The University of Sheffield
Access Agreement 2014/15
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Section 1: The current context
1.1
Introduction
The University of Sheffield is a highly selective institution with a strong track record of
attracting and retaining students from under-represented groups in Higher Education
(HE). The University has a long-standing commitment to widening participation and fair
access, not only to its own programmes of study, but also to HE in general. This strongly
reflects the University’s Mission, Vision and Identity and the foundation on which the
University was built:
The University of Sheffield has roots going back to 1828 and was founded formally in
1905 via penny donations from the local citizens. The aim was to bring higher education
within reach of the children of the people working in the great industries of Sheffield, to
give support to those industries and to serve as a centre for the study of diseases. The
University is proud of its origins and continues to value the role it has come to play in its
city and region.1
The University continues to play a key role within the city and the region and has a
strong sense of civic responsibility. This is demonstrated, amongst other things, through
the broad ranging initiatives we deliver collaboratively with schools, colleges and other
local HE providers in order to widen participation to higher education, as well as a
continued, strong commitment to part-time adult higher education.
Our approach to working within the city/region was recognised and acknowledged
when we were awarded the Times Higher Education University of the Year, 2011. Judges
said that the University "stood out as a result of a strategy based on its values and
rooted in its founding principles" and praised our "determination and grit" in focusing
on our local community. The judges found it to be a quality, research-led university, and
a community with values, confidence, flair and “its sleeves rolled-up.”
1.2 A changing environment
In developing the Access Agreement for 2014/15, the University has built on the analysis
and commitments within the 2013/14 agreement, taking into account how the
considerable changes that have taken place within the sector in recent months have, and
1
See full Mission, Vision and Identity at http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/strategicplan/mvi
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will continue to, impact on our ability to deliver our proposed widening participation
strategy. In doing so, we have considered the following issues:
Firstly, the University has continued to review its entry requirements and in many cases
has increased entry requirements further in a number of subject areas in response to
increased demand from applicants and in light of changing regulations around student
number controls. Almost all of our degree programmes now require a minimum of ABB
at A Level (or equivalent) and where entry requirements are below ABB we are taking
measures that will increase those entry requirements over the coming years. In 2012/13,
80% of our intake achieved ABB+ and we know that the majority of such students are
from higher socio-economic backgrounds. For example at Sheffield, over two thirds of
our ABB+ students are from households with income over £40,000 p.a.
Secondly we have consolidated our consultation activity and have created an advisory
group with key representatives from schools and colleges in the Sheffield City Region.
These discussions have shown that there is still a degree of confusion and
misunderstanding about how the new fees and funding system works.
Thirdly, although the January 15th application data for 2013/14 entry shows an increase
of around 13% from UK-domiciled applicants to the University growth in some
disciplines is matched by declines in others. We are also aware of an increasingly
competitive environment for well-qualified applicants. Despite the positive figures, we
remain cautious about the impact on our subsequent intake.
Finally, as stated in the 2013 Agreement, the loss of Aimghigher funding has had a
significant impact in relation to the availability of outreach coordinator roles in schools,
colleges and Local Authorities. In recent months the University has worked hard with
key stakeholders, including Sheffield Hallam University and Local Authority contacts to
develop the HE Progression Partnership (HEPP) within the Sheffield City Region, to
ensure that networks and partnership can be maintained. This, however, is a costly and
time consuming process, with variable levels of input and commitment being possible
from the various partners.
The factors highlighted above mean that despite our commitment to this agenda, we
continue to have more limited confidence in our ability to maintain historically strong
performance against a number of the key indicators for widening participation.
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Section 2: Fee levels
2.1 Full-time programmes
The University proposes that new UK and European Union students starting their studies
in September 2014 will be charged £9,000 per year in tuition fees. This is applicable to
all full-time undergraduate programmes apart from our foundation programmes, as well
as being applicable to students entering the PGCE. Continuing students who entered in
previous years will continue to be charged fees at the level set when they joined their
course (subject to permissible annual increases in line with inflation).
Fees for students entering via a foundation route have been agreed as follows for
2014/15 entry students:

Our Medicine foundation gives students with a non-scientific background the
necessary basic scientific knowledge to read for the MBChB degree. It is based at
Sheffield College and the fee for 2014/15 will be £6,300.

Our Science & Engineering foundation programmes are for students who have not
studied maths and sciences to Advanced Level. Successful completion of the
programme leads to an offer for first year entry of a number of mainstream degree
courses. The fee for these programmes in 2014/15 will be £6,000.
We plan for full-time fees to increase each year for all students in line with inflation or
within the limits of any guidance provided to us.
2.2 Part-time programmes
Following a review of part-time fees the University intends to charge £3,375 per 60
credits (£6,750 full-time equivalent). A new programme of financial support has been
introduced for part time students and the current figures show that nearly 50% of part
time students for 2012 entry have taken up some form of financial support package
from the University (including fee waivers and small grants for students with
dependents).
We plan for part-time fees to increase each year for all students in line with inflation or
within the limits of any guidance provided to us.
2.3 Sandwich years and study abroad
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Students on overseas placements (Study Abroad) or placement years in the UK entering
the degree programme in 2014/15 will be charged the maximum fee permitted by the
regulations.
Students entering the MChem Chemistry with Study in Industry from 2014/15 will be
charged a fee of £1,800 for their year in industry. This includes a structured programme
of 30 credits of assessed work from level 3 courses in inorganic, physical and organic
chemistry, as well as academic staff visits onsite and ongoing personal academic
tutoring on the students on placement by Sheffield academic staff.
Section 3: Assessment of overall position
In order to reach an appropriate spend for this agreement, the University has evaluated
its performance in widening participation against a range of measures, including:

Official recruitment and retention figures as published by the Higher Education
Statistics Agency (HESA):

o
performance against our widening participation benchmarks
o
performance against our peers
o
absolute performance in relation to the diversity of our intake.
Internal applications and registrations statistics
3.1 Performance relative to the rest of the sector – HESA benchmarks

The University is in the middle third of institutions in England and third in the Russell
Group for recruitment of young, full-time first degree entrants in 2011/12 from low
participation neighbourhoods (POLAR3). The University exceeds its benchmark in this
area.

