Common use of Assessment of Performance Clause in Contracts

Assessment of Performance. Traditionally UCLan has an extremely strong track record of access for under-represented groups. HESA Performance Indicators are used as the main measure and the most recent release (for 2013/14 data) reflects that we met or exceeded our targets, with 17.3% of young full-time first degree students coming from low participation neighbourhoods (target 15% - POLAR 2 methodology) and 43.9% of young full-time first degree students being drawn from lower socio economic groups (target 39%). We have a strong story to tell, but we are mindful that there could be threats to our continued success in this area. We therefore made a strategic decision to introduce a foundation entry year option for all our undergraduate courses offered on campus. These are heavily discounted to allow for access to higher education by students with non-traditional qualifications, within which students from low participation neighbourhoods form a high proportion. We also made a strategic decision to continue with our policy of maintaining the increased entry requirements for full time undergraduate courses. However, we have introduced the significantly expanded alternative entry route to ensure that this policy will not have a negative impact on students with ‘non-standard’ qualifications who have the potential to benefit from higher education. We currently monitor this using the HESA performance indicators noted above, but if this data begins to indicate a downturn in enrolments of students from these under-represented groups, we will look to extend our monitoring to cover applications. Retention is an area of challenge for us, but we are on track with our work to address this and the latest HESA Performance Indicator release projected that 77.9% of our students would obtain a degree, against a milestone of 70%. Over recent years we have been working to understand the nature and extent of any differential impacts on under-represented groups and have developed a series of internal data reports to examine this at both school and university levels. We have also been developing a series of initiatives to ensure that students from all backgrounds are effectively supported to be able to complete their programme of study with us. This is being rigorously monitored through the College structure and investment in enhanced data collection and reporting systems. We are not only concerned to ensure that our students complete their courses; we want to see them achieve strong grades that ensure that they are competitive in the graduate job market. We have, therefore, been working to identify and understand any differentials in the achievement of students from under-represented groups. We have chosen to focus initially on the attainment gap between White students and BME students, with a strategic objective to reduce the gap to 12% by 2016. We are pleased to note that we are making good progress in this area: in 2011/12, the ‘good’ honours ethnicity attainment gap at UCLan was at 16%; this has now reduced to 12% in 2013/14, and is below the sector average. UCLan’s Strategy for the period 2007-2017 affirms our commitment to “continue to lead the UK higher education sector in promoting equality of educational opportunity”. Although the strategy is now in the process of being revised and updated, access to higher education will continue to be at the heart of our new strategy. Widening participation is the major driver behind our extensive collaborative arrangements with FE colleges and other partner organisations, and behind the development of the Burnley University Campus. Evidence indicates that our partnership arrangements make a significant contribution to mature student entry, with 58% of students based at Burnley and 66% of the students at other partners being over 21 compared with 54% of students at the main campus. 48% of students at Burnley come from low social classes, compared with 42% in other partners and 40% at the main campus. 30% of students on UCLan direct-delivery programmes at Burnley are BME compared with 15% at the main campus. Although our relationship with FE college partners is changing in the light of government policy (indirectly funded student numbers have reduced significantly as partners have been successful in gaining directly funded numbers), we remain committed to working collaboratively to extend educational opportunity within the region, and to support highly successful subject-based networks in areas such as post-compulsory teacher education, sport and nuclear engineering. UCLan continues to be the validating partner for courses which are now directly funded. The University sponsors two ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Scholarships a year, which are awarded to disadvantaged students progressing from FE colleges. UCLan remains committed to working closely with schools and colleges in Pennine Lancashire and Preston to further develop and deliver our Junior University (JU). During the pilot 2010-11 year, three cohorts of Year 9 and 10 pupils participated in the JU, with a 93% completion rate over the 20- session programme (51 out of 55). Qualitative feedback from participants, teachers and parents was uniformly positive. Participant questionnaires demonstrated significant improvements in motivation, knowledge and understanding of HE. Teachers highlighted the positive impact on confidence, maturity and motivation. Parents talked about the excellent opportunity, inspirational student ambassadors and positive benefits for their children. Since then we have enhanced and expanded the programme in a variety of ways, based on findings from our evaluation and on feedback from participants and stakeholders. Such findings include strong indications that the extended activity further supported the beneficiaries’ aspiration to continue to progress onto Higher Education. The very first cohort of JU students were eligible to enter HE in September 2014 and, based on data available to us, 66% applied to HE, with 19% to UCLan and, of these, 9% eventually enrolled with us. We were able to engage with students throughout the application process and two students are now trained Student Ambassadors working on the JU programme as undergraduate students. Working in collaboration with Preston Collaborative Partnership (PCP – formally the Preston 14-19 LEAD Group), a pilot programme was launched in 2011-12 to support learners who may be at risk of becoming “not in education, employment or training” (NEET). Ten pupils from a local high school were identified to work with student mentors from Preston College (BTEC vocational students) and UCLan, on a pilot project which was designed to raise their participation, confidence and motivation in education. Based on evaluation feedback, there was a 10% increase in those who were confident that they could achieve a university qualification at the end of the programme compared to the beginning. In preparation for RPA (Raising the Participation Age) and the potential impact that this may have on the NEET agenda, UCLan extended this programme for 2013, working with four Preston Schools and extending the activity to 20 “at risk pupils”. By sharing expertise and resource, working in collaboration with Preston Collaborative Partnership this model serves as a test bed for further development within the immediate locality of the University, working with schools in some of the most deprived wards. For 2013-14 the project was extended to include pre-NEET (year 9) students. The programme is being offered again during the summer term of 2015 and, although numbers are relatively low for this activity, the difference made to the participants is significant. We have observed that 10% of this cohort have progressed onto the main JU programme during Year 10. We aim to monitor this cohort in more depth during the academic year 2015/16, and will offer a further 10 places. The NEET statistics for Preston continue to increase and we will continue to work collaboratively with local agencies to play a role in addressing this. Academic Schools in UCLan also work in a variety of ways with pupils from feeder schools in the region and in particular with pupils from