What are the benefits of widening participation?
Widening participation has been shown to increase social mobility. Where mobility is upward, it is likely to increase life, career, employment, and social prospects and help reduce poverty. Current UK government policy is seeking to promote social mobility and enabling widening participation (www.gov.uk).
Why is widening participation to higher education important?
Widening Participation in higher education is a key priority for the Department. In higher education it facilitates and increases the participation of those groups which are currently under represented in HE, in particular students from disadvantaged backgrounds and students with learning difficulties and disabilities.
What is widening participation scheme?
Widening participation straregy aims to address discrepancies in the take-up of higher education opportunities between different under-represented groups of students. Students from disadvantaged backgrounds, lower income households and other under-represented groups may face barriers to entry to higher education.
What is widening participation in education?
It consists of an attempt to increase not only the numbers of young people entering higher education, but also the proportion from under-represented groups (those from lower income families, people with disabilities and some ethnic minorities).
What does a widening participation officer do?
The Widening Participation Officer is a key role in the delivery of the College’s Widening Participation activities. The person in this role will coordinate and draft the Access and Participation Plan, driving the initiatives set out in the plan, and monitoring and evaluating their success.
When was widening participation introduced?
The policy of widening participation was first developed (Kennedy, 1997) within the context of further education and the intention was to address patterns of recruitment which had arisen as a consequence of competitive practices introduced following incorporation.
What is your understanding of widening participation and outreach?
Widening participation refers to the work done in education to increase the number of young people entering higher education and more specifically increasing the proportion of these students who are from underrepresented groups.
What is meant by widening access?
A phrase for a central pillar of the UK Government’s higher education agenda, which calls for increasing the diversity of the university student body. Widened participation is intended to include students from underprivileged backgrounds who do not traditionally attend university.
Do I qualify for widening participation?
Your parents/carers are in non-professional jobs. You are or have been eligible for Free School Meals or Pupil Premium funding. You live in a neighbourhood where few people go to university/higher education, or a neighbourhood with high levels of deprivation. You are a forced migrant, asylum seeker or refugee.
How do I know if I am eligible for widening participation?
Who is a widening access student?
- have successfully completed a pre-entry programme.
- live in a target postcode area.
- attend a target school or college where attainment is typically below average.
- have experience of being in care.
- are estranged from their family (not supported by their family)
What is widening participation Bristol?
Widening Participation Bristol is proud to be a university at the heart of the education community. Our mission is to diversify the student body at the University of Bristol by empowering and supporting prospective students from underrepresented backgrounds to access university.