The University is in the top third of institutions in England and third in the Russell
Group for recruitment of mature, part time undergraduate entrants in 2011/12 with
no previous HE and from low participation neighbourhoods. The University exceeds
its benchmark in this area.
The University is in the bottom third of institutions in England and equal 4th in the
Russell Group for recruitment of young, full-time first degree entrants in 2011/12
from state schools and colleges. The University is flagged as being statistically
significantly above the benchmark in this area.

The University is in the bottom third of institutions in England and 16th in the Russell
Group for recruitment of young, full-time first degree entrants in 2011/12 from lower
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socio-economic groups. The University has been flagged as statistically significantly
below the benchmark for this area.

The University is in the bottom third of institutions in England and 8th in the Russell
Group for the proportion of full-time first degree students who are in receipt of the
Disabled Students' Allowance. The University exceeds its benchmark in this area.

The University is in the bottom third of institutions in England and 8th in the Russell
Group for non-continuation 2 years after entry of part-time entrants in 2009/10 aged
over 30. The University performs better that its benchmark in this area.

Sheffield is in the middle third for institutions in England for the ratio of BME to
white first year first degree students and has increased from 13.8% to 15.3% between
10/11 and 11/12. There is no benchmark set for this area.
As noted, we believe there are a number of factors, both internal and external, that will
impact on our performance in years to come.
3.2 Absolute performance by specific WP group – HESA data
In addition to monitoring our performance against the HEFCE set benchmarks and
against our peers, we feel it is also important to identify trends in absolute numbers, for
both entrants and non-continuation rates, as below:
Young full time first degree entrants:

Our state school intake fell from 3,410 in 2009/10 (86%) to 3,305 in 2010/11 (86%)
and went back up to 3,390 in 2011/12 (83.7%).

NS SEC intake has seen a downward trend, falling from 675 in 2009/10 (19.5%), to
645 in 2010/11 (19.6%), to 620 in 2011/12 (17.8%).

Based on POLAR 2 data, our intake of students from LPN areas has fallen, from 330
in 2009/10 (8.2%), to 285 in 2010/11 (7.3%), to 295 in 2011/12 (7.2%). Based on
POLAR 3 data, the trend is less marked, representing 7.3% in 2009/10, 6.4% in
2010/11 and 7% in 2011/12.
Mature full time entrants:

First degree entrants with no previous HE and from LPN (POLAR 2) areas fell from 55
students in 2009/10 (17.6% POLAR 2, 13.8% POLAR 3) 35 students in 2010/11 (13.5%
POLAR 2, 14.2% POLAR 3), but then recovered back to 50 students in 2011/12 (17.5%
POLAR 2, 15.9% POLAR 3).
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Students in receipt of DSA:
The number of students in receipt of DSA at the University has increased significantly:

The number of full time first degree students with DSA has increased from 530 for
both 2009 and 2010 (3.8%) to 710 in 2011 (5%). We believe that this significant
increase is as a result of more targeted outreach and transitions support plus an
improvement in the way the data is captured and recorded by the University.

Full time all UG numbers have risen from 545 in 2009 (3.9%) to 540 in 2010 (3.8%)
and to 720 in 2011 (5%).

Part time all UG numbers have also increased from 15 in 2009 (6.5%) to 25 in 2010
(8.6%) to 35 in 2011 (14.1%)
Non-continuation rates of students
The University has a very positive track record for retention and progression of students,
highlighted by the following positive trends:
Young full time entrants:

Non-continuation rates for first degree entrants fell from 100 for those entering in
2008 (2.6%) to 110 for those entering in 2009 (2.8%) and then to 65 for those
entering in 2010 (1.7%).

Non-continuation rates for first degree entrants from LPN areas remained at 15 for
those entering in both 2008 (3.9% POLAR 2, 4.2% POLAR 3) and 2009 (4% POLAR 2,
4.5% POLAR 3) and then fell to 10 for those entering in 2010 (3.2% POLAR 2, 4.4%
POLAR 3)
Mature Full time entrants:

Non-continuation rates for first degree entrants fell from 50 for those entering in
2008 (15.5%) to 30 for those entering in 2009 (8.9%) and then to 20 for those
entering in 2010 (8.2%).

Non-continuation rates for first degree entrants with previous HE experience fell
from 25 for those entering in 2008 (23.5%) to 10 for those entering in 2009 (8.5%)
and then to 0 for those entering in 2010.
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
Non-continuation rates for first degree entrants with no previous HE experience fell
from 25 for those entering in 2008 (11.3%) to 20 for those entering in 2009 (9.2%)
and stayed at 20 for those entering in 2010 (12.6%).
3.2 Analysis of internal 2012 registration data
The University tracked applications from a number of the target WP groups throughout
the 2012/13 admissions cycle and in line with national data, noted no significant
changes in the proportion of applications received from students from non-traditional
backgrounds. Our initial analysis of student registrations in September 2012 suggests
that;

Our intake from state schools has increased slightly as a proportion of all
commencing full-time undergraduates.

