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Outreach and Widening Participation Outreach Evaluation Report 2013-14

Author: Stephane Farenga, Research & Evaluation Officer

Contents

1.0 Executive Summary……………………………………………………………….……1

2.0 Introduction .......................................................................................................... 2

2.1 Overview ........................................................................................................... 2

2.2 School engagement .......................................................................................... 2

2.3 Events, goals and outputs ................................................................................ 3

2.4 Outreach Team roles ........................................................................................ 6

3.0 Methodology ......................................................................................................... 7

3.1 Strategy ............................................................................................................ 7

3.2 Methods ............................................................................................................ 7

3.3 Main themes ..................................................................................................... 8

4.0 Event by event findings ........................................................................................ 9

4.1 Year 10 Summer Schools ................................................................................. 9

4.1.1 Quick facts ................................................................................................. 9

4.1.2 Main outputs ............................................................................................. 10

4.1.3 Methods ................................................................................................... 10

4.1.4 Main findings ............................................................................................ 11

4.2 Year 12 Summer School ................................................................................. 12

4.2.1 Quick facts ............................................................................................... 12

4.2.2 Main outputs ............................................................................................. 12

4.2.3 Methods ................................................................................................... 13

4.2.4 Main findings ............................................................................................ 13

4.3 Children in Care (CiC) Summer School .......................................................... 15

4.3.1 Quick facts ............................................................................................... 15

4.3.2 Main outputs ............................................................................................. 16

4.3.3 Methods ................................................................................................... 16

4.3.4 Main findings ............................................................................................ 16

4.4 Autumn School ............................................................................................... 17

4.4.1 Quick facts ............................................................................................... 17

4.4.2 Main outputs ............................................................................................. 18

4.4.3 Methods ................................................................................................... 18

4.4.4 Main findings ............................................................................................ 19

4.5 Pathfinder Days .............................................................................................. 20

4.5.1 Quick facts ............................................................................................... 20

4.5.2 Main outputs ............................................................................................. 20

4.5.3 Methods ................................................................................................... 21

4.5.4 Main findings ............................................................................................ 21

4.6 Student Shadowing ......................................................................................... 22

4.6.1 Quick facts ............................................................................................... 23

4.6.2 Main outputs ............................................................................................. 23

4.6.3 Methods ................................................................................................... 23

4.6.4 Main findings ............................................................................................ 24

4.7 In-school talks ................................................................................................. 25

4.7.1 Quick facts ............................................................................................... 25

4.7.2 Main outputs ............................................................................................. 26

4.7.3 Methods ................................................................................................... 26

4.7.4 Main findings ............................................................................................ 27

4.8 Subject taster days (school visits) ................................................................... 27

4.8.1 Bushey school visit (Sept 2013) ............................................................... 28

4.8.2 Bushey Year 11 visit (March 2014) .......................................................... 29

4.8.3 Francis Combe Year 11 visit .................................................................... 31

4.8.4 Onslow Bayfordbury visit .......................................................................... 33

4.8.5 Barnwell school visit ................................................................................. 35

4.9 School mentoring ............................................................................................ 37

4.9.1 Overview .................................................................................................. 37

4.9.2 Criteria and participation .......................................................................... 38

4.9.3 Sessions, goals and outputs .................................................................... 39

4.9.4 Methods ................................................................................................... 39

4.9.5 Main outcomes – KS3 .............................................................................. 39

4.9.6 Main outcomes – KS4 .............................................................................. 41

4.9.7 Main outcomes – KS5 .............................................................................. 43

5.0 Conclusions…………………………………………………………………………….44

5.1 Aspirations ...................................................................................................... 45

5.2 IAG ................................................................................................................. 45

5.3 Personal skills development ........................................................................... 46

6.0 Appendix 1 – List of schools ............................................................................... 47

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1.0 Executive summary

The University of Hertfordshire’s (UH) Outreach and Widening Participation department (henceforth the Department) has developed a suite of Outreach initiatives that serves secondary schools at KS3, KS4 and KS5 across Hertfordshire. This provision aims to impact participants across three strands:

Aspirations – increasing awareness of higher education (HE) and what a

degree can offer

Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) – providing valuable IAG that allows

potential HE applicants to make informed decisions about their HE

participation

Personal skills development – developing participants’ academic and social

skills, as well as their confidence, in order to make them more successful at

school and in HE

These goals are threaded throughout the Department’s provision, which consists of:

Summer Schools

Autumn School

Pathfinder Days

Student Shadowing Days

On-campus visits

In-school talks

School Mentoring

The Department used a mixed methods approach to evaluating this provision, based on questionnaires producing a range of qualitative and quantitative data.

Strong outcomes were noted across the three main outputs. On-campus activities reported significant increases of up to 75% in the likelihood of applying to HE amongst its participants, particularly amongst boys (increases of up to 89%).

Participants assimilated large amounts of IAG that gave them a solid foundation from which to make informed decision about HE: 82% of Shadowing pupils knew exactly what course to apply for after their event. One on-campus visit registered a 96% decrease in the number of pupils worried about student finance. 90% of participants on one Summer School felt equipped with the necessary knowledge to make an informed decision about HE.

Finally, Outreach activities were able to build confidence by exposing students to new environments and deliver challenging sessions. 74% of students expressed a boost in confidence about succeeding in 6th form after an on-campus event. 87% of pupils on Autumn School, aimed at preparing pupils who are on the C/D borderline for their GCSEs, indicated they now had the skills to succeed on their exams. 61% of KS4 mentees said they were more motivated academically after their Mentoring scheme.

This report will break down each of the Department’s activities, providing details on how they fit into the overall structure, how they contribute to the overarching goals, how they were evaluated and the identifiable outcomes.

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2.0 Introduction

2.1 Overview UH supports a varied Outreach calendar of events across KS3, KS4 and KS5 that is planned and delivered by the Department. The Department outlines its Outreach provision in the 2013/14 Access Agreement, which acts as a charter between UH and the Office for Fair Access, detailing the Outreach and Widening Participation strategy, outreach provision and budget allocation1. The major elements of this provision are evaluated in this report. They include in-school events, one-day campus events and multi-day campus events (table 1):

Key Stage

In-school activity

One-day events

Multi-day events

KS3 / KS4

Talks

Mentoring

Pathfinder Days

Subject Taster Days

Autumn School

Summer Schools

KS5

Talks

Mentoring

Student

Shadowing Days

Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) days

Summer Schools

Table 1: Breakdown of Outreach provision by key stage

All events are aimed at engaging schools in Hertfordshire, particularly those with low-participation to higher education (HE) rates, which are collectively labelled as ‘Beacon’ schools2 by the Department.

