LBP0005

Written evidence submitted by The National Education Opportunities Network

Submission to call for evidence on ‘left behind white pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds’ from the National Education Opportunities Network (NEON)

1. Introduction and consultation process

1.1 NEON, founded in 2012, is the professional organisation for widening access, of traditionally underrepresented groups, to higher education (HE) in the UK. Under-represented groups in HE can include but are not limited to: students from economically disadvantaged, ethnic minority, disabled or care-leaver backgrounds. More information on NEON’s work can be found here.

1.2 NEON has four objectives:

Development: To increase the professionalisation of widening access work through the development and accreditation of practice

Research/Advocacy: To be a research and advocacy resource for those working in access at the local, regional and national level

Quality: To develop and enhance practice and quality in widening access work

Support: To offer input and support to policy-makers and government from the widening access community

1.3 NEON has over 100 Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) as members, whom they work with to deliver and evaluate outreach work to widen access and participation goals. In 2020-21 over 1200 professional have participated in NEON activities.

2. The remainder of this submission will outline the following: NEON’s research in to the underachievement of white pupils from disadvantaged background; how NEON’s research findings have shaped the support that they provide to their members in supporting young people of this background, and the impact of Covid-19 on the educational inequalities between white pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds, and their counterparts.

3. NEON’S research in to the underachievement of white pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds[1]

3.1 NEON has conducted extensive work on the educational underachievement of white students from disadvantaged backgrounds. NEON’s work in this area explores low HE access and participation among white students for whom disadvantage is defined as residence in areas of low rates of participation in HE – low participation neighbourhoods (LPN).

3.2 NEON acknowledges the heterogeneity in defining students of this background sometimes referred to collectively as white working class. Disadvantage can be measured in a number of ways including eligibility for free school meals, residence in LPN or areas of high-deprivation.

3.3 NEON’s research in this area, ‘Working Class Heroes, Understanding access to higher education for white students from lower socio-economic backgrounds’ has received extensive media coverage, including articles from the BBC[2], the Guardian[3] and Times Higher Education[4]

3.4 Since the release of this report, NEON has been invited to discuss the educational disadvantage faced by white students from white working class backgrounds on national television[5], and cited in parliament as evidence of inequalities in education.[6]

3.5 NEON’s work was cited in HEI Access & Participation plans, with respect to their targets around white working class students. Examples include Newcastle University[7], and Queen Mary University of London[8].

3.6 NEON’s research in this area, Working Class Heroes, Understanding access to higher education for white students from lower socio-economic backgrounds’ is comprised of four main methods of data collection. The key findings derived from each of these methods of data collection are outlined below.

3.6.1 An exploration of acceptances to HEIs in England for white students residing in LPN areas, via data from the University and College Admissions Service (UCAS). NEON found that over 50% of HEIs in England were admitting less than 5% of white students from LPNs. NEON’s research also demonstrates that there is huge variability in underachievement – in the form of low HE participation – by region, and the type of HEI provider. For example, the proportion of acceptances for students from this background (as a proportion of all acceptances) varies considerably across the sector (2-28%). The data also suggests that HE participation among this group is highest among HEIs in the North West.

3.6.2 An exploration of HEI access and participation plans, to decipher their strategic goals with respect to white, disadvantaged students. Strategic goals for this group specifically are lacking – an exploration of access and participation plans across the sector show that less than 20% of 124 HEIs referred to this group specifically.

3.6.3 A survey of over 60 HEIs and Uni-Connect partnerships to understand barriers to HE participation for this group of students, as well as the challenges to delivering outreach to this group. In-depth interviews with Uni-connect partnerships and HEI to explore these barriers and challenges in more detail were undertaken with two providers.

3.6.4 Key findings from surveys and in-depth interviews with HEIs and Uni-Connect partnerships are discussed with respect to: Principal factors which contribute to the educational underachievement seen for white pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds, and the challenges in delivering outreach work to this group

3.6.5 Principal factors which contribute to the educational underachievement seen for white pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds

3.6.5.1 The largest number of institutions suggested deep-rooted problems or challenges, at the macro, societal level, were the main challenges in engaging this group in HE.

3.6.5.2 Deep-rooted problems can refer to i) Area-level issues - infra-structure of areas in which the density of young people from this background was high, ii) Community views and feeling represented in HE and iii) The perceived value of HE in securing employment.

3.6.6 Area-level issues

3.6.6.1 According to one respondent, the lack of universities within a close proximity to young people of this background may act as a barrier in itself given that there was a strong desire to remain close to parents. Young people from this background were thought to place huge emphasis on the approval of parents and members of a strong-knit community by young people. It was suggested that young people from white working class backgrounds may be reluctant to move away from home (for HE or otherwise) because it may be considered a way of acting better than ones’ community.