Our intake of students in receipt of DSA has increased slightly as a proportion.

Our intake of BME students has increased slightly as a proportion.

Our intake of mature students has remained stable as a proportion.

Our intake of students from low participation neighbourhoods has however
decreased as a proportion.
We note that 2012 was an unusual year for Sheffield and many other institutions in
terms of intake numbers and it is difficult to draw firm conclusions about the direction
of travel in the new fees regime on the basis of this year’s data alone.
3.4 Financial commitment to additional access and support measures
Based on our analysis of absolute and relative performance against benchmarks, we
have noted positive trends in relation to a number of key indicators but in others,
especially LPN and NS SEC, we have noted a downward trend. Section 4 provides further
detail on how we will build on our successes and attempt to reverse the declines we
have seen in these areas. However, we continue to have a general concern that the
changes taking place in the wider environment for UK undergraduates mean that
maintaining or improving performance in a number of these areas is likely to become
even more challenging.

In this context we are proposing to devote an overall proportion of 28.4% of
additional fee income (including 10% of the additional fees associated with our
PGCE intake) to access measures (pre-entry work, retention support and financial
support).
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Our financial forecasts for 2014/15 indicate that the OFFA countable budget for our
widening participation work (excluding government contribution to the National
Scholarships Programme) will be in the region of £11.2 million, which we propose to
allocate across our activities as follows:

Outreach: £2.8 million (25%)

Retention and progression support: £1.4 million (12.5%)

Financial support to students: £7 million (62%)
Section 4: Future plans
4.1
Evidence-based approach
The evidence base for “what works” in widening participation is still relatively small.
Our future plans take account of the evidence provided by organisations such as the
Sutton Trust2 and OFFA3 as well as our own internal evidence of what has worked within
our own institution, for example data relating to the progression of participants of a
range of our outreach programmes, especially those on our long-term, intensive
programmes. The University shares with both OFFA and the Sutton Trust the view that
these sorts of programmes result in a higher level of progression of students from
under-represented groups into HE.
However, in the 2012/13 Access Agreement we committed to creating a Widening
Participation Research & Evaluation Unit (WPREU) within the University, to develop
quantitative and qualitative research into the long-term impact of our widening
participation initiatives, in conjunction with research experts. The initial priority for this
unit has been to develop a consistent evaluation framework to help assess the impact of
our outreach activities but we have also instigated longer term research activity to
measure, for example, the impact of financial support packages on widening
participation. This research will inform future investment into outreach and retention
activities, including our financial support offer. Further details of our evaluation activity
can be found in Section 6.
4.2
Additional access and retention measures
2
Sutton Trust Submission to Sir Martin Harris: Widening Access to Selective Universities, 2010
3
What more can be done to widen participation to selective universities”, OFFA, 2010/03
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Our plans for access and retention build on our success over recent years. They can be
split into five broad categories:

