Widening Access Outreach Programmes Overview

The WA team take a multi-interaction approach to the delivery of outreach programmes for groups of learners from disadvantaged backgrounds and/or under-represented in higher education. The intention is to support these learners reach their full potential, achieve their ambitions, and make well-informed decisions about their future.  

All WA outreach activity is offered as part of one or more long-term, progressive, and sustained programmes. These are:  

Progress to Success – a flagship programme for Years 7-11 offering at least one engagement in every year, including assemblies, workshops, on-campus visits, subject tasters, and a residential summer school in Year 10. 

Boys in HE – for small groups of disengaged boys in Years 8 and 9 in identified high need schools plus a two-day non-residential summer school in Year 10.  

Think, Reflect, Succeed – high intensity sessions for Years 10 and 12 focused on metacognition and supporting learners to develop higher order, reflection, research and critical thinking skills. 

Derby Scholars – a collaborative programme for Year 9 and Year 12 high achievers who also meet widening participation criteria. Delivered in partnership with Murray Edwards College, Cambridge.  

Rise High – a collaborative programme in partnership with the Chatsworth Learning Team for Years 7 and 8 widening participation learners in rural towns and communities. 

Primary Explorers – consists of an intensive programme for Years 5 and 6 in a small number of high need primaries plus additional Primary Explorers on-campus days which are open to all state primary schools. 

A robust mixed methodology evaluation and theory of change model is embedded. The longitudinal nature of this ensures outcomes are tracked, not only through school, but into and beyond HE (see Section 2 for more progression data).

Evidence of tangible impact:

Decision-making: a 49-percentage point (pp) increase in those reporting they had the knowledge to make informed progression choices across Progress to Success activities
Motivation: reflective journal evidence highlighting increased motivation to study
Sense of belonging: a 41pp increase in those stating they feel they would fit in at university
Aspirations: 78% of primary school pupils, of which 97% are from the 40% most deprived areas based on IMD data, expressing an ambition to go to university in the future
Metacognition: a 54pp increase in those agreeing or strongly agreeing they felt more confident in their critical thinking skills after metacognition workshops

Through delivery of these programmes the WA Team have delivered 191 activities and engaged with 8,979 learners through a mix of on-campus, off-campus and virtual engagement opportunities: 

Table 1: Widening Access activity sessions by year group 

	University Visits	Off campus	Virtual sessions	HE/Careers fairs
Primary	7	16	0	1
Year 7	5	10	0	0
Year 8	12	10	0	0
Year 9	9	22	0	0
Year 10	9	13	0	1
Year 11	1	8	0	7
Year 12	17	6	6	0
Year 13	0	3	0	0
Cross year Post-16 only	1	3	0	2
Cross year	8	7	0	7

Targeting is fundamental to ensure those who would benefit most and those who are under-represented in HE access the programmes. Of those who participated in 2022/23:

70% were from areas least likely to progress to higher education using the TUNDRA dataset
57% were from the most deprived areas using the IMD dataset
54% of participants’ parents had no experience of higher education
39% were minority ethnic
31% were eligible for Free School Meals