1 / 26

Access courses – where are they going? Maggie Greenwood LSDA

Access courses – where are they going? Maggie Greenwood LSDA. Research carried out for LSC by Ruth Bromley Report : July 2002 Website link: http://www.lsda.org.uk/pubs. Access courses. Where have they come from? Where are they now? Where are they going?. Where have they come from?.

marek
Download Presentation

Access courses – where are they going? Maggie Greenwood LSDA

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Access courses – where are they going?Maggie Greenwood LSDA Research carried out for LSC by Ruth Bromley Report : July 2002 Website link: http://www.lsda.org.uk/pubs

  2. Access courses • Where have they come from? • Where are they now? • Where are they going?

  3. Where have they come from? • Developed in early 1980’s to provide a programme of learning for those age 21+ who had missed out on formal education • Achieve the level of qualification required for entry to HE • Originally approved by an HEI ( usually polytechnic) and delivered in FEC • Often developed with specific departments at the HEI • Accredited through a number of independent open college networks but approved as a valid entry qualification by the HEI partner • OCNs became approved by QAA • Always driven by local need, developed by institutions, peer moderated

  4. Where are they now?Research : method • Questionnaire to 50 English FE colleges, across all regions, that indicated on ISR returns substantial commitment to provision of Access courses over last 3 years • Statistical analysis using LSC ISR Data from 1996/7 to 2000/01 and UCAS Data • Report of findings with recommendations

  5. Findings 1 - data • Enrolments down by 11% from 1996/7 to 2000/01 • Retention static at about 76% • Achievement rates improved significantly from 66% in 1996/7 to 76% in 1999/2000 • Progression to HE in decline: • Applications down 25% of A-level applications up by 2.2% • Acceptances of Access students down by 22% • Rate of acceptance of Access students at 66.6% c.f. average acceptance rate of 79.3% and A-level acceptances at 86.7% (UCAS ) N.B. Not all Access students complete UCAS forms; those going on to nursing courses may not be recorded by UCAS

  6. Findings 2 - Access student profile: • Increase in female students from 64% in 1996/7 to 71% in 2000/01 • Reduction in those under 21 on Access courses from 13% to 7% (reflecting tightening of regulations by QAA) • Age 21- 29 static at 39% • Age 30+ increase from 47% to 53% • Reduction in white students from 75% to 69% over the period • Increase in participation by black African students, Bangladeshi and Chinese students • Decline in participation by Indian and Pakistani students

  7. Findings 3 - Programme areas • Major change towards vocational courses in Health Studies and Nursing e.g. Nursing enrolments rose from 786 in 1996/7 to 2,194 in 1999/00 Health Studies rose from 1,275 in 1996/7 to 3,302 in 2000/01 • Increase in Social Studies from 746 in 1996/7 to 1,769 in 2000/01

  8. Findings 3: Continued • Decline of Business Studies by 16% • Decline of Science and Maths courses by 22% • Initial decline in Computing from 1996/7 – 1999/00 but increased in 2000/01 • Art and Design and Performing Arts enrolments down by 33% over the period • 22% decline in enrolments on Access courses leading to B.Ed • 25% decline in humanities

  9. Findings from National Survey: student numbers • Largest cohort in YH – 680 students • 75% colleges fewer than 300 students • 7 colleges fewer than 50 students • Majority of large provides in big urban conurbations • At least 1 college in most regions with over 200 Access students • 20% of provision is in Greater London, 10% provided by Greater Manchester

  10. Findings from National Survey: programmes • The largest colleges offering the widest range • Many colleges offer 6 – 8 programmes – typically • ØHealth studies – including Access to Nursing • ØProfessional Care studies • ØBusiness and Computing • ØTeaching • ØHumanities and Social Sciences • ØMedia • ØApplied Sciences • ØArt and Design • Most common Access programmes are in health and related studies

  11. Findings from National Survey: trends in numbers • Most colleges reported steady or buoyant recruitment overall • Reported dip in recruitment between 1999-2000 but now turned upwards and decline seems to have been arrested • Some distinction between full-time and part-time enrolment but pattern varied from region to region • There were significant differences in recruitment between subject areas • Growth largely in health related areas - nursing, midwifery, osteopathic health care, paramedics

  12. Findings from National Survey: trends in numbers • General reported decline in humanities and social sciences • Many reported decline in business studies • Overall numbers have been maintained by development of new courses e.g. theatre studies, media • Colleges reported that they have endeavoured to reposition their Access portfolio to a more vocational provision • Concern expressed over competition with local HEIs taking students on to HNDs/ Year 0/ Foundation years direct e.g. in Business and Engineering – inference this is due to market forces rather than planned collaborative effort between FE and HE

  13. Findings from National Survey: retention • Overall, colleges reported improvement in retention rates – many quoting between 68% and 75% • Specific reasons given include: • Better and more focused study skills help • More flexible provision /greater tutorial support • Tighter college procedures • Pre-Access provision • 3 entry point system – this has enabled students who have had to leave the programme due to personal circumstances to rejoin at a later date