Outreach and widening participation programmes, including collaborative
outreach

Contextual data

Retention and support activity

Support for progression into graduate level employment or postgraduate study

Financial aid
4.2.1 Outreach and widening participation programmes
Targeting of our outreach programmes
We target participants of outreach programmes in line with HEFCE targeting guidelines4,
at both area level and learner level. We adapt our approach according to the nature of
the initiative, with broader targeting for primary activity (whole year groups) than for our
intensive, sustained programmes, which will generally be targeted at individual students
who meet a number of widening participation and academic criteria. The WP criteria will
typically include Low Participation Neighbourhood (POLAR) data, indices of multiple
deprivation (based on the individual’s postcode), parental occupation (as a proxy for
low socio-economic group), whether the pupil would be the first generation to enter HE,
alongside specific criteria such as being in care.
Faculty developments
In line with our Access Agreement commitments, during 2012/13 we have developed
and begun to implement Faculty based Widening Participation plans in specific
discipline areas. A key feature of these plans is the development of additional sustained,
intensive programmes targeting individual young people from under-represented
groups in HE.
Building on our experience of delivering long-term programmes in Medicine, Dentistry,
Law and Architecture, we have this year launched “Discover STEM”, recruiting around
60 Year 12 participants in the first instance. The intention is to expand the age group
targeted for this scheme, to at least Year 10 pupils, to engage with pupils before they
make key decisions about post-16 study. Discover STEM has specifically targeted LPN
4
Higher Education outreach: targeting disadvantaged learners. HEFCE, 2007/12
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students but has also recruited a number of students from BME backgrounds, as well as
targeting females, as an under-represented group within the Faculty.
A new “Discover Social Sciences” scheme will be introduced in September 2013 to
raise awareness and aspiration of young pupils to the breadth of subject areas and
potential careers linked to the Faculty.
Students on these schemes are flagged within the admissions process; some will be
offered slightly lower entry grades, others may be viewed flexibly at confirmation and
clearing. Through implementing such schemes, and by offering a financial support
package to complement these schemes, we believe that we will attract more students
from under-represented groups to study at the University of Sheffield.
As our evidence base of what works grows, we will further refine our approach to
targeting. We are also developing different models of school/college and university
partnerships and this will lead to a more defined offer for different ‘tiers’ of schools
and colleges based on a prioritisation model.
The table below illustrates that the programmes being implemented by the Faculties
target students from a range of backgrounds / target groups and shows that LPN, one
of our primary concerns, is a key target for all Faculties, with NS SEC being the second
most targeted group.
LPN
Ar t s &
Humanit ies
Engineer ing
P
Low NS SEC
Disabilit y*
P
St at e schools
P
Mat ur e
P
Science
Social
Sciences
P
Medicine,
Dent ist r y &
Healt h
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
TILL
P
P
LAC*
Et hnicit y
P
P
P
Women
P
P
Ret ent ion
*
P
P
P
Looked aft er childr en/ car e leaver s and st udent s wit h disabilit ies ar e encour aged t o
par t icipat e in all out r each pr ogr ammes. Wher e t her e is a t ick, it denot es pr oject s
specifically t ar get ing t hese gr oups. Ther e ar e cent r ally managed pr oject s t hat t ar get
t hese gr oups also.
Geographical focus
The University has a longstanding commitment to working with schools and colleges in
the Sheffield City Region, which encompasses South Yorkshire and neighbouring areas
(Bassetlaw, Bolsover, Chesterfield, Derbyshire Dales and NE Derbyshire). This will
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continue to be the primary focus of our face to face outreach activity. However, through
continued and expanded collaboration with other selective HEIs, we continue to offer a
range of outreach opportunities to students from further afield, e.g. Yorkshire and the
Humber (through our Excellence Hubs partnership with the universities of Leeds, Hull
and York) and nationally through our active role in the Russell Group. By 2014/15 we will
have reviewed our intake data for WP students to identify whether there are
opportunities to develop further collaborative activity with HE partners outside of the
Yorkshire and Humber region, for example the North West and East Midlands. We
recognise that many students from WP backgrounds will still choose to go to university
further away from their home towns and on that basis we are exploring opportunities
for collaborative activity on a regional or national basis, e.g. Realising Opportunities.
In addition to such outreach initiatives, we continue to adopt a more systematic
approach to the use of contextual data in the admissions process. By highlighting
students from disadvantaged backgrounds from across the UK, we can reach underrepresented groups of students on a national basis (see 4.2.2). Our financial support for
students also applies to students nationally.
Collaborative working with other HEIs
The University continues to work collaboratively with other HEIs and other stakeholders
to maintain and further develop our successful regional and national partnerships. These
include:

the newly established HE Progression Partnership, in collaboration with Sheffield
Hallam University and other stakeholders in the Sheffield City Region (as a
replacement to the networks and partnerships we had developed under Aimhigher).
This has been, and will continue to be funded jointly by the University of Sheffield
and Sheffield Hallam University.

the Excellence Hubs partnership (between the Universities of Leeds, York, Hull and
Sheffield). Excellence hubs targets high achieving students from currently underrepresented groups within the region to encourage and facilitate progression of the
“most able, least likely” group of students to selective HEIs. A key aim of this work
is to encourage young people to consider entering selective HEIs and to better
prepare them for study at a research-intensive university.

wider collaboration with other Russell Group HEIs, including providing up to date
and accurate information to prospective students, parents, teachers and other
advisers in schools and colleges and other possible links as previously highlighted.
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From August 2013, the University will be a member of Realising Opportunities (RO), a
national collaborative Partnership of research intensive universities working together to
promote fair access and social mobility of students from under-represented groups. The
Partnership was awarded the Times Higher Education, Widening Participation Initiative
of the year 2011 and in October 2012 featured as an example of good practice in Alan
Milburn’s report ‘University Challenge: How Higher Education Can Advance Social
Mobility’.
The Realising Opportunities programme provides support for students through
interventions designed to raise aspirations and enable them to demonstrate their
potential for success at a research intensive university. These interventions are offered
both at their local participating university, and nationally. The programme includes a
National Student Conference and each student is provided with ongoing support and
encouragement by a student e-mentor who is an undergraduate student from one of
the Partner universities.
Successful completion of RO, which includes a robust academic element, will result in
additional consideration given to applications through UCAS from all RO partner
universities and the potential for an alternative offer with a variance of up to 40 UCAS
points or equivalent.
Realising Opportunities has a robust evaluation framework which incorporates
contextual data, student aspirations and the tracking of students through the UCAS
process. In 2013 an academic research team will be appointed to provide an overarching
academic research study for RO.
Each of the participating Realising Opportunities institutions has committed future funds
to ensure the on-going delivery and development of RO to 2016. Each of the
universities has agreed a financial contribution of £42,092 to support delivery in 2014 –
2015.
Realising Opportunities Collaborative Target
For the first time in 2012 – 2013 the Partnership has set a joint target with regard to
progression to research intensive universities (RIU). The aim of the partnership is that 36%
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of students starting the RO Programme in Year 12 in 2013 will progress to a research
intensive university in 2015 and that 38% of students starting RO in Year 12 in 2014 will
progress to an RIU in 2016.
Links with Schools and Colleges
The University has developed strong links with schools and colleges over a number of
years. In addition to the operational links we have, we have more recently emphasised
the strategic nature of the relationships between the University and schools and colleges
in the region. For example:

We currently have around 80 University staff acting as school governors, and have
been working with the School Governor’s One Stop Shop in recent months to
explore how our participation in governing bodies can be expanded over time

our annual Schools and Colleges conference provides an opportunity for teaching
and guidance staff to be updated on developments both at the University of
Sheffield and in the wider sector

