access to HE courses available

Achievement:26,030 Access to HE Diplomas awarded

Success:66% students awarded Access to HE Diploma (of those intending to complete in year)

Progression through HE: do they stay?

% entrants to HE not continuing after the first year (mature students)

• All entry qualifications 14.8%

• Access to HE Diploma 13.3%• A levels/Scottish Highers 14.1 %• ONC/OND (inc BTEC) 15.9%• Other and unknown 19.4%

Achievement in HE: degree outcomesall first-degree students

Access to HE Other

1st 11% 13%2.1 41% 46%2.2 36% 29%3 10% 7%U 2% 5%

Effective collaboration: HE and FE working with AVAs

National – QAA Regional - AVAs Local - AHE

Effective collaboration: continuing the dialogue and working together

Some common concerns:• opportunities for students• fair access and offers• quality of Access to HE provision• standards of student achievement• availability and transparency of information• reputation of the Access to HE qualification• Access agreements

The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. Registered charity numbers 1062746 and SC037786