2.2 School engagement Across the 2013/14 academic year, the Department engaged with over 1,300 students across 43 schools. This is categorised as follows:

1 These funds are generated by the extra income UH received by charging over the £6000 tuition fee marker on its degree programmes. 2 ‘Partnership’ schools are another subset of schools the Department works with but for whom outreach needs are less comprehensive.

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23 Beacon Schools

6 Partnership Schools, including a local UTC

14 schools from whom the Department has engaged Children in Care

students (the Department often links directly with the students in these cases)

That represents a total of 43 schools—23 of which (the Beacon Schools) are considered WP target schools. In terms of level of engagement, the Department achieved its target of running at least three activities with 21 of the 23 Beacon Schools. Furthermore, the Department ran at least two activities with 28 of the 43 schools. A full list of the schools engaged with can be found in Appendix 1 at the end of this report.

2.3 Events, goals and outputs OFFA defines outreach work “as any activity that involves raising aspirations and attainment among potential applicants from under-represented groups and encouraging them to apply to HE” (OFFA, 2012, p.16). The Department’s calendar of events reflects this with a priority placed on the following outputs:

Aspirations

Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG)

Personal and skill development

Table 2 details the goals and outputs for each outreach programme. Goals and outputs are colour coded as per the key below.

Table key

Red = aspirations

Orange = information, advice and guidance

Purple = personal and skill development

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Goals Outputs

Summer Schools (Year 10 and Children in Care)

To provide an insight into what university can offer academically

To inspire pupils to aim for HE

To inform students on various aspects of HE (incl. academically, socially and financially)

To boost pupils’ confidence in new environments with new people

Aspirations

IAG


Summer Schools (Year 12)

To help pupils to make informed decisions about applying to HE

To boost skills and knowledge regarding UCAS applications


IAG


Autumn School (Years 10 and 11)

To boost skill levels to GCSE C grade

To set up a long-term mentoring network



Aspirations

Pathfinder Days (Year 9)




Aspirations

IAG

Student Shadowing (Years 12 and 13)



IAG

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School visits (Years 10-13)




Aspirations

IAG

In-school talks (Years 7-13)




To boost motivation, confidence and attainment

To raise awareness about the skills needed to succeed at 6th form and in HE

Aspirations

IAG


In-school mentoring (Years 7-12)

To provide an insight into what university can offer





Aspirations


IAG

Table 2: Detail of goals and outputs across each outreach programme

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2.4 Outreach Team roles Figure 1 introduces the organisational chart for the Outreach Team within the Department. The Team is led by Lindsey Rigby, who reports to the Department Head, Dr Emma Greening. As Outreach Manager, Lindsey has oversight of all outreach programmes, including the planning and delivery of Summer Schools and Autumn School, as well as some in-school talks. Two Outreach Officers, Cobi Campbell and Kirsty Alexander3 plan and deliver Pathfinder and Shadowing Days, as well as, school visits and in-school talks. They are supported by the Outreach Assistant (a placement student), Safina Mahmood. Cobi also manages the workloads of student ambassadors who support the Team in the delivery of events. Gill Knibbs is solely responsible for the in-school mentoring. Stephane Farenga evaluates the entire suite of outreach programmes. Teresa Tinworth supports all Outreach activity in the Department.

Lindsey RigbyOutreach Manager

Cobi Campbell Outreach Officer

Kirsty Alexander Outreach Officer

Student Ambassadors

Teresa TinworthAdministrator

Dr Emma GreeningHead of Department

Stephane FarengaResearch and

Evaluation Officer

Department of Outreach & Widening ParticipationOutreach Team

Gill Knibbs Schools Mentoring Project Coordinator

Safina MahmoodOutreach Assistant

Figure 1: Overview of roles and managerial connections in the Outreach Team for 2013/14 academic year.

3 Kirsty left the University in January 2015 and has yet to be replaced as of the writing of this report in February 2015.

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3.0 Methodology

3.1 Strategy The evaluation methodology is set out in the Department’s Evaluation Strategy document. It is based on a cumulative analysis of each activity strand (e.g. Summer Schools, Pathfinder Days) that is then subsumed into this final annual report (see Figure 2 below). The feedback and data from each event generates a report that is used to measure the learning and social outcomes for the participating students in that particular activity. It also helps inform future work. Individual event data also feeds into an ongoing compilation for that activity type (e.g. in-school or on-campus) across the academic year. This helps us monitor trends for that type of event and can also chart performances across year groups and schools. Lastly, these larger reports are fed into this end-of-year document cumulating in the impact of all our efforts and their fulfilment of the criteria set out in the University’s Access Agreement. This trickle-down approach is represented below:

Figure 2: Cumulative approach to Outreach evaluation

3.2 Methods We use a mix of summative surveys and focus groups to evaluate how effective our activities are. Surveys are used at the start and end of many activities in order to gauge pupil progress. Pre-project questionnaires collect pupil baseline data as well

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as incoming attitudes, confidence levels and aspirations. These contain a blend of statistical bearing questions and open-ended qualitative responses.

3.3 Main themes Common themes measured across all events were:

Aspirations

Confidence in new environments (incl. HE)

Knowledge of key HE information (e.g. student finance, courses, application

process)

Attainment

Satisfaction of

o Staff

o Overall event

Observations also form part of the data collection where possible. Table 3 lists each event and key information about their methodology.

Questionnaires Observations Sample population

Summer Schools Pre and post Yes 158

Autumn School Pre and post Yes 39

Pathfinder Day Post only Yes 729

Student Shadowing Post only Yes 152

School visits Post only Yes 222

In-school talks Post only No 300

In-school mentoring Pre and post No 102

Table 3: Methods used by event and other key methodological information

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4.0 Event by event findings The following section breaks down each Outreach event, highlights key analysis and describes the main outcomes.

4.1 Year 10 Summer Schools

4.1.1 Quick facts

Two Year 10 Summer Schools, one each for Beacon and Partnership

schools4

96 participants (96% participation rate)

Three day, two night residential programme

All costs covered by UH for Beacon School pupils; £85 contribution per pupil

from Partnership Schools

Table 4 outlines the goals, sessions and outputs for Year 10 Summer Schools

Planned and led by Lindsey Rigby, delivery support provided by Cobi

Campbell, Kirsty Alexander, Safina Mahmood and student ambassadors

Sessions Goals Outputs

Subject taster sessions

Science Museum visit (London)

Student finance and ‘Why go to uni?’ sessions

Meal times and social events

Theatre trip (London)



To inform students on various aspects of HE


Aspirations

IAG


Table 4: Goals, sessions and outputs for Year 10 Summer Schools

4 Due to low numbers of Partnership school applicants, extra Beacon school pupils were accepted onto the Partnership Summer School. As a result, the two Year 10 Summer Schools are combined into one sample set for analysis purposes.

