Widening Participation: an institutional view from King’s College London

1. Widening Participation: an institutional view from King’s College London Forum on HE & social inclusionMelbourne, 16 July Ian Creagh Head of Administration & College Secretary

2. King’s students: ethnicity

3. King’s students: regional domicile

4. Financial snapshot 2006-07

5. Location • Four Thames-side Campuses • King’s Denmark Hill Campus, south London • Joint Services Command Staff College, Shrivenham

6. King’s local socio-economic context • London Development Agency, 2008

7. WP: background mood music • Current policy context and sub-text substantially created by the 1997 Dearing Review • “…the post-Robbins story has to be seen as a failed thrust towards mass higher education.”(AH Halsey, 1995, in Dearing) • The expansion of HE over the previous 40 years…. ”a cultural transformation within British society.”(T Edwards, 1997, in Dearing) • The expansion of HE…. “confirmed that there was far more talent in the country than we had guessed or were willing, out of class-and-culture meanness, to recognise.”(R Hoggart, 1996 in Dearing)

8. WP: early policy choreography • A “New Labour” Government – back from the political wilderness with a “modernising” social democratic agenda • Workforce productivity/efficiency has become an important preoccupation of WP effectiveness, but • Political rhetoric and policy motivations rooted in attacking the corrosive effects of social class inequality • “Education must be a force for opportunity and social justice, not for the entrenchment of privilege…”(The Future of HE White paper, 2003)

9. The ebb and flow of the WP debate. The Russell Group • Russell Group accused of elitism in terms of admissions of under-represented groups • We have revealed for the first time “….the extent of the imbalance in admissions not just to Oxbridge, but to our leading universities.”(The Sutton Trust, 2002) • “Quite honestly, if I'm an admissions tutor, and I have an Etonian sitting opposite me and he's charming, he's been well-taught, I'd say I'd love to have that guy. He's not going to give me any trouble for three years. Whereas if I've got this one with an earring from a comprehensive grunting away, I’d think: oh, my God.”(Peter Lampl, The Sutton Trust, Tuesday March 27, 2007, the Guardian)

10. Lower SES participation: by institution type • National Audit Office, 2008

11. WP KPI’s: King’s and other London RG institutions

12. WP meaning & purpose, an institutional view from King’s • “In service of society…” Living the mission • Demonstrating commitment to local communities • Not standing apart from the society that helps sustain us, and its problems • Partnering with other education providers, employers and community organisations • Providing leadership where appropriate, but… • Focussing on student success….and not lowering standards

13. From policy to action: the breadth and depth of King’s WP activities • Taster days and visits • Summer schools • Mentoring • Masterclasses • Student Ambassador programmes • Access Bursaries • Partnerships: Aimhigher, Aspire and City Academy partnerships • Alternative admissions to high demand programmes • LLL local cross-sectoral partnerships

14. Flagship initiatives -- Aimhigher • Aimhigher Central London Partnerships • Aimhigher: involves the 4 Central London Boroughs of Islington, Camden, Westminster, & Kensington and Chelsea; partner universities, schools and colleges • Funds the “Focus” programme training student ambassadors to work in CLP schools and colleges • Runs the thematic Health partnership “Advice Clinic”….19 HEIs involved in Health education and training

15. Flagship initiatives – Aspire --in South East London • SE London Aspire – 5 universities, 80 secondary schools, 6 local authorities; very early intervention • Runs taster days, homework classes, UCAS application workshops, parents’ evenings, study skills workshops, masterclasses • Programmes are delivered jointly and individually by partner institutions • Aspiration raising in the most general sense; not just about coming to King’s

16. Alternative admissions – Access to Medicine Programme • Encourages students from local boroughs to study medicine, pursue bio-medical careers • Early awareness intervention in schools, work experience placements in NHS trusts • Alternative entry – aptitude and attitude • Offers an extended programme – 6 years rather than 5 • First students graduating. Over 200 students now enrolled in the programme • Considering extension to Access to Law through a Foundation year/programme

17. Aspire Lifelong Learning Network • Partnership of 4 Universities and 6 Further Education Colleges • Employers, Learning and Skills Council, Local Authorities’ representatives and community organisations • Focussed on development of credit and progression agreements, network-wide information and guidance, accreditation with employers, some curriculum development

18. City Academies – Absolute Return for Kids/King’sAlliance • ARK – an education charity founded by a Hedge Fund of the same name • Funding City Academies in deprived Boroughs, many of which are founded on previously failing schools • King’s is its HE partner in a handful of schools, including primary schools • King’s engaged in several ways: from assisting with school governance through to full panoply of WP programmes

19. Institutional cultural responses • All points on the spectrum ranging from: • Outstanding senior academic leadership and advocacy • To theoretical support – especially if it is someone else’s problem • To complaints that universities cannot be expected to compensate for failing secondary schools and other factors over which they have little control • To genuine concerns about enabling students to succeed rather than fail, and to find a way forward • To concerns about the costs and incentives/disincentives of WP activity • To senior management commitment in most shcools

20. King’s WP funding in context

21. Perverse disincentives: tensions with league table measures • King’s medical school – largest in Europe and one of the most popular • Have won 6 MRC centres – no parallel in other UK institutions in recent times • Access to medicine programme – large and successful, BUT • Alternative admissions lowers average entry tariff by 20 points

22. League table tensions….. • Lower tariff scores associated with WP in other subjects compensated by the value added measure, which relates entry scores to class of degree awarded • Not possible for Medicine and Dentistry -- degrees not classified • Problem exacerbated by increasing the weighting for entry scores from 17% to 25%; and value added + career prospects weighting with value redistributed over the other measures • Has cost King’s at least an estimated 4 places in the medicine league table

23. Top up fees and access bursaries • Like many institutions, King’s overestimated the amount of fee income needed to cover bursary costs • Perceived complexity of arrangements was undoubtedly a factor • Evidence that third party channels of communication lacked sufficient knowledge • Evidence that eligible students did not apply – highlights problems of accurate advice and encouragement to aspire to study at King’s and other RG institutions

24. In conclusion and the future….. • Looks messy, feels messy but appears to be getting traction • Genuinely rich partnerships developing between institutions across sectors • Disincentives won’t disappear quickly particularly as idiosyncratic league tables become pervasive • City academies offer interesting scope for innovation • Access to Medicine style programmes…they work…but are extraordinarily intensive…and costly • Access Bursaries may become more effective as programme arrangements settle down