low participation neighbourhoods to run university taster events, subject specific events, joint projects and other outreach activities. Such relationships are ongoing through the year and through such links pupils come into university and academics go out into schools to raise aspirations. In Cumbria, UCLan is working with two partners, Howgill Family Centre and Inspira Inspiration for Life, on two three-year projects with young people and families from low participation areas to identify and evaluate interventions which encourage resilience, success and progression into higher education and throughout the student lifecycle. In July 2014 UCLan hosted a year 8 EXPO event for pupils from schools in the area, which brought over 6,000 pupils onto campus to engage with a wide variety of hands-on activities with staff and students to raise aspirations, highlight careers opportunities, expand networks and inspire pupils to work towards reaching their full potential through routes into higher education. UCLan is also a strategic partner with Visions Learning Trust, which opened a University Technical College in Burnley in 2013; and is the HE partner for the UTC in Wigan, which again opened in 2013. The University also sponsors the West Lakes Academy in West Cumbria and is a partner in the ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Trust in Blackpool and in Wigan Education Trust. UCLan is working with Visions Learning Trust to sponsor Preston Guild UTC in Preston city centre to extend opportunities for gaining skills which will allow progression into HE and careers in construction and engineering. A particular theme of the UTC is to improve gender balance within the industries served and access by students from low participation areas. This work is part of our strategy to work in depth with selected partners to tackle issues around achievement and aspiration, and to remove barriers to students from disadvantaged areas having the opportunity to participate in the most challenging areas of study. Whilst it is recognised that relatively low numbers of care leavers currently access Higher Education, this is an area of focus for UCLan for 2015-16 as part of the strategic commitment to increasing their participation and we have developed a programme to implement interventions targeted at supporting these groups. Although the Buttle accreditation in itself has been discontinued, UCLan is using research commissioned by the Buttle Trust to inform its strategy and interventions by adopting the recommendations to improve the chances of care leavers accessing and remaining in Higher Education. Building on the outreach work we are already delivering, additional emphasis is also being placed on ensuring that Looked After Children are offered the same opportunities to participate, for example, in the Junior University programme, and to be supported by Peer mentors and Student Ambassador mentors. The four universities covering Cumbria and Lancashire (University of Cumbria, University of Central Lancashire, Edge Hill University and Lancaster University) continue to liaise post-Aimhigher in order to share ideas and best practice for outreach activity, to minimise the risk of duplication, and to make the most effective use of the resource available across the four institutions. Although there are practical limitations in the ability to share resources and facilities where institutions are not closely co-located, collaborative working has continued, mainly in relation to re-directing requests for activity from 11-16 schools to Universities more closely located to their geographical locations with regard to primary activity. UCLan and the University of Cumbria are now working collaboratively to establish two networks under the National Network for Collaborative Outreach initiative. Edge Hill University and Lancaster University are supporting both networks alongside a broad range of FE partners, including two land based organisations. An extensive and varied set of public and community engagement activities contributes directly to the widening participation agenda by engaging young people, parents, teachers and advisers. The Lancashire Science Festival, held for the first time in June 2012, and now organised as an annual event, is our flagship community event, with an audience of around 7500 people visiting campus over the three-day event. The Festival core audience is schoolchildren aged 10-16 years, and families with young children aged approx. 5-14 years. It takes place over three days at the end of June (25-27 June in 2015) and aims to engage young people with STEM, and the potential educational and career paths open to them, and is in this sense aspiration-raising. Visitor feedback tells us that we are successful in this aim: Visitor feedback also highlighted that this was an initial point of contact with UCLan that many underrepresented groups would not otherwise have had. Students contribute to the Lancashire Science Festival through provision of hands-on activities, as voluntary festival assistants and as student ambassadors, who are matched to the school groups visiting to ensure that students have the best possible experience at UCLan. Funding is made available for schools in low socio economic areas to cover transport costs to the Lancashire Science Festival. Outreach projects, especially in STEM, are often targeted at those schools that cannot participate in expensive curriculum enrichment and are always provided free of charge. We work closely with the ▇▇▇▇▇ Trust to raise the aspirations of young people and increase progression into STEM subject areas, especially Maths and Physics, through Science Partnerships and access to ▇▇▇▇▇ studentships. The outreach projects also raise awareness of the UTCs which provide pupils with opportunities to focus on these subject areas alongside gaining workplace experience and developing applied projects to engage their interest. The Young Scientist Centre (YSC) was formally opened in 2015 and is a collaboration between UCLan and the Royal Institution, offering high-quality practical science experiences for pupils at key stages 2-5 within a dedicated laboratory space. The programme of activities covers areas of chemistry, cell biology, ecology and forensic science, with workshops in engineering and astrophysics currently in development. All workshops are an extension to the curriculum and provide practical experiences which cannot be delivered in school/college. Such experiences are likely to lead to increased interest in science subjects and possibly uptake of such subjects at A-level and beyond. We intend to offer the opportunity to access the YSC, free-of-charge, to schools fulfilling our WP criteria, to remove all potential barriers to engagement, and enable us to work with schools who would most benefit. Schools accessing KS4/5 workshops are also offered a campus tour, maximising the opportunity for raising aspirations around future HE participation. Public and community engagement is part of the research culture at UCLan. Ten research staff have been appointed as ‘engagement catalysts’ and an artist in residence bridges the gap between the research environment and the regional community, through creative outputs. Many Catalyst projects directly address issues of aspiration and participation, from working with girls in computing to offering a Pro ▇▇▇▇ law clinic extending legal advice to socioeconomic deprived groups. This is supported by the Creative Communities Network of alumni, UCLan honorary fellows, business leaders, staff and students who put on a range of activities during the year designed to engage pupils who have otherwise limited exposure to higher education as well as creating a forum for raising existing students’ aspirations, awareness and opportunities for progression into chosen careers. UCLan is also actively engaged in local civic events, such as the Preston City Council sponsored ‘Winckley Weekend’ in May 2014, which will attracted over 6,000 visitors to the City from diverse backgrounds. Supported by student ambassadors, UCLan put on hands-on activities and raised awareness of university education through a series of stalls and events over