  14. Findings from National Survey: retention • Colleges in all areas reported that financial pressures caused students to drop out. Some quotes include: • “Retention remains problematic for adult returners due to restrictions on studying and benefit rules, shortage of childcare, and concerns regarding financial commitments of studying in higher education” • “Retention is dependent on factors like the health problems of students and dependents, and growth of contract work with changing hours, increase in need/availability of work near Christmas.” • “…. other new factors affecting retention are the payment of fees to universities, particularly by women with working spouses”

  15. Findings from National Survey: course organisation • Colleges are changing the way they deliver Access programmes totake account of changing demands and student need • New approaches to organisation and delivery e.g. unitisation • andmodularisation • Variation in intake to programme e.g. mid-year • Neighbouring colleges were not necessarily developing in the same way; there is no evidence of a general focus on new curriculumthinking about Access or widespread changes to course organisation and delivery

  16. Findings from National Survey: achievement/progression • Most reported improving levels of achievement • Majority of students who completed Access courses achieved the Access certificate – most put this at 80% or above • Majority of students stay in their home area and progress to a local university; there are many examples of clear and successful progression for Access students to local universities • Variation in number of credits required for progression: • One YH college reported 20 credits at level 3 • In London generally 12 credits at level 3 and 4 at level 2 • In SE 18 credits at level 3 are the norm

  17. Findings from National Survey: progression • Some encouraging reports of HEIs having a greater understanding of the OCN unit system • Evidence that in some shortage degree areas HEIs will recruit students who have partially completed the full Access certificate • There are still problems for Access students where there is fiercecompetition for places or there are more stringent entrycriteria • Colleges in all regions reported good relations with some local HEIs mentioning active partnership arrangements leading to a high progression rate • Little evidence of planned area wide progression initiatives involving mature students

  18. Findings from National Survey: finance • 18 colleges made the connection between lower recruitment and introduction of student fees/loss of maintenance grants in late 1990’s • Changes in grants/ loans have led to a much more vocationally oriented client group • Growing desire to combine work and study has led some colleges to switch to part-time programmes – but this does not benefit the students academically

  19. Findings from National Survey: finance cntd. • Several colleges referred to continued pressure on jobseekers • Government recruitment campaigns and bursaries have encouraged take up nursing and teaching courses • Students are increasingly reluctant to participate in non-vocationally related courses which lead to a degree but no job – students cannot afford to study for study’s sake • In some areas greater employment opportunities have adversely affected numbers

  20. Findings from National Survey: Pre-access • 28 colleges surveyed run pre-access courses • Most colleges with a substantial Access offer run pre- access courses combining study skills and specific subject work – mainly level 1 and 2 provision • Courses organised in a variety of ways – full or part- time, intensive, over several weeks, several entry and exit points • Most courses are run with OCN accredited units

  21. Findings from National Survey: Access for 19-20 year olds • Majority of colleges surveyed tell applicants they have to wait until they are 21 • Some colleges do accept students providing they meet the criteria specified by the OCN • Strong interest was expressed by many colleges in developing this area of work especially in areas with poor retention at 16+ and 17+ where there are many young people with potential but poor previous educational attainment • Where courses are being delivered for this age group they are separately run from the 21+ Access courses

  22. Findings from National Survey: the HE targets • Taking the current figure for participation in HE as 41.5% an extra 40,000 students a year (1% growth) would be needed to meet the target • To achieve the target HEFCE estimates that for demographic reasons 90% of the increase must come from the 18-21 age group, and specifically from social groups currently under-represented in HE • It is time to give attention to mature students and to review the contribution they can make to the target – there are currently 1 million 19-30 year olds who have level 3 but do not go into HE • There was a 12% decline between 1997/8 and 1998/9 and anticipated 9% decrease for 1999/00

  23. Findings from National Survey: the HE targets • Reasons for decline (DFES report 2002): • Financial – confusion amongst staff and students over benefit rules and HE fees and reluctance of mature students to take on a student loan • Labour market trends – a move away from non- vocational courses to those providing direct career/ employment prospects • Government policies and initiatives focusing on young people/reduction in HEI resources for events targeting mature students • Home and domestic circumstances

  24. Recommendations • General agreement that financial pressures and fear of debt caused a drop in Access student enrolment in late 1990’s. Student financial support in FE needs addressing. IPPR recommended that all courses up to level 3 should be free, regardless of age • Student financial support in HE needs to be explained more clearly • In order to achieve the HE target of 50% participation attention has to be given to young people who drop out; there is considerable interest in developing courses for under 21 age group and this needs to be developed

  25. Recommendations: Continued • More attention should be given to mature students and their contribution to the HE targets • Colleges need to give more attention to their access curriculum offer e.g. development of access to Foundation degrees for example • A new national strategy for Access is needed where the contribution of Access students to widening participation in HE is redefined, given prominence and supported at national and local level

  26. Access – where now? Centralisation v decentralisation(top-down v bottom-up) Standards v social inclusion Formal v informal learning Skills supply v skills demand

More Related