“REACH”, our e-newsletter is available to all staff in schools and colleges within the
Sheffield City Region, and a new version of this has been introduced for the national
audience

Further development of our consultation programme for Heads and Principals of
local schools and colleges has resulted in the development of an advisory group,
which can be a helpful source of information about the pre-HE sector as well as
acting as a sounding board for any developments we would like to ‘test’ with
schools and colleges

We also contribute to regional activity targeting schools and colleges in
collaboration with HEPP, from a CPD perspective for teachers as well as with
activities targeting pupils
We believe that these opportunities facilitate effective two-way communication and help
us to develop stronger partnerships with our key stakeholders.
Although the University has taken the decision not to become exclusively involved in
individual school governance, for example through the sponsorship of an academy, we
are currently exploring new models for partnership working with schools and colleges
and this may lead to us implementing a prioritisation model in future years, to take
account of those schools and colleges who would benefit most from participation in our
outreach programmes.
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Part-time provision
For over fifty years the University has had a strong commitment to part-time degree
provision delivered by its Institute of Lifelong Learning (TILL). Our 2013/14 Agreement
committed significant financial support for part time students studying through TILL in
the form of fee waivers. The fee waivers, (which were implemented from 2012/13) will
continue to be offered until at least 2014/15 in line with NSP regulations (see ‘Financial
support for part-time students’, below).
Our commitment to working with part-time students and mature students generally has
been reinforced by the recent appointment of a new Director of TILL, who will be taking
a lead in the review of our current offer, to update and where possible extend our
undergraduate
curriculum for part time, mature students.
Our targets in this area are developmental, and will be clarified in the coming months
but we have included additional milestones for part time mature learners in the 2014/5
milestones section.
4.2.2 Contextual Data
Contextual information sets an application in its educational and/or socio-economic
context, allowing Admissions Selectors to take into account challenges an applicant has
faced in their education and the effect of such challenges on their performance in
qualifications.
After the completion of a significant research project in 2011, the University has
implemented a contextual data scheme designed to:
1) effectively highlight students from disadvantaged backgrounds
2) enable admissions selectors to make informed holistic decisions which take into
account the challenges an applicant has faced.
As part of the above the University is using a broad range of data which includes
residence in an area with low participation rates in Higher Education (POLAR2),
residence in a deprived neighbourhood (Indices of Multiple Deprivation rankings) and
participation in the University's outreach programmes (e.g. ADOPT, Discover, SOAMS).
In addition, the University has established a Disrupted Studies process which allows
applicants to let us know if they have experienced issues of a personal, social or
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domestic nature that have affected their post-16 studies. This information is then used
alongside other contextual data in the selection process.
4.2.3 Retention and support activity
The University has committed significant effort to support and retention activity, as
demonstrated by our strong performance against non-continuation benchmarks.
Examples of the support we offer to students to facilitate their transitions into and
through the University include:

Orientation programme for students, with particular emphasis on local students,
commuter students, mature students and students with a disability

Peer mentoring activity for a range of target groups including mature students,
disabled students and local students

Academic skills support, including targeted and tailored maths support

Counselling service available to all students but with specialist support for
students with mental ill health, including one-to-one , group work and on-line
counselling and psychological wellbeing support including interactive university
web sites and external 24/7 online monitored provision.

University health service targeted to students' needs, maximising the
opportunities for retention and progression through its work with patients, other
support services and academic departments.

Targeted psychological wellbeing/mental health campaigns at strategic points,
such as Intro Week, study abroad preparation period, post-exams, mental health
week

Financial support and specialist one to one advice for students facing financial
difficulties
A new development for students entering the University from 2012 is ‘301’ – the
Student Skills and Development Centre. This facility, which officially opened in February
2013, will provide opportunities for students to acquire and further develop skills in a
range of areas, including Maths and Statistics, modern languages, employability skills
and leadership skills. 301 will also provide access to Dyslexia Support, Mentoring
Support, a Writing Advisory Service and an Information Service. With the collaboration
of Faculty colleagues, 301 will pilot targeted, subject based support for students from
particular groups where specific support requirements have been identified as beneficial
to the students’ progression and success, for example, study skills workshops targeted
at specific groups within the Law department.
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4.2.4 Post-degree progression support – targeted careers guidance
The Careers Service will provide information, advice and guidance to students from
widening participation backgrounds at pre-entry stage in order to raise aspirations and
awareness of graduate and professional career opportunities. This will be undertaken in
collaboration with central Outreach staff, focusing on key points such as Year 9 (options),
Year 11 (progression to post-16 education), and Year 12/13 (higher education choices);
activities will include visits to target schools to deliver awareness sessions, involvement
in school visits into the University, and work with the University’s Institute of Lifelong
Learning to support potential mature entrants.
In addition, the Careers Service will develop and deliver a range of resources (for
example in relation to the graduate labour market) to support teachers and other
influencers who assist pupils in making decisions about HE.
In order to enhance the knowledge and awareness of current students from widening
participation backgrounds of the need to gain relevant skills and experience for entry
into specific professions, the Careers Service will also deliver a programme of support
during their time at the University to assist their transition into the graduate labour
market. Tailored workshops will be delivered for specific target groups and students will
also have access to additional individual guidance sessions, support with job
applications and targeted promotion of other Careers Service provision.
4.2.5 Financial Aid
Financial Support for Full-time Students
Our proposals for financial support are specifically aimed at widening participation
students and are broadly the same as those proposed in our 2012/13 Access Agreement,
which were developed by assessing to what extent financial aid can overcome barriers to
participation for under-represented groups.
The financial aid package we intend to retain for 2014/15 caters primarily for:

Students from less advantaged and low income backgrounds.

