‘Too old. Not intelligent enough. Can’t afford it’:

the Challenges of Adult Outreach

Leeds Case Study

Lindsey Fraser

Lifelong Learning Centre

University of Leeds

Undergraduate profile

2016-17 Entrants86% under 21

96% full-time

77% SEC 1-3 (high)*

* excluding unknown & p/t

Access Agreement Targets:

Mature Students

16% from LPNs and no prior experience of HE

87.6% (as above) continue with their studies

Lifelong Learning Centre

Adult students

Foundation years

Whole student lifecycle:

pre-university

pro-active support

bespoke programmes

Adult Outreach

Transforming Horizons Framework

Stage 1: Connect

Stage 2: Aspire

Stage 3: Step Change

Methodology

Tracking outreach participants – bespoke database (since 2013) cross-referenced with student records

Qualitative interviews with a participant sample (n=14)

• Educational and social background;

• Reasons for engaging in the outreach intervention;

• Any perceived correlation between consequent actions relating to educational/vocational/civic activity and outreach interventions;

• Participant feedback and reflections regarding intervention/s;

• Attitudes towards a university engaging in community-based outreach activity.

Monitored Outreach InterventionsActivity Description

Information,

Advice and

Guidance

Impartial Matrix Accredited Information, Advice and Guidance which includes

multiple appointments; support with applications, personal statements;

student finance advice plus understanding different institutional financial

support packages

Subject Specific

Taster Days

On-campus, curriculum specific targeted at FE level 2 or equivalent learners.

Crèche available

Study Days Related to GCSEs and other FE level 2 qualifications also tailored to bespoke

adult education or community groups on and off campus. Crèche available

Jumpstart Early evening non award bearing 6 – 10 week programme targeted at adults

engaged in or considering FE level 2 qualifications. An informal course which

aims to give its participants an understanding of different undergraduate

curriculum areas whilst embedding skills required for higher education such as

critical thinking, academic writing, presentations

Adult Learning

Summer School

3 or 4 day summer school targeted at adults from LPNs, with few

qualifications. Exploring a range of curricula, academic skills and information

sessions. Seeking to contextualise adult life experiences. Crèche available

Community Visits Awareness-raising activities with community groups from the Leeds City

Region encouraging time spent on-campus

FindingsQuantitative tracking

• 4,706 adults taking part in documented outreach activity during last three years.

• 486 have progressed to University of Leeds

• 43% of the participants who progressed took part in more than one outreach activity compared with 22% of the overall adult outreach cohort.

• Apart from IAG which is in itself a multiple intervention, participants were more likely to progress from activities with a greater level of intensity.

• A high proportion of students (c.60%) progressed to foundation years, foundation degrees and other part-time provision.

• Most students progressed in the academic year immediately following outreach activity.

c. 10% took 2 years or more to progress.

• IAG data indicates that an additional c.220 outreach participants per annum are referred to other local higher education provision

Data analysis undertaken by Richard Francis, Lifelong Learning Centre, University of Leeds

respect

influencers

relationship-building

belonging

Theme Spotting

impartiality

Key Element Volunteer Mature Student Learning Champion

‘Well they’re just normal people like myself, like with children, and they’re not, you know, I don’t know who I think should go to university but they were just more like me’.

Recommendations

• Impartial Advice and Guidance

• Volunteer mature student learning champions

• Number of outreach activities, ‘consistent and sustained interventions’, ‘need to start early’ *

• Development of peer support and networking from initial contact

• Greater awareness of mature matriculation ?

• Bespoke staff and space for adult students

• Integration of pre-entry activity into the mature student cycle

• Supporting pre-HE pathways for adult learners

• Long term approach to collaboration with community-facing organisations*Moore J, Sanders J, Higham L(2013),Literature review of research into widening participation to higher education Report to HEFCE and OFFA by ARC Network Ltd August 2013

Outreach: A Wider Role?

Contributing to Critical Engagementin adult community learning

‘we did about the Brexit (prior to

referendum). We did … and that was,

it gave us an idea of how they taught

and you learn and, yeah, how you

argued things and not just believe

everything you see in the papers like I

actually did. Yeah, so it did give you an

idea of how to be like an academic

learner, just a small taster wasn’t it?’.

University of Leeds

Lifelong Learning Centre

Lindsey Fraser

l.fraser@leeds.ac.uk