Assessment of Performance. Traditionally UCLan has an extremely strong track record of access for under-represented groups. HESA Performance Indicators are used as the main measure and the most recent release (for 2013/14 2012/13 data) reflects that we met or exceeded our targets, with 17.319.1% of young full-time first degree students coming from low participation neighbourhoods (target 15% - POLAR 2 methodology) and 43.943% of young full-time first degree students being drawn from lower socio economic groups (target 39%). We have a strong story to telltell and the data represents an improvement on the previous year’s data, but we are mindful that there could be threats to our continued success in this area. We have therefore made a strategic decision to introduce a foundation entry year option for all our undergraduate courses offered on campus. These are heavily discounted to allow for access to higher education by students with non-traditional qualifications, qualifications within which students from low participation neighbourhoods form a high proportion. We also have made a strategic decision to continue with our policy of maintaining the increased entry requirements for full time undergraduate courses. However, we have introduced the significantly expanded alternative entry route to ensure that this policy will not have a negative impact on students with ‘non-standard’ qualifications who have the potential to benefit from higher education. We currently monitor this using the HESA performance indicators noted above, but if this data begins to indicate a downturn in enrolments of students from these under-represented groups, we will look to extend our monitoring to cover applications. Retention is an area of challenge for us, but we are on track with our work plans to address this and the latest HESA Performance Indicator release projected that 77.977.4% of our students would obtain a degree, against a milestone of 7069%. Over recent years we have been working to understand the nature and extent of any differential impacts on under-represented groups and have developed a series of internal data reports to examine this at both school and university levels. We have also been are now developing a series of initiatives to ensure that students from all backgrounds are effectively supported to be able to complete their programme of study with us. This is being will be rigorously monitored through the College structure and investment in enhanced data collection and reporting systems. We are not only concerned to ensure that our students complete their courses; we want to see them achieve strong grades that ensure that they are competitive in the graduate job market. We have, therefore, been working to identify and understand any differentials in the achievement of students from under-represented groups. We have chosen to focus initially on the attainment gap between White students and BME students. Our analysis shows that this attainment gap is present at UCLan, with a strategic objective and although the gap here is below the sector average (UCLan 16.3%, sector average 18.4%), we are determined to reduce this significantly over the next few years. We have therefore agreed a new set of targets and milestones to address this and the University Board has confirmed our intention to reduce this gap to 12% (or lower) by 20162017. We are pleased to note that In addressing this gap, we are making good progress in this area: in 2011/12, the ‘good’ honours ethnicity attainment gap also developing a series of broader initiatives aimed at UCLan was at 16%; this has now reduced ensuring that students from all backgrounds are effectively supported to 12% in 2013/14, and is below the sector averageachieve their full potential. UCLan’s Strategy for the period 2007-2017 affirms reaffirms our commitment to “continue to lead the UK higher education sector in promoting equality of educational opportunity”. Although the strategy is now in the process of being revised and updated, access to higher education will continue to be at the heart of our new strategy. Widening participation is the major driver behind our extensive collaborative arrangements with FE colleges and other partner organisations, and behind the development of the Burnley University Campus. Evidence indicates that our partnership arrangements make a significant contribution to mature student entry, with 58% of students based at Burnley and 66% of the students at other partners being over 21 compared with 54% of students at the main campus. 48% of students at Burnley come The three objectives arising from low social classes, compared with 42% in other partners and 40% at the main campus. 30% of students on UCLan direct-delivery programmes at Burnley are BME compared with 15% at the main campus. Although our relationship with FE college partners is changing in the light of government policy (indirectly funded student numbers have reduced significantly as partners have been successful in gaining directly funded numbers), we remain committed to working collaboratively to extend educational opportunity within the region, and to support highly successful subject-based networks in areas such as post-compulsory teacher education, sport and nuclear engineering. UCLan continues to be the validating partner for courses which are now directly funded. The University sponsors two ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Scholarships a year, which are awarded to disadvantaged students progressing from FE colleges. UCLan remains committed to working closely with schools and colleges in Pennine Lancashire and Preston to further develop and deliver our Junior University (JU). During the pilot 2010-11 year, three cohorts of Year 9 and 10 pupils participated in the JU, with a 93% completion rate over the 20- session programme (51 out of 55). Qualitative feedback from participants, teachers and parents was uniformly positive. Participant questionnaires demonstrated significant improvements in motivation, knowledge and understanding of HE. Teachers highlighted the positive impact on confidence, maturity and motivation. Parents talked about the excellent opportunity, inspirational student ambassadors and positive benefits for their children. Since then we have enhanced and expanded the programme in a variety of ways, based on findings from our evaluation and on feedback from participants and stakeholders. Such findings include strong indications that the extended activity further supported the beneficiaries’ aspiration to continue to progress onto Higher Education. The very first cohort of JU students were eligible to enter HE in September 2014 and, based on data available to us, 66% applied to HE, with 19% to UCLan and, of these, 9% eventually enrolled with us. We were able to engage with students throughout the application process and two students are now trained Student Ambassadors working on the JU programme as undergraduate students. Working in collaboration with Preston Collaborative Partnership (PCP – formally the Preston 14-19 LEAD Group), a pilot programme was launched in 2011-12 to support learners who may be at risk of becoming “not in education, employment or training” (NEET). Ten pupils from a local high school were identified to work with student mentors from Preston College (BTEC vocational students) and UCLan, on a pilot project which was designed to raise their participation, confidence and motivation in education. Based on evaluation feedback, there was a 10% increase in those who were confident that they could achieve a university qualification at the end of the programme compared to the beginning. In preparation for RPA (Raising the Participation Age) and the potential impact that this may have on the NEET agenda, UCLan extended this programme for 2013, working with four Preston Schools and extending the activity to 20 “at risk pupils”. By sharing expertise and resource, working in collaboration with Preston Collaborative Partnership this model serves as a test bed for further development within the immediate locality of the University, working with schools in some of the most deprived wards. For 2013-14 the project was extended to include pre-NEET (year 9) students. The programme is being offered again during the summer term of 2015 