UWE, Bristol

Higher Education & School Partnerships13th May 2008

Presentation by

Professor Stephen Hagen Director of Research, Business and Innovation, University of the West of England

About UWE• >30,000 students

– > 50 countries– >3,400 staff - largest provider of HE in SW– 600 undergraduate, postgraduate, professional and short courses

• 50% of UWE graduates retained in SW post qualifying

• Main Campus - Frenchay, Bristol – 4 campuses + regional centres in Bath, Gloucester & Swindon

• 5 faculties + Associate faculty in Gloucestershire– Bristol Business School– Creative Arts– Environment & Technology– Health and Life Sciences– Social Sciences and Humanities

About UWE• Strategic Objectives

– Student Experience

– High Quality Research

– Knowledge Exchange

– The UWE Federation

• Internationalisation across all objectives

• We believe in the power of ideas, knowledge and partnership

• RBI - strengthen and diversify UWE’s activities - research,

enterprise, innovation, cultural and business liaison.

• Close relationships - local business, community

– Widening participation programme

– Research and student placements

– Innovation, development of young enterprise

– Outreach Centre

• 140 schools and 17 FE colleges across the sub-region

• School leadership academy

• Local authority groups and scrutiny commission

• UWE staff as Governors of local schools and colleges

• Active with senior politicians and DfES officers during development of the Trust

School legislation

About UWE

• UWE & Bristol City FC helped St George Community College become

the first City Academy in the South West

• Finance Director is board member - key role in

– Co-ordinating funding

– Commissioning

– Procurement

The City Academy, Bristol

• Opened Sept 2003 and moved to new £27m purpose-built premises in

2005, including a £6m ‘Learning through Sport Centre’

• Facts and Figures

– 1300 students from within 1.3km, 19th most economically deprived ward in

England and Wales

– 49% of students in receipt of free school meals

– 38% of pupils speak English as an additional language

– 68% of students drawn from ethnic minority groups

– >25% of students have physical disabilities and learning difficulties

– Current turnover £10m per annum approx

The City Academy, Bristol

The City Academy, BristolAchievements in 2007

• 50% of pupils - at least 5 GCSE’s at grade C or above

• 96% of pupils - at least 5 GCSE's

• 99% of pupils - GCSE accreditation

• 92% school attendance

• 350 post-16 students studying at level 1, 2 and 3

• In top 5% of schools nationally for value added from Key Stage 3 to Key Stage 4

• Increased number students coming to UWE:– 4 in 1998

– 8 per year (average) between 2005-07

– 37 applicants for 2008 entry

• UWE – 1st HEI to sponsor a City Academy

• Multi-faceted relationship involving a variety of staff from all UWE faculties and

services

• New opportunities for research and CPD

– Innovative Research for Learning Partnership - research conducted by

school pupils, school staff and university tutors

• Innovative curriculum project introduced in the school (innovative approaches

to learning & student voice)

Relationship

• Foundation Degrees

– Foundation Degree in the Arts “Business Enterprise”

– 2 years duration, accredited by UWE

– UWE Federation and Academy delivery

– Essential characteristics

• Work-based learning

• Employer led

Education

• Common framework– Developed by Bristol Business School (BBS) and City Academy Bristol

– Shared modules and materials

– Key partner – schools & colleges in South West & Wales

– Target groups non-traditional HE students

• Unemployed

• Muslim women

• Former pupils

• Links ethnic networks and local employers

• Links small employers and social enterprise

Finance Academy

• Key characteristics

– Work-based learning

– Employer led

• Common framework

• Delivery

• Networks

Overview of Foundation Degrees

• New specialist Academies

– Retail Fashion Academy

– Engineering?

– Others?

• Offers a model for future development

– For inner city regeneration

– Routes for HE for 1st generation ethnic groups

– Contribute to life-long learning

– Raise aspirations, opportunities and motivation amongst young people

Future

Professor Stephen Hagen

Director of Research, Business and Innovation, University of the West of England

Stephen.Hagen@uwe.ac.uk

Tel. 0117 32835

Thank you