Level Zero Foundation Years – the Cinderella Programmes of Widening Participation.

1. Level Zero Foundation Years – the Cinderella Programmes of Widening Participation. A Longitudinal Study of Students from Foundation Year to Graduation Nikki Hughes Manchester Metropolitan University Widening Participation in the 21st Century: A decade of learning

2. “It is the mark of a civilised society to aim at eliminating such inequalities as have their source, not in individual differences, but in its own organisation”R.H. Tawney, 1964 Widening Participation in the 21st Century: A decade of learning

3. What are Level Zero Foundation Years? • Additional integral year of study • Provide access to HE for students not in possession of sufficient, traditional or appropriate subject-specific qualifications • Attract students from non-traditional or under-represented groups • Offered by the majority of UK HE institutions • 25% increase in numbers between 2002/03 and 2006/07 Widening Participation in the 21st Century: A decade of learning

4. MMU Foundation Year Vital Statistics 2009-2010 • Linked to 120 degrees • Delivered at 4 centres (MMU, MMU Cheshire, Manchester College and Trafford College) • Grown from 240 students in 2000 to 1074 in 2009/10 • 63% cohort male (43% of institution) • 52% cohort white (72% of institution) • 16% cohort aged 21-24 (9% of institution) Widening Participation in the 21st Century: A decade of learning

5. Does MMU’s Foundation Year “Work”? A longitudinal study of students from Foundation Year to graduation Widening Participation in the 21st Century: A decade of learning

6. Comparative Progression from Year 1 (Level 4) to Year 2 (Level 5) of former Foundation Year Students Widening Participation in the 21st Century: A decade of learning

7. Comparative progression at University level Widening Participation in the 21st Century: A decade of learning

8. Comparative progression by Faculty Widening Participation in the 21st Century: A decade of learning

9. Comparison of Degree Outcomes of Former Foundation Year Students with Direct Entrants Widening Participation in the 21st Century: A decade of learning

10. Comparison of degree outcomes of former Foundation Year students Widening Participation in the 21st Century: A decade of learning

11. Comparison of degree outcomes of former Foundation Year students Widening Participation in the 21st Century: A decade of learning

12. There is now very little to differentiate between a former Foundation Year student and a direct entrant other than their background….. Widening Participation in the 21st Century: A decade of learning

13. Differences in Socio-economic Group Widening Participation in the 21st Century: A decade of learning

14. Ratio of enrolments from SEC 4-7 to enrolments from SEC 1-3 for the Foundation Year and University from 2006-2009 Widening Participation in the 21st Century: A decade of learning

15. Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Data Widening Participation in the 21st Century: A decade of learning

16. Differences in Ethnicity, Gender and Age Widening Participation in the 21st Century: A decade of learning

17. Proportion ethnic minority students in successful Level 4 cohort Widening Participation in the 21st Century: A decade of learning

18. Proportion male students in successful Level 4 cohort Widening Participation in the 21st Century: A decade of learning

19. Proportion of students aged 21-24 in successful Level 4 cohort (2007/08) Widening Participation in the 21st Century: A decade of learning

20. Students from all social groups are equally likely to participate in higher education if they achieve the relevant qualificationsN. Barr, 2003Higher Education Policy Institute, 2003 Widening Participation in the 21st Century: A decade of learning

21. Acknowledgement • Doug Bett – formerly Planning and Management Information, MMU. Widening Participation in the 21st Century: A decade of learning

22. Entry Qualifications • Level 3 qualification / 40-160 tariff points plus GCSE mathematics and English grade D or level 3 numeracy and communication Widening Participation in the 21st Century: A decade of learning

23. Scope of Study • Institutional-level data sources have been examined to • compare the progression from Level 4 (Year 1) to Level 5 (Year 2) of the 2003/04, 2004/05, 2005/06 and 2006/07 cohorts of FY students with that of direct entrants to Level 4. • compare the age, gender and ethnicity of the former 2003/04, 2004/05, 2005/06 and 2006/07 cohorts of FY students studying at Level 4 with that of direct entrants. • compare degree outcomes of the 2003/04, 2004/05 and 2005/06 cohorts of FY students with that of direct entrants. Widening Participation in the 21st Century: A decade of learning

24. Comparative progression by Department Widening Participation in the 21st Century: A decade of learning

25. Comparison of degree outcomes of former Foundation Year students Widening Participation in the 21st Century: A decade of learning