and, although numbers are relatively low for this activity, the difference made to the participants is significant. We have observed that 10% of this cohort have progressed onto the main JU programme during Year 10. We aim to monitor this cohort in more depth during the academic year 2015/16, and will offer a further 10 places. The NEET statistics for Preston continue to increase and we will continue to work collaboratively with local agencies to play a role in addressing this. Academic Schools in UCLan also work in a variety of ways with pupils from feeder schools in the region and in particular with pupils from low participation neighbourhoods to run university taster events, subject specific events, joint projects and other outreach activities. Such relationships are ongoing through the year and through such links pupils come into university and academics go out into schools to raise aspirations. In Cumbria, UCLan is working with two partners, Howgill Family Centre and Inspira Inspiration for Life, on two three-year projects with young people and families from low participation areas to identify and evaluate interventions which encourage resilience, success and progression into higher education and throughout the student lifecycle. In July 2014 UCLan hosted a year 8 EXPO event for pupils from schools in the area, which brought over 6,000 pupils onto campus to engage with a wide variety of hands-on activities with staff and students to raise aspirations, highlight careers opportunities, expand networks and inspire pupils to work towards reaching their full potential through routes into higher education. UCLan is also a strategic partner with Visions Learning Trust, which opened a University Technical College in Burnley in 2013; and is the HE partner for the UTC in Wigan, which again opened in 2013. The University also sponsors the West Lakes Academy in West Cumbria and is a partner in the ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Trust in Blackpool and in Wigan Education Trust. UCLan is working with Visions Learning Trust to sponsor Preston Guild UTC in Preston city centre to extend opportunities for gaining skills which will allow progression into HE and careers in construction and engineering. A particular theme of the UTC is to improve gender balance within the industries served and access by students from low participation areas. This work is part of our strategy to work in depth with selected partners to tackle issues around achievement and aspiration, and to remove barriers to students from disadvantaged areas having the opportunity to participate in the most challenging areas of study. Whilst it is recognised that relatively low numbers of care leavers currently access Higher Education, this is an area of focus for UCLan for 2015-16 as part of the strategic commitment to increasing their participation and we have developed a programme to implement interventions targeted at supporting these groups. Although the Buttle accreditation in itself has been discontinued, UCLan is using research commissioned by the Buttle Trust to inform its strategy and interventions by adopting the recommendations to improve the chances of care leavers accessing and remaining in Higher Education. Building on the outreach work we are already delivering, additional emphasis is also being placed on ensuring that Looked After Children are offered the same opportunities to participate, for example, in the Junior University programme, and to be supported by Peer mentors and Student Ambassador mentors. The four universities covering Cumbria and Lancashire (University of Cumbria, University of Central Lancashire, Edge Hill University and Lancaster University) continue to liaise post-Aimhigher in order to share ideas and best practice for outreach activity, to minimise the risk of duplication, and to make the most effective use of the resource available across the four institutions. Although there are practical limitations in the ability to share resources and facilities where institutions are not closely co-located, collaborative working has continued, mainly in relation to re-directing requests for activity from 11-16 schools to Universities more closely located to their geographical locations with regard to primary activity. UCLan and the University of Cumbria are now working collaboratively to establish two networks under the National Network for Collaborative Outreach initiative. Edge Hill University and Lancaster University are supporting both networks alongside a broad range of FE partners, including two land based organisations. An extensive and varied set of public and community engagement activities contributes directly to the widening participation agenda by engaging young people, parents, teachers and advisers. The Lancashire Science Festival, held for the first time in June 2012, and now organised as an annual event, is our flagship community event, with an audience of around 7500 people visiting campus over the three-day event. The Festival core audience is schoolchildren aged 10-16 years, and families with young children aged approx. 5-14 years. It takes place over three days at the end of June (25-27 June in 2015) and aims to engage young people with STEM, and the potential educational and career paths open to them, and is in this sense aspiration-raising. Visitor feedback tells us that we are successful in this aim: Visitor feedback also highlighted that this was an initial point of contact with UCLan that many underrepresented groups would not otherwise have had. Students contribute to the Lancashire Science Festival through provision of hands-on activities, as voluntary festival assistants and as student ambassadors, who are matched to the school groups visiting to ensure that students have the best possible experience at UCLan. Funding is made available for schools in low socio economic areas to cover transport costs to the Lancashire Science Festival. Outreach projects, especially in STEM, are often targeted at those schools that cannot participate in expensive curriculum enrichment and are always provided free of charge. We work closely with the ▇▇▇▇▇ Trust to raise the aspirations of young people and increase progression into STEM subject areas, especially Maths and Physics, through Science Partnerships and access to ▇▇▇▇▇ studentships. The outreach projects also raise awareness of the UTCs which provide pupils with opportunities to focus on these subject areas alongside gaining workplace experience and developing applied projects to engage their interest. The Young Scientist Centre (YSC) was formally opened in 2015 and is a collaboration between UCLan and the Royal Institution, offering high-quality practical science experiences for pupils at key stages 2-5 within a dedicated laboratory space. The programme of activities covers areas of chemistry, cell biology, ecology and forensic science, with workshops in engineering and astrophysics currently in development. All workshops are an extension to the curriculum and provide practical experiences which cannot be delivered in school/college. Such experiences are likely to lead to increased interest in science subjects and possibly uptake of such subjects at A-level and beyond. We intend to offer the opportunity to access the YSC, free-of-charge, to schools fulfilling our WP criteria, to remove all potential barriers to engagement, and enable us to work with schools who would most benefit. Schools accessing KS4/5 workshops are also offered a campus tour, maximising the opportunity for raising aspirations around future HE participation. Public and community engagement is part of the research culture at UCLan. Ten research staff have been appointed as ‘engagement catalysts’ and an artist in residence bridges the gap between the research environment and the regional community, through creative outputs. Many Catalyst projects directly address issues of aspiration and participation, from working with girls in computing to offering a Pro ▇▇▇▇ law clinic extending legal advice to socioeconomic deprived groups. This is supported by the Creative Communities Network of alumni, UCLan honorary fellows, business leaders, staff and students who put on a range of activities during the year designed to engage pupils who have otherwise limited exposure to higher education as well as creating a forum for raising existing students’ aspirations, awareness and opportunities for progression into chosen careers. UCLan is also actively engaged in local civic events, such as the Preston City Council sponsored ‘Winckley Weekend’ in May 2014, which will attracted over 6,000 visitors to the City from diverse backgrounds. Supported by student ambassadors, UCLan put on hands-on activities and raised awareness of university education through a series of stalls and events over are:

Assessment of Performance. Traditionally both Burnley College and UCLan has have an extremely strong track record of access for under-represented groups. HESA Performance Indicators are used as the main measure and the most recent release (for 2013/14 data) reflects that Like UCLan, we met or exceeded our targets, with 17.3% of young full-time first degree students coming from low participation neighbourhoods (target 15% - POLAR 2 methodology) and 43.9% of young full-time first degree students being drawn from lower socio economic groups (target 39%). We have a strong story to tell, but we are continue to be mindful that there could be threats to our continued success in this area. We therefore When UCLan and many other universities moved away from providing foundation entry year programmes the College made a strategic decision to introduce a foundation entry year option for all our undergraduate courses offered on campusmaintain its programmes and developed them as validated provision. These are heavily discounted programmes have since been expanded to cover the majority of our programme areas and UCLan have supported and followed this lead. The cost of these courses will be maintained at £6000 to allow for access to higher education by students with non-traditional qualifications, within which students from low participation neighbourhoods form a high proportion. We also made a strategic decision A significant proportion of the additional income raised from those courses charging above £6000, alongside existing Student Opportunity funding, will be utilised in the initiatives identified within this agreement designed to continue with our policy of maintaining help meet the increased entry requirements for full time undergraduate courses. However, challenging targets we have introduced the significantly expanded alternative entry route set to ensure that this policy will not have a negative impact on students with ‘non-standard’ qualifications who have the potential to benefit from higher educationpromote fair access for all learners. We currently monitor this using the HESA performance indicators noted above, but if this data begins to indicate a downturn in enrolments of students from these under-represented groups, we will look to extend our monitoring to cover applications. Retention is an area of challenge for us, but we are on track with our work to address this and the latest HESA Performance Indicator release projected that 77.9% of our students would obtain a degree, against a milestone of 70%. Over recent years we have been working to understand the nature and extent of how any differential impacts on under-represented groups and have developed are developing and piloting a series of internal data reports to examine this at both school Divisional and university College levels. We have also been developing a series of initiatives to ensure that students from all backgrounds are effectively supported to be able to complete their programme of study with us. This is being rigorously monitored through the College structure and investment in enhanced data collection and reporting systems. We are not only concerned to ensure that our students complete their courses; we want to see them achieve strong grades that ensure that they are competitive in the graduate job market. We haveare, therefore, been working to identify and understand any differentials in the achievement of students from under-represented groups. We Although Access Arrangements have chosen only been in place a relatively short time, since our combined 2015-17 Agreement, and therefore monitoring is in its early stages, we have already been able to focus initially on the attainment gap between White students and BME studentsidentify some initial progress towards targets. Our most recent monitoring return for 2015-16 indicates positive progress towards all 5 targets, with a strategic objective to reduce milestones being met in 3 out of 5. For Example: - Student Success – the gap to 12% by 2016. We are pleased to note that we are making good progress in this area: in 2011/12, the ‘good’ honours ethnicity attainment gap at UCLan target was at 16%; this has now reduced to 12exceeded with an increase from 91% in 2013/14, 2014-15 to 95.3% for courses featuring within the Agreement in 2015-16 - Access – Students with Disabilities – there was an increase of 2 students (from 20 to 22) from the baseline year of 2014-15 to 2015-16 - Student success and is below Progression – the sector average. number of students on vocational awards (fdAs/FdScs etc) gaining high grades increased by 6$ from the baseline year (2013-14) to the 2015-16 UCLan’s Strategy for the period 20072015-2017 affirms our 2020 affirmed their commitment to “continue to lead the UK higher education sector in promoting equality of educational opportunity”. Although the strategy is now in the process of being revised ” and updated, access to higher education Burnley College will continue to be at the heart of our new strategysupport them in achieving this commitment. Widening participation is remains the major driver behind our extensive collaborative arrangements with FE colleges and other partner organisations, and behind the development of the U C La n Burnley University CampusCampus jointly run by UCLan and Burnley College. The opportunities that Burnley College already provide in collaboration with UCLan for people from Pennine Lancashire to study university programmes locally already shows a different demographic even to those studying at UCLan’s Preston campus. Evidence indicates that our partnership arrangements make this collaboration already makes a significant contribution to mature student entry, with 5874% of students based at Burnley and 66% of the students at other partners being over 21 compared with 54% of students at the main UCLan’s Preston campus. 48% of students here at Burnley come from low social classes, compared with 42% in other partners and 40% at the main campus. 30% of students on UCLan direct-delivery programmes at Burnley are BME compared with 15% at the main UCLan’s Preston campus. Although our relationship with FE college partners is changing UCLan has changed in the light of government policy (indirectly funded student numbers have via UCLan reduced significantly and from 2015-17 no longer exist as partners we have been successful in gaining directly funded numbers), we remain committed to working collaboratively to extend educational opportunity within the region, and to support highly successful subject-based networks in areas such as post-compulsory teacher education, sport and nuclear engineering. UCLan continues to be the validating partner for all our courses which are now directly funded. The University sponsors two ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Scholarships Additionally, following HEFCE guidance in spring 2017, we will be returning around 20% of our student numbers to UCLan’s indirect contract from September 2017, due to the following progression process for those students not completing their university award with Burnley College: Some students who commence their university studies with Burnley College, many of whom would not have met the entry requirements to commence a yearlevel 4 programme at UCLan Preston, which are awarded able to disadvantaged students progressing from FE collegesprogress to Preston having successfully completed 1 or more years of their degree with Burnley College, and having been effectively prepared for the demands of higher level study at a large city centre university campus. UCLan remains committed to working closely with schools and colleges in Pennine Lancashire