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4.1.2 Main outputs IAG is a relatively small part of the experience, as participants are given briefings on student finance and reasons for going into HE. Personal development is an important aspect, as students are challenged by new environments (e.g. university and London), new activities (e.g. theatre or museum trips) and meeting new peers in situations they would likely encounter at university (e.g. in halls, at meals and social functions). The Year 10 Summer Schools have important aspirational-elements as they target participants who face barriers to entry in HE. Sessions are designed to engage pupils in academic topics and university life in order to motivate them to think about applying to HE.

4.1.3 Methods Pre and post event paper questionnaires were completed by participants. Individual participants were identified by a unique code on each questionnaire thereby allowing them to be tracked across the programme. Table 5 details what areas the questionnaires covered:

Themes

Demographic information

Identification of likely post-school routes (education,

employment or otherwise)

Programme expectations

Subject interests and courses being considered in HE

Frequency of conversations about HE

Amount of known knowledge about HE

Confidence levels being away from home and meeting

new people

Barriers to HE

Fitting in at uni

Staff satisfaction

Overall programme satisfaction

Table 5: Breakdown of topics covered in questionnaires

Questions outputted both qualitative data (open-ended questions) and quantitative data, the latter of which was analysed using SPSS.

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4.1.4 Main findings This report recaps main findings only—a comprehensive account can be found in the standalone Summer School report for 2013/14. Year 10 Summer Schools are focused on inspiring participants, transmitting key information and building confidence. They were successful across these objectives:

Raising aspirations

81% said Summer School opened their eyes to new possibilities

18% increase in the proportion of pupils likely to pursue HE after school

43% increase in pupils who are now more inclined to go into HE than work

full-time

61% increase in pupils who are now comfortable in an HE environment

Transmitting information

59% of pupils are now less worried that university will cost too much

42% placed “finding out about university subjects” in their top three of best

parts of Summer School

Surge in confidence

Up to an 85% surge in confidence in terms of being away from home, meeting new people and doing new activities

“I am getting more confident” and “I am liking the idea of starting a new ‘life’ at uni” – male who was not that confident in meeting new people and doing new activities at the start of Summer School

“I am confident in meeting new people” and “I am confident in being away from friends and family” – female who was unsure about meeting new people at the start of Summer School

Staff satisfaction

Outreach staff (incl. ambassadors) were deemed helpful or very helpful by between 83% and 90% of participants in the following situations:

Making students feel comfortable

Delivering activities

Helping you during activities

Answering your questions

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Improvements In general, Summer School was very well received. However, participants offered suggestions in the following areas:

The length of some taster sessions (incl. more balanced sessions time-wise)

Exploring the campus further

Longer overall length of Summer School

4.2 Year 12 Summer School

4.2.1 Quick facts

44 participants (59% participation rate)

Two days, one night residential programme






Course search workshop

Student ambassador Q&A

Independent living

Making the most of Open Days

Personal statement workshops


Helping pupils to make informed decisions about applying to HE

Boosting skills and knowledge regarding UCAS applications


Information, Advice and

Guidance


Table 6: Goals, sessions and outputs for Year 12 Summer Schools

4.2.2 Main outputs IAG is a very strong focus as sessions and workshops are devoted to navigating UCAS applications, with particular attention paid to understanding personal statements and how to identify courses.

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Personal development is a core aspect as students are challenged by new environments (e.g. university and London), new activities (e.g. theatre or museum trips) and meeting new peers in situations they would likely encounter at university (e.g. in halls, at meals and social functions).

4.2.3 Methods Pre and post event paper questionnaires were completed by participants. Individual participants were identified by a unique code on each questionnaire thereby allowing them to be tracked across the programme. Table 7 details what areas the questionnaires covered:

Themes


Identification of likely post-school routes (education,

employment or otherwise)





Location within application process to HE

Confidence levels living away from home

Barriers to HE

Fitting in at uni

Staff satisfaction




4.2.4 Main findings This report recaps main findings only—a comprehensive account can be found in the standalone Summer School report for 2013/14. Year 12 Summer School is focused on transmitting information about HE courses and the application process so that students can make informed decision.

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Participants’ profile

54.5% say that do not have enough information about HE to know whether to

apply or not

50% have either just starting thinking about applying or have identified course

to apply to

Working on applications

95% stated they improved their knowledge on personal statements—with 89%

saying this knowledge increased either “quite a bit” or “loads”

98% felt Summer School was either helpful or very helpful in informing

participants about student finance

67% of participants are in the final three stages of their HE decision-making

process, compared to just 45% before Summer School

9 out of 10 pupils are now equipped with the necessary knowledge to make

an informed decision about HE

“Thank you for the experience. It was a great opportunity. I have learnt lots of information about uni and am now nearly ready to apply” – female “Very useful and gave me all the extra info about university [I needed]” – male

Confidence away from home

76% are now confident or very confident living with new people (39% increase compared to the start of Summer School)

Staff satisfaction


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Making students feel

comfortable




Improvements In general, Summer School was very well received. However, some participants offered suggestions in the following areas:

Exploring the campus further with a more complete tour

Felt patronised/treated like children at times

Finding out more about different courses/subjects

4.3 Children in Care (CiC) Summer School

4.3.1 Quick facts

16 students

Two-day, residential programme



Campbell, Kirsty Alexander and student ambassadors


Cambridge visit

Central School of Speech & Drama



Theatre trip (London)


To inform students on various aspects of HE


Aspirations

Information, Advice and Guidance


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Table 8: Goals, sessions and outputs for CiC Summer Schools

4.3.2 Main outputs

Raising aspirations plays a central role as participants who face barriers to entry in HE are targeted. Sessions are designed to engage pupils in academic topics and university life in order to motivate them to think about applying to HE. IAG is a relatively small part of the experience, as participants are given briefings on student finance and reasons for going into HE.

4.3.3 Methods Pre and post event paper questionnaires were completed by participants. Individual participants were identified by a unique code on each questionnaire thereby allowing them to be tracked across the programme. Unfortunately, pre-programme data was compromised and only the post-programme data was deemed usable.

Table 9 details what areas the questionnaires covered:

Themes


Identification of likely post-school routes (education, employment or

otherwise)

Contact with individuals who Influenced to attend Summer School




Number of acquaintances with HE degrees


Confidence levels being away from home and meeting new people

Barriers to HE

Staff satisfaction

Fitting in at uni




4.3.4 Main findings

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This report recaps main findings only—a comprehensive account can be found in the standalone CiC Summer School report for 2013/14.