Looked after children/care leavers

Young carers
Our packages include a combination of fee waivers and bursaries and will be available to
students from households with incomes up to £42k p.a. We estimate that by 2015,
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approximately 40% of our full-time, Home/EU undergraduate intake will receive some
form of financial aid from the University each year.
National Scholarships Programme (NSP) contributions
Most of our NSP funds will be used to continue supporting our commitment to provide
full first-year fee waivers to the most disadvantaged students, assessed against a
combination of postcode (measured against the Indices of Multiple Deprivation [IMD])
and household income. As the available funds for the NSP increase in 2013 and 2014, we
will extend access to the scheme by including more IMD postcodes.
For 2013/14 entry students from deprived areas with household incomes of up to £25k
will be eligible for an NSP award for their first year of study. Students in the most
deprived areas (as measured by IMD) will receive an award of £9,000 and students in a
second tier of deprivation will receive an award of £6,000.
The £9,000 award is made up of £3,000 NSP contribution, £3,000 match funding from
the University plus an extra £3,000 from the University to make up the equivalent of a
full fee waiver. We expect around 200 students will receive this level of support. In line
with NSP guidelines, this total can be taken as a full fee waiver or can be taken as a
combination of a part fee waiver and part bursary or discount against University
accommodation. Students with household income under £25,000p.a will also be eligible
for a University bursary (see below).
The £6,000 awards consist of the £3,000 NSP contribution plus the £3,000 match
funding from the University. In line with NSP guidelines, this award can be taken as a
partial fee waiver (or full fee waiver in the case of the Engineering foundation) or can be
a combination of part fee waiver and part bursary or discount against University
accommodation. We expect that around 160 students will receive this level of support.
Students with household income under £25,000p.a will also be eligible for a University
bursary (see below).
NSP funds will also be used to support care leavers (aged under 21) and young carers
with an award of £9,000 in their first year, with an option to take this as a full fee waiver
or as a combination of a part fee waiver and part bursary or discount against University
accommodation. We expect that around 10 students will receive this level of support.
These students will also be entitled to a University bursary in line with their household
income (see below).
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We will also use NSP funds to support part-time adult learners with no previous HE
qualifications and from low income backgrounds (see below).
Finally, in 2014/15 we will use some of our match funding for the NSP to support our
City Scholars Scheme, which is a scholarship for students who achieve ABB (or
equivalent) and come from low participation neighbourhoods in the Sheffield City
Region. The scholarships provide £1500 for each year of study, in addition to any other
University bursaries the student is eligible for.
Externally branded scholarships
The University has entered an agreement with HSBC to provide 5 students with a fee
free course commencing in 2013/14. HSBC will provide a contribution of £5000 for each
student each year and the University will match fund this amount. Each student will
benefit from not being charged any tuition fees and they will receive a bursary of £1000
each year of study, this is in addition to other University bursaries they are eligible for.
Our HSBC scholarships will be awarded to 5 high achieving care leavers.
University Bursary Scheme
In addition to the NSP packages, the University will offer a bursary scheme to students
with a household income of up to £42k. These bursaries are allocated purely on the
basis of household income and do not depend on a student coming from a low IMD
area. The bursary amounts are highlighted below:
Household
income
£0£18,000
£18,001-
£25,001-
£ 30,001
£35,001-
£25,000
£30,000
-
£42,000
£35,000
University
£1,400
£1,100
£750
£600
£500
bursary
scheme
Financial Support for Part-time students
Part-time fees at the University of Sheffield for 2013/4 and beyond will rise to the
equivalent of £6,750 full-time equivalent. In order to ensure that part-time students
from low income backgrounds are not deterred from pursuing HE, the University has put
financial support packages in place, as follows:
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Foundation Programme
For students whose gross household income is less than £25,000 per year, the University
will offer a full fee waiver. Eligible students will therefore pay no fee to complete the
foundation programme.
Certificate
Students with a household income of less than £25,000 per year who have not
previously successfully completed a higher education qualification (at the level of or
above the level of the intended study) will receive a fee waiver (£3,375) for the first 60
credits. Students will be expected to pay £3,375 in the 2nd year of study, and students
will be able to apply for a Tuition Fee Loan to cover this cost.
Part-time degree programmes
For students with a household income of less than £25,000 with no previous higher
education qualifications at the level of or above the level of the intended study there is a
full fee waiver (£3,375 per 60 credits) for the first 60 credits and the final 60 credits. This
usually equates to year 1 and year 6 of study. Students will also be eligible to apply for a
Tuition Fee Loan to cover the cost of years 2 to 5.
Students with a household income of less than £18,000 p.a. with no previous higher
education experience and qualifications will receive a full fee waiver (£3,375 per 60
credits) for the first 60 credits and the final 60 credits plus a 50% fee waiver for the
remaining 240 credits. Students will also be eligible to apply for a Tuition Fee Loan to
cover the cost of years 2 to 5.
There is a considerable degree of uncertainty around the likely intake of part-time adult
learners in 2013/14, however our current projections suggest that 65-70 students will
benefit from these fee waivers in 2013/14, equivalent to just under half of the projected
total part-time undergraduate population.
Section 5: Targets & Milestones
5.1
Targets
Our key aims in relation to widening participation are to:
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
increase our recruitment of academically capable students from the lowest socioeconomic groups