and Preston to further develop and deliver our Junior University (JU). During the pilot 2010-11 year, three cohorts of Year 9 and 10 pupils participated in the JU, with a 93% completion rate over the 20- session programme (51 out of 55). Qualitative feedback from participants, teachers and parents was uniformly positive. Participant questionnaires demonstrated significant improvements in motivation, knowledge and understanding of HE. Teachers highlighted the positive impact on confidence, maturity and motivation. Parents talked about the excellent opportunity, inspirational student ambassadors and positive benefits for their children. Since then we have enhanced and expanded the programme in a variety of ways, based on findings from our evaluation and on feedback from participants and stakeholders. Such findings include strong indications that the extended activity further supported the beneficiaries’ aspiration Others are able to continue to progress onto Higher Education. The very first cohort of JU students were eligible to enter HE in September 2014 and, based their studies on data available to us, 66% applied to HE, with 19% to higher level provision offered by UCLan and, of these, 9% eventually enrolled with us. We were able to engage with students throughout the application process and two students are now trained Student Ambassadors working on the JU programme as undergraduate students. Working in collaboration with Preston Collaborative Partnership (PCP – formally the Preston 14-19 LEAD Group), a pilot programme was launched in 2011-12 to support learners who may be at risk of becoming “not in education, employment or training” (NEET). Ten pupils from a local high school were identified to work with student mentors from Preston College (BTEC vocational students) and UCLan, on a pilot project which was designed to raise their participation, confidence and motivation in education. Based on evaluation feedback, there was a 10% increase in those who were confident that they could achieve a university qualification at the end of the programme compared to the beginning. In preparation for RPA (Raising the Participation Age) and the potential impact that this may have on the NEET agenda, UCLan extended this programme for 2013, working with four Preston Schools and extending the activity to 20 “at risk pupils”. By sharing expertise and resource, working in collaboration with Preston Collaborative Partnership this model serves as a test bed for further development within the immediate locality of the University, working with schools in some of the most deprived wards. For 2013-14 the project was extended to include pre-NEET (year 9) students. The programme is being offered again during the summer term of 2015 and, although numbers are relatively low for this activity, the difference made to the participants is significant. We have observed that 10% of this cohort have progressed onto the main JU programme during Year 10. We aim to monitor this cohort in more depth during the academic year 2015/16, and will offer a further 10 places. The NEET statistics for Preston continue to increase and we will continue to work collaboratively with local agencies to play a role in addressing this. Academic Schools in UCLan also work in a variety of ways with pupils from feeder schools in the region and in particular with pupils from low participation neighbourhoods to run university taster events, subject specific events, joint projects and other outreach activities. Such relationships are ongoing through the year and through such links pupils come into university and academics go out into schools to raise aspirations. In Cumbria, UCLan is working with two partners, Howgill Family Centre and Inspira Inspiration for Life, on two three-year projects with young people and families from low participation areas to identify and evaluate interventions which encourage resilience, success and progression into higher education and throughout the student lifecycle. In July 2014 UCLan hosted a year 8 EXPO event for pupils from schools in the area, which brought over 6,000 pupils onto campus to engage with a wide variety of hands-on activities with staff and students to raise aspirations, highlight careers opportunities, expand networks and inspire pupils to work towards reaching their full potential through routes into higher education. UCLan is also a strategic partner with Visions Learning Trust, which opened a University Technical College in Burnley in 2013; and is the HE partner for the UTC in Wigan, which again opened in 2013. The University also sponsors the West Lakes Academy in West Cumbria and is a partner in the ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Trust in Blackpool and in Wigan Education Trust. UCLan is working with Visions Learning Trust to sponsor Preston Guild UTC in Preston city centre to extend opportunities for gaining skills which will allow progression into HE and careers in construction and engineering. A particular theme of the UTC is to improve gender balance within the industries served and access by students from low participation areas. This work is part of our strategy to work in depth with selected partners to tackle issues around achievement and aspiration, and to remove barriers to students from disadvantaged areas having the opportunity to participate in the most challenging areas of study. Whilst it is recognised that relatively low numbers of care leavers currently access Higher Education, this is an area of focus for UCLan for 2015-16 as part of the strategic commitment to increasing their participation and we have developed a programme to implement interventions targeted at supporting these groups. Although the Buttle accreditation in itself has been discontinued, UCLan is using research commissioned by the Buttle Trust to inform its strategy and interventions by adopting the recommendations to improve the chances of care leavers accessing and remaining in Higher Education. Building on the outreach work we are already delivering, additional emphasis is also being placed on ensuring that Looked After Children are offered the same opportunities to participate, for example, in the Junior University programme, and to be supported by Peer mentors and Student Ambassador mentors. The four universities covering Cumbria and Lancashire (University of Cumbria, University of Central Lancashire, Edge Hill University and Lancaster University) continue to liaise post-Aimhigher in order to share ideas and best practice for outreach activity, to minimise the risk of duplication, and to make the most effective use of the resource available across the four institutions. Although there are practical limitations in the ability to share resources and facilities where institutions are not closely co-located, collaborative working has continued, mainly in relation to re-directing requests for activity from 11-16 schools to Universities more closely located to their geographical locations with regard to primary activity. UCLan and the University of Cumbria are now working collaboratively to establish two networks under the National Network for Collaborative Outreach initiative. Edge Hill University and Lancaster University are supporting both networks alongside a broad range of FE partners, including two land based organisations. An extensive and varied set of public and community engagement activities contributes directly to the widening participation agenda by engaging young people, parents, teachers and advisers. The Lancashire Science Festival, held for the first time in June 2012, and now organised as an annual event, is our flagship community event, with an audience of around 7500 people visiting campus over the three-day event. The Festival core audience is schoolchildren aged 10-16 years, and families with young children aged approx. 