CiC Summer School is focused on inspiring participants, transmitting key information and building confidence. Participants’ profile

75% are likely to pursue university Raising aspirations

94% felt that Summer School opened their eyes to new possibilities Building confidence

81% were either confident or very confident in meeting new people after

Summer School

87.5% were either confident or very confident in staying overnight away from

home after Summer School

69% either confident or very confident in being in new environments after

Summer School

“I am really pleased how it turned out. I met a lot of new friends and it boosted my confidence meeting new people.” - female

Staff satisfaction


Making students feel comfortable




4.4 Autumn School

4.4.1 Quick facts

41 Year 11 participants, from five schools (82% participation rate)

Three-day, non-residential programme

Table 10 outlines the goals, sessions and outputs for Autumn School



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Workshops delivered by expert Maths and English practitioners


Intense Maths & English workshops

Mentoring workshops

UH campus, social and meal times

To boost skill levels to GCSE C grade

To set up a long-term mentoring network




Aspirations

Table 10: Goals, sessions and outputs for Autumn School

4.4.2 Main outputs Autumn School’s main aims are to increase students’ confidence levels and provide them with the skills they need to achieve a C on their chosen GCSE subject. By bringing them on-campus and having them use university facilities, as well as engage with student ambassadors, we also hope to raise their aspirations with regard to higher education. Sixth Form mentors were trained in mentoring skills and will provide subject-specific support to Year 11s in their schools. The mentoring will allow the knowledge developed by Year 11s during the Autumn School to be reinforced throughout the school year, while allowing mentors to gain confidence and a new set of skills.

4.4.3 Methods Pre and post event paper questionnaires were completed by participants. Individual participants were identified by their names on each questionnaire thereby allowing them to be tracked across the programme.


Themes

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Likelihood of applying to HE


Confidence in achieving a C grade at GCSE

Knowledge of how to go about achieving a C grade

Staff satisfaction




4.4.4 Main findings This report recaps main findings only—a comprehensive account can be found in the standalone Autumn School report for 2013/14. Autumn School is focused on improvement attainment amongst borderline C/D GCSE pupils and inspiring them to think about HE.

Boost in confidence

60% increase in students confident of achieving a C grade in their chosen

GCSE

300% increase in student very confident of achieving a C grade in their

chosen GCSE

Upskilling

87% increase in participants who felt afterwards they had the right skills to succeed

Raising aspirations

75% increase in the likelihood of applying to university

Satisfaction

Subject practitioners were rated highly or very highly in the following categories:

o Engagement

o Explanation of ideas and concepts

o Explanation of C grade targets

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Overall, 97% of students were satisfied or extremely satisfied with the event

4.5 Pathfinder Days

4.5.1 Quick facts

729 Year 9 participants (577 included in main evaluation; 149 in pilot)

18 total Days (14 of which were from Beacon Schools)

56% female; 37% male (7% non-identified)

18 schools involved5

One-day, on-campus event

Table 12 outlines the goals, sessions and outputs for Pathfinder Day

Planned and led by Cobi Campbell, delivery support provided by Lindsey

Rigby, Kirsty Alexander, Safina Mahmood and student ambassadors

Table 12: Goals, sessions and outputs for Pathfinder Days

4.5.2 Main outputs Pathfinder Days bring Year 9 students onto the UH campus for a day of discovery. They participate in a range of activities aimed at exposing them to the variety of university subjects, to what life is like around campus, to the benefits of a higher education degree and to the financial commitments students must make. Participants are encouraged to think about the paths they might take into higher education.

5 Barnwell, Sele, Mount Grace, Adeyfield, Hertswood, Kings Langley, Francis Combe, Priory, Astley Cooper, Onslow, Fearnhill, Highfield, St Mary’s, Turnford, Parmiters, Sir John Lawes, Thomas Alleyne, and Nobel


Taster lecture

Why go to uni?

Campus Tour

Final competition/presentation

Real or Fake quiz

Pay your way

You can have it all




Aspirations

IAG

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4.5.3 Methods Surveys were completed by participants at the end of the event. Table 13 details what areas the questionnaires covered:

Themes

Benefits of an HE degree

Introduction to HE courses

Student finance

Campus tour

Taster lectures


Staff satisfaction




4.5.4 Main findings

This report recaps main findings only—a comprehensive account can be found in the standalone Pathfinder Days report for 2013/14.

Pathfinder Days focus on providing an insight into HE, key information about HE and inspiring students to aim for HE. Most interesting sessions

1. Campus tour

2. Taster lecture

3. Final competition/presentation

4. Real or fake quiz

Least interesting sessions

1. You can have it all

2. Typical student

3. Why got to uni

4. Pay your way

Learning something new

An open-ended question allowed students to list something new that they learned on their Pathfinder Day. References to student finance were prominent, featuring in up

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to 50% of the comments on a particular Pathfinder Day. Comments on this topic varied from showing-off new knowledge about the salary level repayments would begin at, to more general offerings about how the loan system functions and most importantly that it was now less daunting and that the costs of higher education are indeed within their reach:

“University is more affordable than people realise.”

“You don’t have to pay [the loans back] all at once.”

Comments reinforcing the wide variety of courses available made up to 37% of all comments in a Pathfinder Day—an excellent figure given that this is one of the event’s main goals. However, many of these comments (close to half for some Pathfinder Days) simply regurgitate the sheer number of courses available, 43,000, and this makes it difficult to assess whether the excitement of knowing one can study their passion at university is felt in the student. Likelihood of applying to university

61% increase in participants being likely or very likely to apply to HE

89% increase in boys being likely or very likely to apply to HE

54% increase in girls being likely or very likely to apply to HE

Satisfaction Only ambassadors were evaluated because of their high level of engagement with participants. 96% of pupils were satisfied or very satisfied with their assigned ambassador.

Overall, 95% of participants were satisfied or very satisfied with their Pathfinder Day.

4.6 Student Shadowing

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4.6.1 Quick facts

125 Year 12/13 students across 11 days (112 across 10 days included in this

report after initial pilot)

One-day, on-campus

51% female; 49% male

Table 14 outlines the goals, sessions and outputs for Student Shadowing

Planned and led by Cobi Campbell, delivery support provided by Lindsey Rigby,

Kirsty Alexander, Safina Mahmood and student ambassadors


Shadowing a student ambassador throughout their day, incl. lectures



IAG

Table 14: Goals, sessions and outputs for Pathfinder Days

4.6.2 Main outputs

Student Shadowing days offer Year 12 and 13 students from local Hertfordshire secondary schools the opportunity to come onto the UH campus and experience life as a typical student. Participants ‘shadow’, i.e. follow, a UH student ambassador for a day. They attend lectures and accompany the ambassador across campus. Several participants are grouped with an ambassador, usually based on participants’ subject interests.

Shadowing allows participants to get a taste for the content and style of academic lectures as well as a slice of student life. UH student ambassadors are expected to engage with their attendees and offer information about UH, while answering any questions participants may have.

4.6.3 Methods

Surveys were completed by participants at the end of the event.


