The role of teachers, senior leadership teams and advisors is crucial in supporting students and potential students to access Higher Education. Whether supporting someone by raising attainment, helping them to make informed choices, or by providing practical information and advice, at Go Higher West Yorkshire we have resources which can help.
The information and links below have been compiled to assist you to help support learners’ attainment and aspirations, inform their choices about courses and careers, and guide them through the application process on their journey to Higher Education. This includes the OfS Uni Connect Programme Outreach Hub – helping schools and colleges access the higher education outreach they need.
The journey started in schools, colleges and universities, doesn’t end at graduation.
Exposure to the world of work is key to developing employability skills and securing a job.
That’s why we work collaboratively with employers and industry experts, supporting our partners to equip their students for the changing economy.
Go Higher West Yorkshire: reducing inequalities in access to, success in and progression from Higher Education.
Go Higher West Yorkshire (GHWY) has published a new report presenting impact and insights from a CPD approach to engaging with key influencers of care-experienced young people.
Care to go higher: Equipping key influencers of care-experienced young people is written for a cross-sector audience across higher education and children’s social care (CSC), making several recommendations for policy and practice across both sectors.
The evidence of impact presented in GHWY’s report is also heavily featured in a new TASO evidence review – Supporting access and student success for learners with experience of children’s social care – as ‘promising’ new evidence. TASO’s report can be accessed here.
In our report, we advocates for a collaborative approach to widening participation that engages meaningfully with whole communities and their specific lived experiences. Likewise, local authorities are encouraged to work with partnerships of higher education providers to ensure their corporate parenting workforce has high expectations for young people’s futures, exposure to a broad range of HE provision, and is well-equipped to support their informed choices.
Natalie Aldridge, GHWY Collaborative Outreach Officer and author of the report, is currently embarking on a programme of dissemination activity to share the learning and impact from the evaluation. This includes engaging with stakeholders at a national level, via:
Following the positive outcomes of the pilot, GHWY has worked to adapt the CPD programme for online delivery. Registration is now open for foster carers, children’s home workers and personal advisors across West Yorkshire. There is opportunity for HE staff and students to contribute to the delivery – please contact Zac Sheppard for details.