accessing the elite

Rethinking access

Emilie Sundorph, Researcher

@ESundorph

Louis Coiffait, Head of Education

@LouisMMCoiffait

Reform

@ReformThinkTank

Agenda

> Introducing Reform

> Report summary – Joining the elite

> Politics and what’s next

> Q&A

Introducing Reform

> Independent and non-partisan Westminster think tank

> Our mission is to set out a better way to deliver public services and economic prosperity

Joining the elite: how top universities can

enhance social mobility

> Increasing access at high-tariff institutions – why?

“Some institutions see WP

spending as a tax”



> Where has progress been made and how?

> Our research approach; o HESA data, o access agreements, o admissions policies, o OFFA spending data, o FOIs,o and interviews

> Built an access ‘league table’ of high-tariff institutions…



> The outlier, LSE

“Any institution that takes WP seriously has to consider

contextualised admissions”



> Defining contextualised admissions, a ‘spectrum’ of options



> What else works?

> Where do funds go exactly? > And how can we measure success?



> More uniform and detailed reporting of spending

> Using tracking services to make more specific aims for working with younger ages

> Understanding approaches to and outcomes of contextualised admissions

The wider political context, what next?

> Fees based on future earnings, properly benchmarked?

> Universities ‘awash with cash’ says Sunday Times

> Objections to contextualisedadmissions?

> Renewed focus on ‘skills / FE’still coming?

> Still pressure to sponsor schools, or other forms of partnership?

> Labour’s NES?

Joining the elite – Q&A

Emilie Sundorph and Louis Coiffait