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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
1
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.
3
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
Personal and skill development
Summer Schools (Year 12)
To help pupils to make informed decisions about applying to HE
To boost skills and knowledge regarding UCAS applications
To boost pupils’ confidence in new environments with new people
IAG
Personal and skill development
Autumn School (Years 10 and 11)
To boost skill levels to GCSE C grade
To set up a long-term mentoring network
To inspire pupils to aim for HE
Personal and skill development
Aspirations
Pathfinder Days (Year 9)
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)
Aspirations
IAG
Student Shadowing (Years 12 and 13)
To help pupils to make informed decisions about applying to HE
To inform students on various aspects of HE (incl. academically, socially and financially)
IAG
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School visits (Years 10-13)
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)
Aspirations
IAG
In-school talks (Years 7-13)
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 motivation, confidence and attainment
To raise awareness about the skills needed to succeed at 6th form and in HE
Aspirations
IAG
Personal and skill development
In-school mentoring (Years 7-12)
To provide an insight into what university can offer
To inspire pupils to aim for HE
To boost motivation, confidence and attainment
To raise awareness about the skills needed to succeed at 6th form and in HE
To inform students on various aspects of HE (incl. academically, socially and financially)
Aspirations
Personal and skill development
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 provide an insight into what university can offer academically
To inspire pupils to aim for HE
To inform students on various aspects of HE
To boost pupils’ confidence in new environments with new people
Aspirations
IAG
Personal and skill development
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
Table 6 outlines the goals, sessions and outputs for Year 12 Summer Schools
Planned and led by Lindsey Rigby, delivery support provided by Cobi
Campbell, Kirsty Alexander, Safina Mahmood and student ambassadors
Sessions Goals Outputs
Student finance and ‘Why go to uni?’ sessions
Course search workshop
Student ambassador Q&A
Independent living
Making the most of Open Days
Personal statement workshops
Meal times and social events
Helping pupils to make informed decisions about applying to HE
Boosting skills and knowledge regarding UCAS applications
To boost pupils’ confidence in new environments with new people
Information, Advice and
Guidance
Personal and skill development
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
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
Location within application process to HE
Confidence levels living away from home
Barriers to HE
Fitting in at uni
Staff satisfaction
Overall programme satisfaction
Table 7: 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.
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
Outreach staff (incl. ambassadors) were deemed helpful or very helpful by between 95% and 100% of participants in the following situations:
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Making students feel
comfortable
Delivering activities
Helping you during activities
Answering your questions
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
Table 8 outlines the goals, sessions and outputs for Year 12 Summer Schools
Planned and led by Lindsey Rigby, delivery support provided by Cobi
Campbell, Kirsty Alexander and student ambassadors
Sessions Goals Outputs
Cambridge visit
Central School of Speech & Drama
Student finance and ‘Why go to uni?’ sessions
Meal times and social events
Theatre trip (London)
To provide an insight into what university can offer academically
To inform students on various aspects of HE
To boost pupils’ confidence in new environments with new people
Aspirations
Information, Advice and Guidance
Personal and skill development
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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
Demographic information
Identification of likely post-school routes (education, employment or
otherwise)
Contact with individuals who Influenced to attend Summer School
Programme expectations
Subject interests and courses being considered in HE
Frequency of conversations about HE
Number of acquaintances with HE degrees
Amount of known knowledge about HE
Confidence levels being away from home and meeting new people
Barriers to HE
Staff satisfaction
Fitting in at uni
Overall programme satisfaction
Table 9: 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.
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
Outreach staff (incl. ambassadors) were deemed helpful or very helpful by between 93% and 94% of participants in the following situations:
Making students feel comfortable
Delivering activities
Helping you during activities
Answering your questions
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
Planned and led by Lindsey Rigby, delivery support provided by Cobi
Campbell, Kirsty Alexander, Safina Mahmood and student ambassadors
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Workshops delivered by expert Maths and English practitioners
Sessions Goals Outputs
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
To inspire pupils to aim for HE
Personal and skill development
Personal and skill development
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.
Table 11 details what areas the questionnaires covered:
Themes
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Demographic information
Likelihood of applying to HE
Programme expectations
Confidence in achieving a C grade at GCSE
Knowledge of how to go about achieving a C grade
Staff satisfaction
Overall programme satisfaction
Table 11: 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.
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
Sessions Goals Outputs
Taster lecture
Why go to uni?
Campus Tour
Final competition/presentation
Real or Fake quiz
Pay your way
You can have it all
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)
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
Likelihood of applying to HE
Staff satisfaction
Overall programme satisfaction
Table 13: 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.
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
Sessions Goals Outputs
Shadowing a student ambassador throughout their day, incl. lectures
To help pupils to make informed decisions about applying to HE
To inform students on various aspects of HE (incl. academically, socially and financially)
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.
Table 15 details what areas the questionnaires covered:
Themes
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Reasons for attending
Course choice
Decision-making process
Staff satisfaction
Overall programme satisfaction
Table 15: 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.
