Widening access to higher education will lead to greater opportunity

Given how critical the issue of widening access and participation in higher education is to boosting social mobility, there has been surprisingly little reference to it in the growing pre-election hum.

Higher education is key to opening up opportunity, especially for those from less advantaged backgrounds, yet new evidence reveals that it is those young people particularly who are losing out on the chance to go to university. In an apparent postcode lottery, there is great geographical variation between regions and local authorities, with those from a Free School Meals (FSM) background five times more likely to go on to higher education in some areas than others.

The report, Universities not for everyone: levelling up and who is missing out on higher education in England, has been published by the National Education Opportunities Network (NEON), based at the University of West London. It looks at progression to higher education for young people from FSM backgrounds from 2005-6 to 2021-22 and highlights some stark disparities. Less than 10 per cent of state-funded pupils from an FSM background progressed to higher education by the age of 19 in 2021-22. That rate had slowed from the 2005-6 to 2011-12 rate of 1.22 per cent per year to 0.89 per cent from 2011-12 to 2021-22.

The regional differences are significant. The gap in participation, for example, between London and the South West in 2021-22 was 30 per cent. In 63 per cent of local authorities, the gap between FSM pupils’ and non-FSM pupils’ progression had increased in the latter period. Although there was an increase of 44 per cent across England in FSM learners’ participation in higher education, there were some areas where progress is much slower. Fifteen areas saw an increase of less than 25 per cent over the period and in two areas – Leicester and Blackpool – the progression rate had actually declined. In 69 per cent of local authority areas, it was below the national average of 29.2 per cent.

Accessing higher education and benefiting from the opportunities a university degree offers – extending learning beyond the school curriculum, developing new skills, connecting with employers and enjoying the social aspects – can have a lifelong impact on a student. Universities also benefit local economies, invigorating their towns and cities. As anchor institutions, they can provide a skilled workforce that connects up with their world-class research and development capabilities. They also play an important part in the wider economy, boosting growth. Building a talent pipeline in the region and helping people reach their potential are key enablers of social mobility, as are introducing less conventional routes into higher education, including degree apprenticeships, and expanding options for those who prefer a more technical approach.

The Purpose Universities Coalition works with university partners who recognise the value of increased participation. The outreach work they undertake with local schools and colleges helps to inspire and inform young people who have little knowledge about going to university about how to get there and what sort of opportunities it can bring. The University of West London itself has a strong tradition of social inclusion, focusing not only on attracting underrepresented groups  to the University but on supporting them throughout their degree to enable them to reach their full potential. There is also a sharp emphasis on measurement and evaluation to ensure improved outcomes.  

Outreach activities at Durham University, another Coalition partner, include a focus on STEM subjects and aim to stimulate an interest in science with a better understanding of its applications in real life. They feature interactive workshops, an annual science festival which has attracted over 66,000 children and their families since it started in 2010 and participation in the Ogden Trust North East schools’ partnership – the Ogden Trust was founded by a Durham University physics alumnus and entrepreneur - which covers many areas facing multiple indices of deprivation.

Another partner, the University of Chester, ran a project which designed interactive activities for primary and secondary schools to develop digital skills with a fully equipped van allowing them to try the tasks themselves. More than 95 schools have engaged with the project and more than 3400 students taken part.

The path that a disadvantaged person takes from getting to university to finding a rewarding, well-paid graduate job can be transformational. Employers value the resilience and wider strengths that these students have developed as a result of the challenges they have had to overcome to get there. Whatever the colour of the next government, there needs to be an urgent focus on ensuring that many more young people can enjoy the benefits of a university education by targeting those from lower socioeconomic groups, including those with a FSM background, in social mobility coldspots in every region of the country.