5-14 years. It takes place over three days at the end of June (25-27 June in 2015) and aims to engage young people with STEM, and the potential educational and career paths open to them, and is in this sense aspiration-raising. Visitor feedback tells us that we are successful in this aim: Visitor feedback also highlighted that this was an initial point of contact with UCLan that many underrepresented groups would not otherwise have had. Students contribute to the Lancashire Science Festival through provision of hands-on activities, as voluntary festival assistants and as student ambassadors, who are matched to the school groups visiting to ensure that students have the best possible experience at UCLan. Funding is made available for schools in low socio economic areas to cover transport costs to the Lancashire Science Festival. Outreach projects, especially in STEM, are often targeted at those schools that cannot participate in expensive curriculum enrichment and are always provided free of charge. We work closely with the ▇▇▇▇▇ Trust to raise the aspirations of young people and increase progression into STEM subject areas, especially Maths and Physics, through Science Partnerships and access to ▇▇▇▇▇ studentships. The outreach projects also raise awareness of the UTCs which provide pupils with opportunities to focus on these subject areas alongside gaining workplace experience and developing applied projects to engage their interest. The Young Scientist Centre (YSC) was formally opened in 2015 and is a collaboration between UCLan and the Royal Institution, offering high-quality practical science experiences for pupils at key stages 2-5 within a dedicated laboratory space. The programme of activities covers areas of chemistry, cell biology, ecology and forensic science, with workshops in engineering and astrophysics currently in development. All workshops are an extension to the curriculum and provide practical experiences which cannot be delivered in school/college. Such experiences are likely to lead to increased interest in science subjects and possibly uptake of such subjects at A-level and beyond. We intend to offer the opportunity to access the YSC, free-of-charge, to schools fulfilling our WP criteria, to remove all potential barriers to engagement, and enable us to work with schools who would most benefit. Schools accessing KS4/5 workshops are also offered a campus tour, maximising the opportunity for raising aspirations around future HE participation. Public and community engagement is part of the research culture at UCLan. Ten research staff have been appointed as ‘engagement catalysts’ and an artist in residence bridges the gap between the research environment and the regional community, through creative outputs. Many Catalyst projects directly address issues of aspiration and participation, from working with girls in computing to offering a Pro ▇▇▇▇ law clinic extending legal advice to socioeconomic deprived groups. This is supported by the Creative Communities Network of alumni, UCLan honorary fellows, business leaders, staff and students who put on a range of activities during the year designed to engage pupils who have otherwise limited exposure to higher education as well as creating a forum for raising existing students’ aspirations, awareness and opportunities for progression into chosen careers. UCLan is also actively engaged in local civic events, such as the Preston City Council sponsored ‘Winckley Weekend’ in May 2014, which will attracted over 6,000 visitors to the City from diverse backgrounds. Supported by student ambassadors, UCLan put on hands-on activities and raised awareness of university education through a series of stalls and events over Campus

Assessment of Performance. Traditionally UCLan has an extremely a strong track record of access for under-represented groups. HESA Performance Indicators are used as the main measure and the most recent release (for 2013/14 2011/12 data) reflects that we met or exceeded our targets, with 17.316.4% of young full-time first degree students coming from low participation neighbourhoods (target 15% - POLAR 2 methodology) and 43.940% of young full-time first degree students being drawn from lower socio economic groups (target 39%). We Although we have a strong story to tell, but tell we are mindful know that there could be threats to our continued success in this area. We therefore made a strategic decision to introduce a foundation entry year option for all our undergraduate courses offered on campus. These are heavily discounted to allow for access to higher education by students with non-traditional qualifications, within which students from low participation neighbourhoods form a high proportion. We also made a strategic decision to continue with our policy of maintaining the increased increasing entry requirements for full time undergraduate courses. However, courses and we have introduced the significantly expanded alternative entry route need to ensure that this policy will not have a negative impact on students with ‘non-standard’ qualifications who have the potential to benefit from higher education. We currently monitor this using the HESA performance indicators noted above, but if this data begins to indicate a downturn in enrolments of students from these under-under- represented groups, we will look to extend our monitoring to cover applications. Retention is an area of challenge for us, but we are on track with our work plans to address this and the latest HESA Performance Indicator release projected that 77.976.6% of our students would obtain a degree, against a milestone of 7069%. Over recent the last couple of years we have been working to understand the nature and extent of any differential impacts on under-represented groups and have developed a series of internal data reports to examine this at both school and university levels. We have also been developing a series of initiatives The data relating to ensure the academic year 2011/12 tells us that attrition was 3% higher for students from all backgrounds are effectively supported low participation neighbourhoods (9%), compared to be able to complete their programme of study students from high participation neighbourhoods (6%). For students from average participation neighbourhoods the figure was 8%. The ethnicity attrition gap decreased in 2011/12, with us. This is attrition levels for White students being rigorously monitored through the College structure 8% and investment in enhanced data collection and reporting systemsfor BME students 9%. We are not only concerned to ensure that our students complete their courses; we want to see them achieve strong grades that ensure that they are competitive in the graduate job market. We have, therefore, been working to identify and understand any differentials in the achievement of students from under-represented groups. We want to make a difference in this area, so we have chosen to focus initially our energies on one area of disparity, rather than take a more generalised, scatter- gun approach. We have chosen to focus on the attainment gap between White students and BME students. Our analysis shows that this attainment gap is present at UCLan, with a strategic objective and although the gap here is below the sector average (UCLan 16.3%, sector average 18.4%), we are determined to reduce this significantly over the next few years. We have therefore agreed a new set of targets and milestones to address this and the University Board has confirmed our intention to reduce this gap to 12% (or lower) by 20162017. We are pleased to note Once we feel that we are making good sufficient progress in this area: in 2011/12, the ‘good’ honours ethnicity we will begin initiatives to address other attainment gap at UCLan was at 16%; this has now reduced to 12% in 2013/14, and is below the sector averagegaps. UCLan’s Strategy for the period 2007-2017 affirms reaffirms our commitment to “continue to lead the UK higher education sector in promoting equality of educational opportunity”. Although the strategy is now in the process of being revised and updated, access to higher education will continue to be at the heart of our new strategy. Widening participation is the major driver behind our extensive collaborative arrangements with FE colleges and other partner organisations, and behind the development of the Burnley University Campus. Evidence indicates that our partnership arrangements make a significant contribution to mature student entry, with 58% of students based at Burnley and 66% of the students at other partners being over 21 compared with 54% of students at the main campus. 