grow the number of students with disabilities entering the University

maintain our strong our performance in recruitment of students from low
participation neighbourhoods

maintain our mature student intake

maintain our intake of students from black and other minority ethnic groups

grow the number of part-time students entering the University and improve
progression and success rates of students through first degree programmes.
The targets we set for 2012/13 and 2013/14 reflected our aspiration to maintain our
strong position with regard to HESA benchmarks and other institutionally driven targets,
specifically to:

increase recruitment from students from socio-economic groups 4-7,

sustain our success in relation to attracting students from state schools and low
participation neighbourhoods.
We noted our concern in previous Agreements that the changing fees regime would
make it more difficult to maintain our strong position in relation to widening
participation and we note again this year that a number of factors are likely to further
militate against some aspects of widening participation in the future. We therefore
propose to maintain our commitment to work towards the targets agreed for 2012/13
and beyond, despite experiencing a recent decline in some indicators. Although we
remain concerned about the progress we can make, we have identified within this
Agreement a number of steps we have taken to overcome some of the issues we face
and expect that these steps will support the achievement of targets in the future.
For 2014/15 we are now in a position to include more detailed targets around our
collaborative efforts with other HEIs, in particular for the work we are undertaking with
Sheffield Hallam University.
Please see Annexe B, table 5a for details of our quantitative targets.
5.2
Milestones
We continue to be committed to expanding our outreach provision across all sectors
(primary school activity through to post-16 activity), expanding our retention, support
and progression activity for post-entry students and undertaking research into the
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impact of our activity to inform future policy and practice. Our milestones set out how
we will deliver on the proposals for growth and development in these areas.
In addition to consolidating the milestones we previously committed to within the 2013
agreement, we have also included some additional milestones to reflect developments
we wish to implement in future years. Namely these link to part-time mature learners,
and activity to support community and school based attainment raising activity.
Please see Annexe B, table 5b for details of our milestones.
Section 6: Monitoring and evaluation arrangements
6.1 Evaluation Framework
The WPREU was created in May 2012 to build on existing evaluation work, create an
evaluation toolkit, establish a consistent approach to monitoring and evaluation of WP
activities across the University, and deliver institution-specific WP related research.
WPREU is implementing and developing an evaluation framework across a number of
areas. Currently, we are:

creating an institution-specific map and typology of WP activities to inform the
further development of the evaluation framework;

developing an evaluation toolkit (section 6.1.2);

delivering a number of detailed evaluation projects (section 6.1.3);

putting arrangements in place to track the progression of former participants
(section 6.1.4);

implementing a regular practitioner feedback cycle to ensure that WP practice
across the university is informed by evaluation outcomes.
6.1.2 Evaluation toolkit
The toolkit consists of a number of evaluation instruments and resources to facilitate the
consistent evaluation of WP-focussed outreach, student support and retention provision
for a wide variety of activities across the institution.
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The toolkit includes a semi-flexible standardised questionnaire that is used by
practitioners to;

collect demographic data from participants;

measure the impact of activities in terms of;
o
how much the activity is changing participant attitudes
o
how much it is supporting the development of relevant skills and
knowledge
o
how successful they are in achieving the outcome objectives of the event.
The data collected from the questionnaires is used to;

provide an ‘instant’ feedback report to practitioners for each activity;

monitor the effective targeting of activities by capturing key demographic WP
indicators for the participant cohort;

provide overall feedback on the effectiveness and impact of the institution’s WP
activities.
We are conducting a wide range of focus groups, individual interviews, case studies and
surveys with participants, their parents and teachers to supplement and broaden this
evidence base.
6.1.3 Detailed evaluation research projects
We are also running a number of detailed evaluation case studies, individually designed
to explore the impact of specific WP programmes. Each focus closely on cohort groups
and will closely monitor changes in attitude towards HE, knowledge and skills
development and will use specific impact measures to evaluate the outcomes of the
activity or programme. Where possible these projects will include a control population
of non-participants to increase the robustness of research outcomes.
6.1.4 Progression tracking
The absence of a nationwide data set and the demise of Aimhigher mean that there is
currently no mechanism for easily and consistently tracking participants to identify
progression to HE. We are working to mitigate this by:

Seeking to establish data-sharing protocols with as many partner schools as
possible;
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
Working via our collaborative arrangements with Sheffield Hallam University
through the HEPP to access progression and attainment data from partners;

Surveying activity participants at the end of Year 13 to gather data on their
progression and attainment outcomes;

Investing in systems development to support this activity.
6.2 Collaborative evaluation activity
Through the HEPP partnership we are developing a shared evaluation strategy and data
sharing protocol for collaborative activity. This also represents an excellent opportunity
for the institutions to share evaluation tools, data and expertise, to expand the focus of
evaluation across the sector and, potentially, to undertake collaborative research.
6.3 Academic research
In addition to the evaluation research projects discussed above, WPREU is working with
academic staff across the university who have a research interest in this area to deliver a
range of institution-specific projects. We intend that outcomes of these projects will be
disseminated across the sector. Current examples include:

Sheffield Student 2013 - using qualitative methods to track the lowest income
students through three years of study to inform future development of financial
and other student support packages;