Themes

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Reasons for attending

Course choice

Decision-making process

Staff satisfaction




4.6.4 Main findings

This report recaps main findings only—a comprehensive account can be found in the standalone Student Shadowing report for 2013/14. Student Shadowing provides an environment for would-be HE applicants to experience a day in the life of a UH student. Motivations Fairly equal motivations amongst participants

52% wanted to use the Day to figure out their top course choice

68% are considering two or more courses

46% wanted to find out about student life

Decision-making process6

79% have either identified courses or narrowed it down and so are in an ideal

position to benefit from Shadowing

1 in 10 are ready to apply at the end of Shadowing

Impact on course choice

82% increase in participants knowing exactly what course they want to apply

to (40% overall)

59% of participants—who self-selected themselves as being unsure about

course choice—saw demonstrable change in their behaviour regarding

course choice

“I was able to see first-hand what studying engineering is like.”

6 The four stages of the decision-making process are: just started; identified courses; narrowed it down; ready to apply

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“It [Shadowing] showed me what the course entailed, what I should expect and how I should work towards it.”

Satisfaction Only ambassadors were evaluated because of their high level of engagement with participants. 97% of pupils were satisfied or very satisfied with the amount of course information received from their assigned ambassador.

“[the ambassador] provided all the information I needed to know about the course and gave me more insight into student life.”

Overall, 97% of participants were satisfied or very satisfied with their Pathfinder Day.

“I got a real insight into university courses and what is likely to be the lifestyle as well. I feel I am going to be more confident when going to uni.”

4.7 In-school talks

4.7.1 Quick facts

60 talks delivered in 14 Beacon Schools, across KS3 to KS5

2685 students seen

Evaluation of talks was sporadic and relied on teachers completing surveys after

the event

Five surveys were completed, three by 6th form schools and 2 by non-6th form

schools (approximately 300 students)

Talks were planned and delivered by Lindsey Rigby, Cobi Campbell and Kirsty

Alexander, supported by Safina Mahmood

Table 16 details the goals, sessions and outputs


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Why go to University?

Student Life

Independent Living

Choosing your University and Course

Foundation/Extended Degrees

UCAS Applications and Personal Statements

Student Finance

Goal Setting

Study Skills

Interview Skills

Learning Skills for University

Parents’ ‘Supporting Revision’






Aspirations

IAG


Table 16: Goals, sessions and outputs for In-School Talks

4.7.2 Main outputs The Outreach team have a catalogue of talks that are deployed to meet the needs of schools—they can even be tailored to specific requirements. Generally, Outreach staff go into schools to deliver one particular talk. The range of talks varies greatly (table 13) and serve to introduce pupils to different HE topics. Some will inspire, others provide key information or lay out the skills and attainment needed to be successful in school and pursue further education.

4.7.3 Methods Teachers whose classes received talks were asked to complete a survey after the event. Table 17 outlines the topics covered in the survey.

Themes

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Appropriateness of session, incl content, expectations

and time of year

Enthusiasm and effectiveness of speaker

Likelihood of impact on students and increased amount

of conversations about HE as a result of talk

Change in attitude towards HE of pupils and increased

awareness of HE opportunities since the last Outreach

talk (if applicable)


4.7.4 Main findings

100% satisfaction with timing of talk

100% of teachers felt sessions met the needs of their students

“Excellent presentation with top tips and advice and guidance appropriately targeted to audience.”

100% of teachers felt the speakers were enthusiastic and effective or very effective at transmitting key messages

“Very professional speaker who delivered information in a timely and clear fashion”

100% likelihood in there being more conversations about HE as a result of the talk

100% of teachers felt the sessions had a high impact on students, with 100% of classes being either noticeably or significantly motivated

“The students are much more informed about this subject and will be able to make a sound decision based on this single presentation.”

100% of those classes who had previous Outreach talks noticed an increase awareness amongst students about HE opportunities

“Excellent presentation—so much more valued by the students than us having to do it in-house. Many thanks.”

4.8 Subject taster days (school visits)

There were six school visits during the 2013/14 year, with 200 participants, across Years 9-13. Five were evaluated using surveys at the end of the visit, totalling 259 students. These visits are fairly standard and so these four evaluations provide a snapshot of the content involved and the observed outcomes. The Bayfordbury visit is more unusual in that it brings students to the observatory itself and so this event

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showcases the potential of more bespoke visits in environments other than the UH campus. More comprehensive analysis can be found in the four standalone reports.

Visits were planned and led by Lindsey Rigby, delivery support provided by Cobi Campbell, Kirsty Alexander, Safina Mahmood and student ambassadors.

4.8.1 Bushey school visit (Sept 2013)

Overview

34 6th form participants

One-day, on-campus visit

Table 28 outlines the sessions, goals and outputs for this visit

Sessions, goals and outputs


Get the most out of 6th form

Independent learning

Student finance

UCAS applications

To boost confidence about performance at 6th form




IAG

Table 18: Sessions, goals and outputs for the Bushey Year 11 visit

Evaluation methods

Post-event survey at the end of the visit

Topics covered in survey:

o Before and after confidence levels

o Usefulness of sessions

o Understanding of skills needed to succeed in 6th form

Sessions

“Student finance” was rated most useful by 70% of participants

“Independent learning & research” was chosen the least useful by 50%

o 55% of this group said because it was not explained clearly

o 33% felt it was too overwhelming

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Boost in confidence

70% of pupils were confident about 6th form and university after the event

(19% increase)

50% of participants who defined themselves as less than very confident

before the event, felt their confidence improved while the remaining 50% felt

their confidence level remained the same

4.8.2 Bushey Year 11 visit (March 2014) Overview

63 Year 11 participants (50% male, 41% female)


Table 28 details the sessions, goals and outputs for this visit



Taster lecture

Why go to uni?

Campus Tour


Real or Fake quiz

Pay your way

You can have it all




Aspirations

IAG

Table 19: Sessions, goals and outputs for the Bushey Year 11 visit

Evaluation methods



o Interest levels of sessions

o New knowledge about HE

o Likelihood of applying to HE

o Student finance as a barrier to HE

o Overall satisfaction

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Top three sessions Male Female Total

Taster lecture 29% 59% 43%


26% 7% 20%

Course search 19% 11% 15%

Table 20: Breakdown of the top three sessions, by gender

“It was a great way to learn about interesting subjects.” – male who selected Taster lecture as his favourite session

“Because it [taster lecture] gave us the privilege to experience the life of a university student” – female who selected Taster lecture as her favourite session

The finance talk was selected the least favourite session 33% of the time, with reasons given ranging from being boring, to confusing, to information participants already knew. Likelihood of applying to HE Male Female Total

Before 37% 55.5% 47%

After 53% 63% 60%

Change +43% +13.5% +28%

Table 21: Breakdown of the likelihood of applying to HE, by gender

Strong increase amongst boys, although they still fall short of girls as a group Worried about student finance?