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
Sessions Goals 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’
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 raise awareness about the skills needed to succeed at 6th form and in HE
To boost motivation, confidence and attainment
Aspirations
IAG
Personal and skill development
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)
Table 17: Breakdown of topics covered in questionnaires
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
Sessions Goals Outputs
Get the most out of 6th form
Independent learning
Student finance
UCAS applications
To boost confidence about performance at 6th form
To raise awareness about the skills needed to succeed at 6th form and in HE
To inform students on various aspects of HE (incl. academically, socially and financially)
Personal and skill development
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)
One-day, on-campus visit
Table 28 details the sessions, goals and outputs for this visit
Sessions, goals and outputs
Sessions Goals Outputs
Taster lecture
Why go to uni?
Campus Tour
Final competition/presentation
Real or Fake quiz
Pay your way
You can have it all
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)
Aspirations
IAG
Table 19: 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 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%
Final competition/presentation
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)
One-day, on-campus visit
Table 28 details the sessions, goals and outputs for this visit
Sessions, goals and outputs
Sessions Goals Outputs
Taster lecture
Campus Tour
Get the most out of 6th form
Independent learning
Student finance
UCAS applications
To provide an insight into what university can offer academically
To inspire pupils to aim for HE
To boost confidence about performance at 6th form
To raise awareness about the skills needed to succeed at 6th form and in HE
To inform students on various aspects of HE (incl. academically, socially and financially)
Aspirations
Personal and skill development
IAG
Table 23: Sessions, goals and outputs for the Francis Combe Year 11 visit
Evaluation methods
Post-event survey at the end of the visit
Topics covered in survey:
o Interest levels and usefulness of sessions
o Confidence about succeeding in 6th form
o Likelihood of applying to HE
o Overall satisfaction
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%
Table 26: Breakdown of the top three sessions, by gender
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
One-day, on-campus visit
Table 28 details the sessions, goals and outputs for this visit
Sessions, goals and outputs
Sessions Goals Outputs
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
Post-event survey at the end of the visit
Topics covered in survey:
o Interest levels, usefulness and level of sessions
o New knowledge gained
o Overall satisfaction
Top three sessions
Male Female Total
Planetarium 83% 46% 71%
K’Nex Roller Coaster 56% 54% 59%
Solar and Hydrogen Car 39% 69% 51%
Table 29: Breakdown of the top three sessions, by gender
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
One-day, on-campus visit
Table 31 outlines the sessions, goals and outputs for this visit
Sessions, goals and outputs
Sessions Goals Outputs
Student life
Independent living
Study skills
Independent learning
Goal setting
Student finance
Course searching
To provide an insight into what university can offer
To inspire pupils to aim for HE
To boost confidence about performance at 6th form
To raise awareness about the skills needed to succeed at 6th form and in HE
To inform students on various aspects of HE (incl. academically,
socially and financially)
Aspirations
Personal and skill development
IAG
Table 31: Sessions, goals and outputs for the Barnwell Year 11 visit
Evaluation methods
Post-event survey at the end of the visit
Topics covered in survey: o Motivations
o Likelihood of applying to university
o Most and least useful sessions
o Student finance awareness
o Overall satisfaction
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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%)
Likelihood of applying to HE
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
KS4 Participating pupils
Pupils evaluated
Longdean 23 13
Sir Frederic Osborne
20 18
Total 43 31
Table 35: Participating schools at KS4
KS5 Participating pupils
Pupils evaluated
Bushey Meads 6 6
Highfield 7 6
Total 13 12
Table 36: Participating schools at KS5
There are eight schools total, 120 participating pupils and 102 pupils evaluated.
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4.9.3 Sessions, goals and outputs
Sessions Goals Outputs
Mentoring sessions
To provide an insight into what university can offer
To inspire pupils to aim for HE
To boost motivation, confidence and attainment
To raise awareness about the skills needed to succeed at 6th form and in HE
To inform students on various aspects of HE (incl. academically, socially and financially)
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
Table 38: Breakdown of topics covered in questionnaires
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:
1. Considering College or University – 88%
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:
1. Considering College or University – 90%
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
9 Confidence building, Study skills, Choosing options, Concentration, Motivation, Behaviour, Homework, Attendance, Home-life, Friendships, Organisation, Considering College or University
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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:
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 40 recaps how much mentees agree with these statements, before and after the programme.
Before After
Going to university is important 64% 81%
Confidence in studying at HE level 42% 55%
Confidence in fitting in at university
55% 71%
Know enough about HE to apply or not
55% 68%
Table 40: KS4 Mentees’ level of agreement with statements on HE participation
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:
Going to university is important to them
Confidence in studying at HE level
Confidence they would fit in at university
10 Confidence building, Study skills, Choosing options, Concentration, Motivation, Behaviour, Homework, Attendance, Home-life, Friendships, Organisation, Considering College or University
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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
Going to university is important 67% 83%
Confidence in studying at HE level 42% 83%
Confidence in fitting in at university 25% 92%
Know enough about HE to apply or not 25% 83%
Table 41: KS5 Mentees’ level of agreement with statements on HE participation
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
Recommended