3.6.6.2 Some of the areas in which young people from this background reside are characterised by deprivation, which means accessing HE and thinking about routes to HE could fall lower down the list of priorities for these young people and their families.

3.6.7 Community views and feeling represented in HE

3.6.7.1 A lack of exposure to relatable role models in HE was thought to contribute to young people’s perception that they did not belong there.

3.6.7.2 Community attitudes to HE were thought to be key in contributing to young people’s perception that they did not belong in HE. Responses to the survey noted conversations with young people who referred to HE as something that “others”, such as those who are rich did.

3.6.8 The perceived value of HE in securing employment.

3.6.8.1 The returns from an investment in to HE were thought to be largely unacknowledged by young people of this background who instead were more favourable toward the opportunity to start earning straight away

3.6.8.2 A lack of employment opportunities in deprived areas was thought to reduce knowledge and visibility of jobs which can be secured via HE. 

3.6.8.3 In some cases, boys from this background were of the view that jobs obtained from HE were appropriate to women only.

3.6.8.4 A sense of work-related pride from manual labour, obtained over generations as a means of living comfortably was thought to characterise these communities.  Having seen their parents obtain a sufficient income and living comfortably without having gone to university, was thought to cast doubt, in the minds of young people, for the need to go to university to live a fulfilling life.

4.0 Challenges in delivering outreach work to white pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds - NEON’s research has identified successful, local initiatives, which take in to account local knowledge and context in delivering successful outreach. One example is the use of local football teams to make activities more engaging. Some of the challenges in delivering this work are outline below.

4.1 NEON’s consultation with HEIs and Uni-Connect Partnerships led to the recognition of the need for a multi-pronged, multi-faceted approach in tackling underachievement among young people of this background:

‘University outreach activity alone is unlikely to affect the change necessary to ensure that white disadvantaged students have the same outcomes as their more advantaged peers. This issue would require national investment, working in partnership with school leaders, businesses and local authorities to affect deep rooted change’.

University of East Anglia

4.1.1 Accessing students can be a challenge

4.1.1.1 The lack of engagement from schools – either due to time constraints or reluctance to engage with HEIs whom they considered to be doing a “hard sell” for university – was reported as a challenge in accessing students.

4.1.1.2 Targeting students – of this background - was noted as particularly challenging given that it was difficult to do so in a positive way which didn’t single out a particular group. Moreover students from a white background are from the dominant ethnic group in this country – it would prove problematic to request to work with them only.

4.1.1.3 In the experiences of some respondents, students of this background were generally averse to education and school. Thus targeting via schools was not an effective means of access and engaging students of this background. 

4.1.2 The timing of outreach work

4.1.2.1 Some respondents reported the need for schools to engage young people in conversations about HE at a much earlier point in the life course, given that the rhetoric around HE was largely absent at home. As a result, this lack of information, was thought to play a role in cementing young people’s career aspirations for roles which did not require HE, which made the delivery of outreach work less effective.

4.1.2.2 The use of outreach activities in engaging this group of students was considered inappropriate in some cases. Respondents acknowledged that a lack of contextualised offers limited outreach teams to tackling relatively lower levels of attainment over a short period of time.

4.1.3 Receptivity to outreach activity

4.1.3.1 Respondents noted that young people of this background may be averse to outreach activities due to the common use of jargon or terms such as “university” rather than “HE”, the former of which may carry negative connotations.

4.1.3.2 The relatively large school focus on HEIs/universities as opposed to further education colleges, which was reported to be more appropriate for young people of this background, was noted as a potential barrier to engaging in conversations related to HE.

5. The NEON innovation series

5.1 The NEON innovation series is a crucial project in tackling the educational underachievement among white students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

5.2 Launched in June 2019 at the House of Lords, it is underpinned by two key findings of NEON’s research.1

5.2.1 There is huge variability in the success with which underachievement of white students from disadvantaged backgrounds is being tackled.

5.2.2 Many of the projects taking place to tackle underachievement among this group of students were at different stages of delivery.

5.3 The NEON innovation series brings together the range of different projects at different stages of delivery so as to maximise their impact as tangible, individual projects, as well as to contribute to the national agenda in this area.

5.4 The NEON innovation series supports partners in identifying the importance of intersectionality in their widening participation work, as defined by the Ofs: ‘the OfS expects providers to consider the way in which these characteristics combine to increase underrepresentation. For example, white British men and women from lower socioeconomic backgrounds are among the most underrepresented groups in higher education.’

5.5. NEON recruited 11 partner HEIs and Uni-Connect Partnerships[9] who were delivering projects aimed at tackling the underachievement of white students from disadvantaged backgrounds (delivered over 2019-2020) to participate in this project.