71% decrease in students who were worried about student finance after the event, compared with before (63% are not worried after the event)

Satisfaction Male Female Total

Satisfied 77% 78% 78%

Unsure 13% 18.5% 15%

Not satisfied 10% 4% 7%

Table 22: Breakdown of satisfaction, by gender

Percentage of unsure respondents is perhaps a little higher than anticipated

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4.8.3 Francis Combe Year 11 visit Overview

59 Year 11 participants (51% female, 42% female, 7% prefer not to say)





Taster lecture

Campus Tour

Get the most out of 6th form


Student finance

UCAS applications






Aspirations


IAG

Table 23: Sessions, goals and outputs for the Francis Combe Year 11 visit

Evaluation methods



o Interest levels and usefulness of sessions

o Confidence about succeeding in 6th form

o Likelihood of applying to HE


6th form confidence

Male Female Total

Not sure 28% 17% 22%

Confident 56% 67% 59%

Very confident 8% 17% 15%

Table 24: Breakdown of confidence at 6th form level, by gender

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Females are slightly more likely to display confidence in their abilities for 6th form

Likelihood of pursuing HE

76% indicated they were most likely to pursue HE (80% of females and 72% of

males)

15% (incl 24% of males) said they did not know (2nd largest group)

Level of inspiration to apply to HE following the event

Male Female Total

Not sure 24% 23% 22%

Inspired 36% 50% 42%

Very inspired 32% 20% 25%

Table 25: Breakdown of confidence at 6th form level, by gender

Boys are more inspired at top end of the scale but further behind overall

Top three sessions

Male Female Total

Taster lecture 72% 40% 56%

Student finance 12% 23% 19%

UCAS applications 8% 20% 14%


Boys overwhelmingly favour the taster lecture whereas the girls were more balanced

The data for students’ least favourite sessions is more balanced with three sessions obtaining 20% or more (UCAS applications was the highest at 24%)

“This [student finance] is something I was concerned about and did not feel I had been told enough [before today]” – female who selected Student finance as the most useful session

“I wasn’t sure whether to take it [the subject of the taster lecture] for A-level as I didn’t know much about it but I do now and want to take it” – female who selected Taster lecture as the most useful session

“It went on for too long, so I didn’t really take in the information” – female who selected UCAS applications as the least useful session

Satisfaction

Male Female Total

Satisfied 74% 73% 73%

Unsure 24% 20% 22%

Not satisfied 4% 3% 3%

Table 27: Breakdown of satisfaction, by gender

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Rather high amount of unsure satisfaction

“I feel less nervous about the future” – male who was satisfied with the event

“I have been inspired to go to university” – male who was satisfied with the event

4.8.4 Onslow Bayfordbury visit

34 participants (53% boys; 38% girls); Year 9

Strong participation from boys





Planetarium

K’Nex Roller Coaster

Solar and Hydrogen Car

Generating Electricity

Thermal IR Camera

Tours – Domes and

Telescopes

To inspire pupils to

aim for HE

To introduce pupils to

HE environments and

subjects

Aspirations

Table 28: Sessions, goals and outputs for the Onslow Bayfordbury visit

Evaluation methods



o Interest levels, usefulness and level of sessions

o New knowledge gained


Top three sessions

Male Female Total

Planetarium 83% 46% 71%

K’Nex Roller Coaster 56% 54% 59%

Solar and Hydrogen Car 39% 69% 51%


Strong male interest in Planetarium vs strong female interest in Solar and Hydrogen Car

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“it gave us a zoom in of the galaxies around us and it was cool how you actually [felt] like you were looking at them in space” – male (planetarium) “It was really interesting and you can see all the different types of systems” – male (planetarium)

Simple vs complicated?

66% do not think any activities were too simple

“they [activities] were in lots of detail and I learnt something new today! ” – male

86% do not think any activities were too complicated

“they challenged us well” – female

Visualising Physics concepts

Male Female Total

Not sure 56% 0% 29%

Quite useful 33% 77% 54%

Very useful 11% 15% 11%

Table 30: Breakdown of how useful the session were at helping to visualise physics concepts, by gender

Girls picked up on this outcome much more than boys—despite boys showing strong interest levels in sessions and learning new things (see below)

Learning something new

60% learned either quite a few things or lots of things

100% of males learned at least a few things

Satisfaction

65% either enjoyed it or enjoyed it a lot7

67% of both girls and boys enjoyed it or enjoyed it a lot

“it was fun doing experiments and we learnt quite a few things” – male “fun, exciting and learnt lots of things” – male “I like how I learnt more things that I can use in lessons!” – female

7 Satisfaction scale is as follows: didn’t enjoy it at all; not that enjoyable; neutral; enjoyed it; enjoyed it a lot

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What teachers had to say:

“All sessions had something to offer and were pitched at a good level”

“Perhaps a few simple theories explained to begin with” (what could be improved)

“Excellent delivery and very relevant for the GCSE specification” (Solar and Hydro Car)

“All presenters were very friendly and knowledgeable and the day was well organised. Explanations were accessible for most students”

4.8.5 Barnwell school visit

32 participants, Year 11


Table 31 outlines the sessions, goals and outputs for this visit



Student life

Independent living

Study skills


Goal setting

Student finance

Course searching





To inform students on various aspects of HE (incl. academically,

socially and financially)

Aspirations


IAG

Table 31: Sessions, goals and outputs for the Barnwell Year 11 visit

Evaluation methods


Topics covered in survey: o Motivations

o Likelihood of applying to university

o Most and least useful sessions

o Student finance awareness


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Motivations

Participants came to UH to find out about…

Finding out about courses (39%)

Finding out student life (39%)

Learning about student finance (13%)

Building up their own confidence (10%)


Total

Before 41%

After 97%

Change +137%

Table 32: Breakdown of the likelihood of applying to HE

Enormous increase in the likelihood of applying to HE – 137% increase

Sessions

Top two useful sessions:

42% selected Student finance

23% selected Course searching

“[the session] showed me all about student finance and how it isn’t as difficult as I thought.”

“Because student finance was much [scarier] beforehand.” “Before today, I was completely unsure about what sort of thing I wanted to do. I'm not sure about my career path for definite, but the course searching session gave me some valuable insight into what direction I want to take.” (course searching)

The two least useful sessions:

34% selected Campus tour

34% selected Goal setting

“We have set goals a lot before; doing new stuff was better.” (goal setting) “We didn’t see any of the actual rooms, just walked around outside.” (campus tour)

Student finance…a barrier to HE?

