GHWY Fair Access UCAS Presentation

Introduction and Overview

0:07 – 2:00

• Ellie Rowley introduces herself and UCAS, emphasizing UCAS’s role beyond an admissions portal.
• The session will cover top-level insights, focus on underrepresented groups, and provide resources for advisors and teachers.

Fair Access Programme

2:00 – 6:04

• UCAS’s Fair Access Programme aims to support underrepresented students, removing barriers and inspiring them.
• Emphasis on improving the work with underrepresented students and encouraging feedback on how UCAS can enhance its services.

Data Insights

6:04 – 12:00

• Overview of application trends, with a notable increase in UK 18-year-old applicants and a slight increase in international applicants.
• Subjects with the highest increases and decreases in applications:
  • Decreases: Education, Medicine, Dentistry, Psychology (-6% each).
  • Increases: Computing, Mathematical Sciences, Engineering, Technology.
• Forecast of up to 1,000,000 applications by 2030 due to demographic trends.

Young Carers

12:00 – 23:00

• Insight into young carers, a group with significant underrepresentation in higher education.
• Key findings:
  • More likely to apply close to home.
  • Less likely to apply to selective institutions.
  • Often prefer health-related courses.
  • Many receive no guidance on progressing to higher education considering their circumstances.

Students with Disabilities or Mental Health Conditions

23:00 – 30:00

• Increase in students sharing disabilities or mental health conditions.
• Emphasis on encouraging students to share their conditions to receive necessary support.
• UCAS working to improve visibility and support for these students through resources and partnerships.

Care-Experienced Students

30:00 – 39:00

• Care-experienced students often face unique challenges.
• More likely to enter higher education with vocational qualifications and prefer health and social care courses.
• Many do not receive tailored guidance on progressing to higher education.

Resources and Tools

39:00 – 46:00

• UCAS offers various resources, including toolkits and training modules for advisors.
• Introduction to Unibuddy and Springpod:
  • Unibuddy: Peer-to-peer contact tool for students.
  • Springpod: Subject spotlights and virtual work experience opportunities.

UCAS Hub

46:00 – 53:00

• Encouragement for students to register for UCAS Hub early.
• Hub offers tools for personalized guidance and resources for students’ discovery journey.

Apprenticeships

53:00 – 1:00:00

• UCAS expanding its support for students interested in apprenticeships.
• Parity between traditional undergraduate routes and apprenticeships in the UCAS Hub.

Upcoming Developments

1:00:00 – 1:04:00

• Launch of the Outreach Connection Service for advisors to find local and national outreach opportunities.
• Introduction of the Entry Grades Tool and free school meal fee waiver to support disadvantaged students.
• Ongoing contextual data review to improve transparency in admissions policies.

Q&A and Conclusion

1:04:00 – End

• Q&A session covering access to various reports and resources.
• Encouragement for continued feedback and engagement from attendees to improve UCAS services.

Closing Remarks

1:03:57 – End

• Attendees are thanked for their participation.
• Links to resources and CPD opportunities are shared.

This summary encapsulates the key points and resources discussed in the meeting, with timestamps for easy reference.