5.6 NEON has and will continue to support its partners in a number of ways to tackle the underachievement of white students from disadvantaged backgrounds:

• Convene a national forum to arrange for partners to meet and exchange details of their respective projects
• Provide support for partners who wish to collaborate where they have identified similarities and synergies between their projects.
• Provide support for peer-learning of the most effective ways of engaging with and supporting white students
• Provide support to partners who wish to bring together young people from their individual projects, for joint activities.
• Identify where NEON can support the evaluation of projects.
• Collate details of the projects and the impact they have had from white students from disadvantaged backgrounds in the form of a report, for dissemination to policymakers by NEON at a one day conference for national stakeholders in late 2020.

5.7 The NEON innovation series benefits white students from disadvantaged backgrounds in a number of ways:

• Shared learning between partners on the most beneficial ways of engaging this group of learners will enhance the quality of projects
• Collaborative projects potentially provide young people with an opportunity to work with and learn from young people from outside their area.
• It will improve the national evidence base in this area which, in turn, provides guidance for better work in this area.

6 The impact of Covid-19 on the underachievement of students from this background.

6.1 NEON explored the negative impact of Covid-19 on outreach work, and the steps to mitigate this impact via a survey in April 2020. Over 100 organisations (including both HEIs and Uni-Connect partnerships) across the country responded to the survey. All respondents reported a cancellation of face-to-face interaction with students due to school/college closures and, thus, an inability to deliver outreach work.

6.2 There are serious concerns around the implications of this for student from backgrounds that are traditionally under-represented in HE, as they are less likely to be able to access this form of IAG at home.

6.3 Almost 90% of the responding organisations stated that they would be moving all forms of outreach online. Universities and Uni-Connect partnerships are making significant efforts to support disadvantaged students to progress to HE.

6.4 A significant challenge in the effective delivery of online outreach to white working class students include accessing students via schools, who already under time-constraints, to deliver day-to-day lessons.

6.5 A further challenge is access to outreach activities among students with limited resources due to poor internet connection or access to a laptop/computer.  These challenges are thought to pose the risk of further underachievement – both in the form of attainment and in accessing HE.

6.6 Community attitudes toward HE as a whole (as described in response to NEON’s survey), may not be conducive to quiet or personal time in which young people of this background can learn about HE outside of school.

6.7 The challenges identified in delivering outreach due to the impact of Covid-19 exacerbates the disadvantages faced by white students from working class backgrounds.

6.8 NEON will facilitate a new online hub called ‘uni4me’ which will bring together online outreach activities produced and offered by HEIs, Uni-Connect partnerships and other organisations to support learners, teachers/lecturers and practitioners. This hub will be a unique contribution to supporting learners from disadvantaged backgrounds – including white students from disadvantaged backgrounds - to access HE outreach activities. It is crucial that those in the HE sector collaborate at this time if we are to support such learners effectively. To date, over 40 organisations have signed up to the Hub, due to be launched in June 2020.

6.9 NEON will conduct an online professional development course for those working on widening access roles in universities and Uni-Connect consortia which will provide participants with the necessary skills and knowledge to develop and produce online learning materials, identify effective practice in delivery and evaluate impact. Over 60 organisations are participating in the professional development course, due to be launched in June 2020.

7 Proposed solutions & key priority areas for the government:

7.1 Early intervention - NEON recognises school attainment as a key contributor to low HE participation among white students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Earlier intervention could include a specific allocation of funds on enhancing school attainment, as was done for schools in the North East in 2019[10], to address the underachievement of white working class students.

7.2 Collaboration - NEON’s research demonstrates that there is huge variability in access and participation among white pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. Variability occurs across the sector and within region, suggesting the need for sharing of good practice between HEIs.

7.3 NEON’s research in this area led to the conclusion that those at the forefront of delivering outreach felt their work was limited in effectiveness due to the deep-rooted, macro-level barriers to HE for this group of students. NEON recognises the Department of Education as an effective facilitator of collaboration across the HE sector.

7.4 NEON recognises the Department of Education as a potential conduit for collaboration between the HE sector, schools, colleges and local authorities, to tackle the multi-layered, multi-faceted barriers to achievement among young people from white working class backgrounds.

7.5 Strategic goals for this group specifically are lacking – as evidenced by the fact that less than 20% of 124 HEIs referred to this group specifically in their Access and Participation plans. NEON calls for a national effort to review these strategic goals, to ensure that white working class students’ participation in HE is a key priority for HEIs.

7.6 It appears likely that the 2020-21 academic year from primary to graduate level will be very different from one we have experienced before. It will pose significant challenges for universities/ HE providers/Uni-Connect consortia. There is significant commitment from these organisations to continue to support the progression to HE of those from disadvantaged groups. However, collaboration and co-ordination at the national level is needed here. NEON is ideally placed to lead on this but the Office for Students should also put resource toward enabling such collaboration.

June 2020