Widening Participation Conference 2024

Thursday 5th December 2024
8:45 am - 3:40 pm

The Widening Participation Conference 2024 will focus on how providers can deliver impact following the submission of Access and Participation Plans and explore how to support continuous improvement in reducing risks to equality of opportunity.

The Conference will:

  • Explore outcomes and learning points following the completion of new Access and Participation Plans

  • Assess solutions in consistently meeting the expectations of the Equality of Opportunity Risk Register

  • Showcase new insights in designing and implementing evidence-led interventions

  • Share best practice from providers demonstrating real outcomes on outreach and partnership

  • Examine how to enhance evaluation approaches to maximise the impact of interventions

Why attend the conference?

Evaluate your route to delivering on your Access and Participation Plan

Stress test your evaluation toolkit to optimise interventions

Gain examples and ideas from providers demonstrating real progress

Headline Speakers

Professor Graeme Atherton
Director
NEON

Dr Anna Anthony
Director
Higher Education Access Tracker (HEAT) Service

Professor Eunice Simmons
Vice-Chancellor and Principal
University of Chester

Reena Littlehales
Undergraduate Student Recruitment and Access Officer, Keele University
UK Chair, HELOA

Agenda

09:30 am

Chair’s Welcome Address

Holly Rowe
Deputy Head of Widening Participation
University of Cambridge (CONFIRMED)

09:40 am

Leaders’ Panel Discussion: Where Next for Access and Participation Amid Sector Turbulence?

  • Building real progress on outcomes following the completion of revised Access and Participation Plans

  • The next steps on delivering evidence-led interventions with robust evaluation capabilities

  • What does a challenging context on resourcing and funding restraint mean for investment and execution?

  • How can the sector improve collaboration to understand what works and drive enhanced outreach with schools?

Professor Graeme Atherton
Director
NEON (CONFIRMED)

Natalia Hill
Head of Access and Widening Participation
University of Wolverhampton (CONFIRMED)

Professor Eunice Simmons
Vice-Chancellor and Principal
University of Chester (CONFIRMED)

Reena Littlehales
Undergraduate Student Recruitment and Access Officer, Keele University
UK Chair, HELOA (CONFIRMED)

10:40 am

Working Together for Fair Access: A Collective Approach to Widening Participation

  • This session seeks to explore proposals for fairer access, discussing key questions that could shape future sector-wide strategies:

  • What ambitious targets should we set as a sector to achieve fairer access over the next decade?

  • How could Scotland’s approach to fair access provide insights for policy and practice in England?

  • What is the optimal balance between regulatory guidance and university autonomy?

  • What practical steps can universities take to create more inclusive pathways into higher education?

Jon Datta
Head of University Access and Digital
The Sutton Trust (CONFIRMED)

11:10 am

Break and Networking

11:30 am

Examining the Relationship Between Degree Apprenticeships and Widening Participation

Drawing on the research from the Edge Foundation and Sheffield Hallam University report ‘Widening participation and degree apprenticeships’ This session will explore:

  • The role of universities and employers in recruiting degree apprentices

  • How outreach for degree apprenticeships can differ from outreach for full-time undergraduate programmes

  • The inclusion of degree apprenticeships within APPs and data availability

Charlynne Pullen
Principal Research Fellow
Sheffield Hallam University (CONFIRMED)

12:00 pm

What Next for Uni Connect? Enhancing Collaborative Outreach

Following an independent review, led by Public First, assessing the impact of Uni Connect programmes, this session will take a deep dive into future opportunities for driving an enhanced approach to collaborative outreach. The session will consider how to:

  • Develop a coherent mission and structure for supporting long-term impact

  • Reduce duplication and inefficiency across the partnerships

  • Support consistency in evaluation practices

  • Lead an enhanced profile and integration with the schools sector

  • Design an approach to evaluating collaborative outreach and supporting improved accountability

Dr Sally Burtonshaw
Director
Public First (CONFIRMED)

12:30 pm

Lunch and Networking

1:20 pm

Using your Access and Participation Plan to plan, deliver and evaluate a Whole Provider Approach (WPA)

This session will draw from research, a review of wave 1 APPs and the WPA support programme delivered by the Centre for Research on Education and Social Justice at the University of York.  It will cover:

  • Defining what a whole provider approach is

  • Reviewing your whole provider approach

  • Identifying WPA student experience interventions

  • Recognising the importance of ‘enabling environment’ interventions

  • Evaluating a WPA, including an invitation for Liz Thomas to deliver an WPA evaluation workshop at your institution

Dr Liz Thomas
Professor of Higher Education
University of York (CONFIRMED)

1:50 pm

Implementing Evidence-Led Interventions

This session will outline some essential components for success in effectively implementing evidence led interventions.

 Through case study examples from Nottingham Trent University, attendees will gain an insight into some of the considerations, complexities and challenges associated with effective implementation. Specific attention will be given to;

  • seeking and gathering evidence

  • working in partnership

  • ensuring that interventions are effective and relevant to stakeholders

Kimberley Simms
Head of Widening Access and Community Engagement
Nottingham Trent University (CONFIRMED)

2:20 pm

Break and Networking

2:40 pm

Building Robust Evaluation Capabilities in A&P Reporting and Delivery

  • Evaluating activities within an APP – from theory to practice

  • Developing a holistic picture of evidence through longitudinal tracking

  • Building on our strengths as a collaboration to evaluate effectively

  • Meeting OfS expectations on Standards of Evidence when evaluating

  • What’s next for the HEAT collaboration?

Dr Anna Anthony
Director
Higher Education Access Tracker (HEAT) Service (CONFIRMED)

3:10 pm

Publishing Evaluation Outcomes: How Should We Approach This?

  • Understanding the requirements of new Access and Participation Plan guidance to publish evaluation outcomes and share what works

  • How do we go beyond a tick box and use this as an opportunity to build a meaningful evidence base across the sector?

  • Developing awareness of findings and considering the audience and purpose for publications

  • Outlining new guidance from Russell Group Widening Participation Evaluation Forum on key considerations for publishing evaluations

  • How can we support publishing routes that maximise the impact of evaluation outcomes and allow knowledge sharing to thrive in the sector?

3:40 pm

Conference Close

*Programme subject to change

Audience

This event is designed for those engaged in widening participation, access and outreach. Those in attendance will include:

  • Directors of Student Recruitment and Admissions

  • Directors of Widening Participation

  • Heads of Access

  • Heads of Outreach

  • Heads of Student Success

  • Heads of Widening Participation

  • Access and Outreach Managers

  • Access and Outreach Officers

  • Access Projects Managers

  • Evaluation and Reporting Managers

  • Widening Participation Managers

  • Widening Participation Officers

Secure Your Ticket

Public Sector (HE)

£395 + VAT

Attendance to Widening Participation Conference 2024

Private Sector

£595 + VAT

Attendance to Widening Participation Conference 2024

For group discounts and enquiries about your registration please contact us on enquiries@heprofessional.co.uk