Proportion of participants worried about student finance…

Total

Before 72%

After 3%

Change -96%

Table 33: Breakdown of how worried pupils were about student finance

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Large decrease after the event in the amount of students who were worried

about student finance – 96% decrease

84% of the students who were either unsure or unlikely to apply to university

before the school visit were worried about student finance

Comparatively, 54% of students who were either likely or very likely to apply

before the visit were worried to some degree about student finance

Finally, 42% of students who were likely to apply to HE after the event said

Student finance was the most useful session

It appears that IAG about student finance plays a key role in raising students’ awareness about HE, as this quote suggests:

“Before coming [on the school visit], I didn’t think I’d be going to uni. However, after being explained [student finance], I believe coming to uni is now likely.”

Satisfaction

100% satisfaction rate with the event

“I’m more aware of university life and what is on offer. I feel much more reassured about my education ”

“It’s given me a deeper understanding of uni life and I now know the courses to take.” “I enjoyed today’s event and it inspired me to go to university.”

4.9 School mentoring

4.9.1 Overview The Mentoring scheme, planned, delivered and evaluated by Gill Knibbs, places UH student-mentors into local Hertfordshire secondary schools across KS3, KS4 and KS5, where they are paired with mentees. These pupils must meet certain eligibility criteria (detailed below) in order to take part. The scheme purports to raise mentee aspirations towards FE and HE, to develop their study skills and raise attainment. Mentoring can also help pupils with behaviour, focus, completion of work or attendance issue. It will help them to set goals for themselves and identify their barriers to success and overcome them. The scheme is 50% funded by UH, with the participating schools contributing £125 per head.

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4.9.2 Criteria and participation Pupils must meet the following criteria to be eligible:

Ability to achieve 5 C-A* GCSE grades (i.e. have potential for higher or further

education)

Come from a background where neither parent/carer has attended HE or fall

into one of the following categories:

o Free school meals

o Young carers

o Children Looked After

o Disability (physical, SpLD etc)

o At risk of exclusion

o Emotional/behavioural difficulties

o EAL (English as an additional language)

Tables 34-36 detail the participating schools and number of pupils, by key stage.

KS3 Participating pupils

Pupils evaluated

Barnwell 20 20

Mount Grace 21 19

Bushey Meads 5 4

Hertswood 18 16

Total 64 59

Table 34: Participating schools at KS3


Pupils evaluated

Longdean 23 13

Sir Frederic Osborne

20 18

Total 43 31



Pupils evaluated

Bushey Meads 6 6

Highfield 7 6

Total 13 12


There are eight schools total, 120 participating pupils and 102 pupils evaluated.

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4.9.3 Sessions, goals and outputs


Mentoring sessions






Aspirations

Personal development

IAG

Table 37: Sessions, goals and outputs for School mentoring scheme

4.9.4 Methods Pre and post questionnaires were completed by mentees. Table 38 introduces the topics covered:

Themes

Their motivations for taking part

The areas that they worked on with their mentor

What they liked and didn’t like about the scheme

Their reflections on their potential HE participation


There was a mix of qualitative and quantitative data. Mentors’ observations were also recorded.

4.9.5 Main outcomes – KS3 Mentee motivations and related outcomes Before the scheme, mentees were asked to select from a list8 the areas they wanted help with. Here are the top six areas selected, with their proportions:

8 Confidence building, Study skills, Choosing options, Concentration, Motivation, Behaviour, Homework, Attendance, Home-life, Friendships, Organisation, Considering College or University

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1. Choosing options – 68% 2. Concentration – 66% 3. Homework – 66%

4. Considering College or University – 59%

5. Behaviour – 52.5% 6. Study skills – 51%

These popular motivations reveal a blend of IAG and aspirations (Choosing options and Considering College or University) along with personal development skills. At the end of the scheme, mentees indicated whether mentoring had made a difference in these same areas. Below are the results for the same six areas:


2. Study skills – 85% 3. Choosing options – 85%

4. Concentration – 59% 5. Homework – 56% 6. Behaviour – 42%

The above indicates that the scheme has been successful in its main aims of raising aspirations amongst students with potential for HE and encouraging them to continue their education, motivating them to work harder in class and improving their study skills. Although confidence building was only identified by a small number beforehand, many said that they felt more confident after the mentoring (29% versus 71%). HE participation? Mentees were asked to reflect on the following issues regarding their potential participation in HE:

Going to university is important to them

Confidence in studying at HE level

Confidence they would fit in at university

Whether they know enough about university to apply or not Table 39 recaps how much mentees agree with these statements, before and after the programme.

Before After

Going to university is important 68% 76%

Confidence in studying at HE level 39% 68%

Confidence in fitting in at university

46% 71%

Know enough about HE to apply or not

44% 59%

Table 39: KS3 Mentees’ level of agreement with statements on HE participation

Average increase of over 43% across these statements.

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Mentee quotes

“It showed me that I could achieve something good in life”

“It helped me make decisions about my future jobs/career”

“Being able to discuss in groups with confidence”

“Motivated me a lot. Helped me think about my future/career”

“Doing a timetable to organize my homework schedule”

“It gave me a different perspective on university”

Mentor observations

“They gained more confidence and their grades were improving. They said they were able to apply techniques to all aspects of their life to keep them focused and motivated.”

“Many of the mentees showed improved organization and attitude to school. Many started to put more effort into completing homework and were beginning to talk about their future. I also saw increased confidence in a few of my mentees.”

4.9.6 Main outcomes – KS4 Mentee motivations and related outcomes Before the scheme, mentees were asked to select from a list9 the areas they wanted help with. Here are the top five areas selected, with their proportions:

1. Considering College or University – 64.5%

2. Motivation – 61% 3. Confidence building – 58%

4. Study skills – 42% 5. Concentration – 32%

Although there is still a strong leaning towards IAG and aspirations (Considering College or University), these motivations are more focused on personal development skills than at KS3 level. At the end of the scheme, mentees indicated whether mentoring had made a difference in these same areas. Below are the results for the same six areas:


2. Motivation – 84% 3. Confidence building – 87%

4. Study skills – 87% 5. Concentration – 52%

The main focus at KS4 was to provide some extra support for a group of Year 11 students, who may not be achieving their full potential, as they approached their


42

GCSE exams and the above indicates that it has been most successful in helping to improve their study skills, motivation and concentration. There has also been a significant impact in helping to make career and subject choice decisions and encouraging them to continue with education. Although no one identified homework as an issue in the pre questionnaire, 32% indicated that mentoring had helped them be more efficient with homework. Similarly, only 1 student noted they wanted help with choosing subjects and career choices, yet 94% felt they benefitted from this during the scheme. HE participation? Mentees were asked to reflect on the following issues regarding their potential participation in HE:




Whether they know enough about university to apply or not

Table 40 recaps how much mentees agree with these statements, before and after the programme.