A qualitative project exploring the impact of our intensive WP programmes on
students and alumni, focusing on our intensive programmes in Medicine and Law;

A qualitative project exploring the decision-making process of the most able
students who decide not to progress onto University at Key Stages 4 and 5;

Detailed research into the impact and perception of our financial support
packages, pre- and post-arrival.
WPREU are also co-ordinating a researcher network that brings together researchers
and practitioners with an interest in this area to encourage cross-fertilisation.
Section 7: Provision of information to prospective students
The University communicates with prospective and current students through a range of
media. For prospective students, we use the university wide prospectus, the University
website, electronic newsletters, specific printed brochures (for example for financial
support information) as well as face to face activity, targeting prospective students, their
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families and teachers/advisers in schools and colleges. We communicate with current
students primarily through the website and direct email to particular students groups.
We commit to providing accurate and timely information to prospective students,
parents, teachers and other advisers, through a range of communications channels, to
enable prospective students to make informed choices about what and where to study.
We also commit to providing accurate and timely information to UCAS and Student
Finance England to ensure that up to date information is available at all times.
We communicate to current students, primarily through web-based resources, to ensure
that they are effectively supported throughout the duration of their studies, including
for example links to money management tools to help them budget effectively.
Another mechanism for communicating information to students and their families is
through advisers within schools and colleges. This is achieved via consultation events, as
a result of delivering presentations at gatherings of teaching staff (e.g. Secondary Heads’
Association) and also through regular communication to schools and colleges through
the termly “REACH” e-newsletter.
Section 8: Consultation with the student body
The University benefits from very strong relationships with our student body and has
consulted with the Students' Union throughout the process of developing the 2014/15
Access Agreement. The President and the Education Officer of the Students’ Union
have been involved in our Access Agreement working group to represent the views of
our student body and to recommend changes to our approach for the benefit of our
students.
Examples of how these discussions have resulted in action are: the way in which we have
agreed to maximise the opportunity for students to take a higher proportion of the fee
waiver as an optional bursary payment (up to £4k rather than the £2k that was offered in
2012/13); the commitment to exploring ways in which the University can support
community based city- wide study support activity.
The University encourages student representation on major University level committees,
including, for example, the Learning & Teaching Committee and the Admissions and
Outreach Sub Committee, which is involved in signing off and approving the University's
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Access Agreement commitments. This ensures that the needs and wishes of current
students are taken account of through discussions that contribute to the setting of
targets, milestones, financial support for students, as well as other key issues.
Section 9: Consideration of Equality and Diversity
The University has been consulting staff and students within the past 12 months, led by
members of our Equality and Diversity Board (EDB), to develop a number of
transformational equality objectives. The key areas for action, agreed by University
Council, are:

“Recruiting for difference”, for staff and students

Addressing the disconnect between the University's Equality and Diversity policies
and their implementation

Addressing the inequalities in the City.
There are specific objectives for each of the stated themes. Our key driver is to align with
and support University business, and use the equality objectives as a vehicle to
accelerate our inclusion agenda. Specific proposals will link directly to and enhance our
WP and student recruitment activity. For example, our proposals state that:

We will develop a clear view on the diversity aims of student recruitment and have
clear proposals to achieve this

We will work to improve the quantitative and qualitative data around equality

Recognising the importance of civic engagement in the curriculum, and its popularity
amongst our students, we will establish a fund to support the development of
opportunities for UG and PGT students to undertake 'citizen scholarship' on projects
designed to understand and tackle local inequalities
We will work with the EDB to ensure that the diversity data already collected by the
University informs future development of our outreach work, and to identify gaps in that
data, (in particular around the wider protected characteristics that do not currently
represent specific WP target groups). We will develop a clear vision of our student
diversity aims in partnership with key stakeholders and the EDB, ensuring WP is integral
to that vision. In recognition that WP over-laps with some but not all of the protected
characteristics under the Equality Act, we will work together on targeted actions to
support the University's strategic priorities in this area.
At a more operational level, through our outreach and retention programmes we have
already implemented a number of specific actions to encourage and support
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progression of students from diverse groups. Further examples that link more closely to
the protected characteristic groups are provided below:

Pre-entry activities targeting female students for Science and Engineering degrees
and careers. Although this may not be a key target group for general WP activity, our
analysis shows an under-representation of female students and staff within the
Engineering Faculty; we have therefore taken steps to redress the balance, including
“Discover STEM for girls” activities, the creation of a Women in Engineering
Student Society (which already has over 100 members) and events promoting
University options for Girls in Science, Maths and Engineering targeting Year 12
students.

The appointment of a disability transitions officer who supports prospective and new
students, working with individuals, schools and colleges to minimise difficulties at
the most vulnerable stage of the student journey, providing information and advice
to prospective students and their families.

Delivering a comprehensive support programme (“Supporting the Supporters”)
offering staff training in the support of diverse student groups, e.g. those on the
Autistic spectrum, with dyslexia, dyspraxia or mental health difficulties and a
Disability Liaison Officer within each academic department.

Our multi-faith chaplaincy (including a Muslim chaplain).

Specialist services and support package co-ordination by mental health professionals,
working with staff from academic departments, support and wellbeing teams,
accommodation and faculty administration to join up support for students with the
most complex mental health needs.
All of this work will feed into our impact assessment, which will enable us to consider all
protected characteristics and widening participation groups in a holistic manner, to
inform future actions and targets.
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