Before After



Confidence in fitting in at university

55% 71%

Know enough about HE to apply or not

55% 68%


Average increase of over 28% across these statements—less than at KS3, which is likely due to KS4 pupils being more aware and more committed to HE. Mentee quotes

“Allowed me to talk to someone about my choices and weigh up pros and cons of my choices” “I liked that I was able to talk to someone who not that long ago was in my shoes” “Useful information about higher education. Made me think more about uni.” “She was very supportive and explained things well. She also informed us as to what HE is like and explained the benefits”

Mentor observations

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“I thought it was great to see them filled with confidence in acknowledging they had the opportunity to do so many things careers wise, and they were capable of doing it. It was great to see those who were less capable, be inspired by the other mentees, which was the best thing about group work with them all learning off each other. They also learnt a general understanding about the university process and what happens at university to their own accord by asking me questions each week.”

4.9.7 Main outcomes – KS5 Mentee motivations and related outcomes Before the scheme, mentees were asked to select from a list10 the areas they wanted help with. Here are the top six areas selected, with their proportions:

1. Motivation – 92% 2. Considering College or University –

50% 3. Study skills – 42%

4. Concentration – 42%

With only 12 participants, the KS5 is somewhat limited. However, as might be expected, the aspirational and IAG elements of the scheme are reduced as these students will have a firm idea of their immediate future. The main focus is on motivation. At the end of the scheme, mentees indicated whether mentoring had made a difference in these same areas. Below are the results for the same six areas:

1. Motivation – 83% 2. Considering College or University –

100% 3. Study skills – 100%

4. Concentration – 25%

The main focus of this programme at KS5 was to provide support to a group of Year 12 pupils who needed some extra input to enable them to succeed. The above indicates that it has been successful in helping to motivate them and develop study skills, as well as continuing to encourage them to consider further education. HE participation? Mentees were asked to reflect on the following issues regarding their potential participation in HE:





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Whether they know enough about university to apply or not

Table 41 recaps how much mentees agree with these statements, before and after the programme.

Before After



Confidence in fitting in at university 25% 92%

Know enough about HE to apply or not 25% 83%


Average increase of over 155% across these statements—significantly more than at the other key stage levels. Indeed, mentees appeared low on confidence before the scheme, indicating that this group was particularly in need of support (much as the scheme aims to do). Mentee quotes

“It has helped me to look at what options are available after sixth form which has encouraged me to work harder to be able to get into a university. The information I was given appealed to me as it was coming from a university student.” “How she helped me to understand what university is about and has given me a goal to hit in sixth form.”

Mentor observations

“Several qualities which I noticed over the last few sessions was an improvement in self-confidence and motivation for further education, whether it be into Year 13 or at college – compared with the beginning of the scheme where a few of the students were considering to pull out of school.”

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5.0 Conclusions The Department’s Outreach calendar of events provides comprehensive provision aimed at inspiring participants to engage with further education, providing a wealth of IAG so that pupils can make informed decision about HE while developing a suite of personal and academic skills that are vital in order to be successful in HE or any other sector. The major highlights of three main outputs across all activities are recapped below.

5.1 Aspirations Aspiration-building runs deep across the spectrum of Outreach events. Often, it can be perceived as a by-product of the event itself—physically being on-campus and experiencing a slice of student life can impact a participant to aim for HE. However, Summer Schools, perhaps due to the extended experience pupils have, display some eye-popping statistics:

81% said Year 10 Summer School opened their eyes to new possibilities

61% increase in Year 10 pupils who are now comfortable in an HE

environment

94% felt that CiC Summer School opened their eyes to new possibilities

5.2 IAG Transmitting IAG to participants is a core tenet of Outreach activities and is usually focused on providing them with enough information so they can make an informed decision about applying to HE (or not). With that in mind, much of the evaluative data reinforces this goal:

82% increase in Shadowing participants knowing exactly what course they

want to apply to

59% of Shadowing participants saw demonstrable change in their behaviour

regarding course choice

95% of Year 12 Summer School pupils stated they improved their knowledge

on personal statements

9 out of 10 Year 12 Summer School pupils are now equipped with the

necessary knowledge to make an informed decision about HE

An important aspect of IAG that emerged from several activities was around student finance. This was causing angst amongst students who did not have enough knowledge about how they would fund a HE degree. The evaluations reported great gains in knowledge made by participants in this area:

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59% of Year 10 Summer School pupils are now less worried about university

costs

“Student finance” was rated most useful session by 70% of participants

during Bushey Meads School

96% decrease in students who were worried about student finance (Barnwell

School visit)

5.3 Personal skills development Skills development rests around providing environments and sessions designed to get participants out of their comfort zones and improve the skillset required to be successful at school and in HE. This tends to be a blend of confidence building along with academic and social skill development. Events like Autumn School capture this brilliantly:

60% increase in students confident of achieving a C grade in their chosen

GCSE

87% increase in participants who felt afterwards they had the right skills to

succeed

Over 85% of KS3 and KS4 pupils on the Schools Mentoring scheme

indicated their participation boosted their study skills

Up to 92% of KS5 pupils involved in Schools Mentoring were more confident

they could study and fit in at university after the scheme

74% of pupils had more confidence in their own skills after their visit to UH

(Francis Combe visit)

The Outreach work is ultimately aimed at exposing students to HE and getting them to think about their futures—in HE or otherwise. It’s an excellent reflection on the quality of the Department’s work that the activities reflect an increased desire to participate in HE:

75% increase in Autumn School pupils likely applying to university

75% increase in CiC Summer School pupils likely applying to university

61% increase in Pathfinder participants being likely applying to university—

including an 89% increase amongst boys

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6.0 Appendix 1 – List of schools

School type School name

Beacon Adeyfield School

Astley Cooper School

Barclay School

Barnwell School

Bushey Academy

Cheshunt School

Samuel Ryder

Academy

Francis Combe

Academy

Hertswood School

Kings Langley School

Longdean School

Marriotts School

Mount Grace School

Nobel School

Onslow St Audrey’s

School

Priory School

Sele School

Sheredes School

Sir Frederick Osborn

School

St. Mary’s High

School

Thomas Alleyne

School

Turnford School

Westfield School

Partnership & UTC

Highfield School

Fernhill School

Sir John Lawes School

Roundwood Park School

Monk’s Walk School

Parmiter’s School

Elstree UTC

Children in Care Oaklands College

Knights Templar

School

Townsend CoE

School

Beaumont School

Canons High School

Denbigh High School

East Barnet Schools

Gladesmore

Community School

Icknield High School

La Sainte Union

School

Mill Hill County High

School

Plumstead Manor

School

Tring School

Wren Academy

Table 42: List of schools the Department engaged with in 2013/14

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