48% of students at Burnley come The three objectives arising from low social classes, compared with 42% in other partners and 40% at the main campus. 30% of students on UCLan direct-delivery programmes at Burnley are BME compared with 15% at the main campus. Although our relationship with FE college partners is changing in the light of government policy (indirectly funded student numbers have reduced significantly as partners have been successful in gaining directly funded numbers), we remain committed to working collaboratively to extend educational opportunity within the region, and to support highly successful subject-based networks in areas such as post-compulsory teacher education, sport and nuclear engineering. UCLan continues to be the validating partner for courses which are now directly funded. The University sponsors two ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Scholarships a year, which are awarded to disadvantaged students progressing from FE colleges. UCLan remains committed to working closely with schools and colleges in Pennine Lancashire and Preston to further develop and deliver our Junior University (JU). During the pilot 2010-11 year, three cohorts of Year 9 and 10 pupils participated in the JU, with a 93% completion rate over the 20- session programme (51 out of 55). Qualitative feedback from participants, teachers and parents was uniformly positive. Participant questionnaires demonstrated significant improvements in motivation, knowledge and understanding of HE. Teachers highlighted the positive impact on confidence, maturity and motivation. Parents talked about the excellent opportunity, inspirational student ambassadors and positive benefits for their children. Since then we have enhanced and expanded the programme in a variety of ways, based on findings from our evaluation and on feedback from participants and stakeholders. Such findings include strong indications that the extended activity further supported the beneficiaries’ aspiration to continue to progress onto Higher Education. The very first cohort of JU students were eligible to enter HE in September 2014 and, based on data available to us, 66% applied to HE, with 19% to UCLan and, of these, 9% eventually enrolled with us. We were able to engage with students throughout the application process and two students are now trained Student Ambassadors working on the JU programme as undergraduate students. Working in collaboration with Preston Collaborative Partnership (PCP – formally the Preston 14-19 LEAD Group), a pilot programme was launched in 2011-12 to support learners who may be at risk of becoming “not in education, employment or training” (NEET). Ten pupils from a local high school were identified to work with student mentors from Preston College (BTEC vocational students) and UCLan, on a pilot project which was designed to raise their participation, confidence and motivation in education. Based on evaluation feedback, there was a 10% increase in those who were confident that they could achieve a university qualification at the end of the programme compared to the beginning. In preparation for RPA (Raising the Participation Age) and the potential impact that this may have on the NEET agenda, UCLan extended this programme for 2013, working with four Preston Schools and extending the activity to 20 “at risk pupils”. By sharing expertise and resource, working in collaboration with Preston Collaborative Partnership this model serves as a test bed for further development within the immediate locality of the University, working with schools in some of the most deprived wards. For 2013-14 the project was extended to include pre-NEET (year 9) students. The programme is being offered again during the summer term of 2015 and, although numbers are relatively low for this activity, the difference made to the participants is significant. We have observed that 10% of this cohort have progressed onto the main JU programme during Year 10. We aim to monitor this cohort in more depth during the academic year 2015/16, and will offer a further 10 places. The NEET statistics for Preston continue to increase and we will continue to work collaboratively with local agencies to play a role in addressing this. Academic Schools in UCLan also work in a variety of ways with pupils from feeder schools in the region and in particular with pupils from low participation neighbourhoods to run university taster events, subject specific events, joint projects and other outreach activities. Such relationships are ongoing through the year and through such links pupils come into university and academics go out into schools to raise aspirations. In Cumbria, UCLan is working with two partners, Howgill Family Centre and Inspira Inspiration for Life, on two three-year projects with young people and families from low participation areas to identify and evaluate interventions which encourage resilience, success and progression into higher education and throughout the student lifecycle. In July 2014 UCLan hosted a year 8 EXPO event for pupils from schools in the area, which brought over 6,000 pupils onto campus to engage with a wide variety of hands-on activities with staff and students to raise aspirations, highlight careers opportunities, expand networks and inspire pupils to work towards reaching their full potential through routes into higher education. UCLan is also a strategic partner with Visions Learning Trust, which opened a University Technical College in Burnley in 2013; and is the HE partner for the UTC in Wigan, which again opened in 2013. The University also sponsors the West Lakes Academy in West Cumbria and is a partner in the ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Trust in Blackpool and in Wigan Education Trust. UCLan is working with Visions Learning Trust to sponsor Preston Guild UTC in Preston city centre to extend opportunities for gaining skills which will allow progression into HE and careers in construction and engineering. A particular theme of the UTC is to improve gender balance within the industries served and access by students from low participation areas. This work is part of our strategy to work in depth with selected partners to tackle issues around achievement and aspiration, and to remove barriers to students from disadvantaged areas having the opportunity to participate in the most challenging areas of study. Whilst it is recognised that relatively low numbers of care leavers currently access Higher Education, this is an area of focus for UCLan for 2015-16 as part of the strategic commitment to increasing their participation and we have developed a programme to implement interventions targeted at supporting these groups. Although the Buttle accreditation in itself has been discontinued, UCLan is using research commissioned by the Buttle Trust to inform its strategy and interventions by adopting the recommendations to improve the chances of care leavers accessing and remaining in Higher Education. Building on the outreach work we are already delivering, additional emphasis is also being placed on ensuring that Looked After Children are offered the same opportunities to participate, for example, in the Junior University programme, and to be supported by Peer mentors and Student Ambassador mentors. The four universities covering Cumbria and Lancashire (University of Cumbria, University of Central Lancashire, Edge Hill University and Lancaster University) continue to liaise post-Aimhigher in order to share ideas and best practice for outreach activity, to minimise the risk of duplication, and to make the most effective use of the resource available across the four institutions. Although there are practical limitations in the ability to share resources and facilities where institutions are not closely co-located, collaborative working has continued, mainly in relation to re-directing requests for activity from 11-16 schools to Universities more closely located to their geographical locations with regard to primary activity. UCLan and the University of Cumbria are now working collaboratively to establish two networks under the National Network for Collaborative Outreach initiative. Edge Hill University and Lancaster University are supporting both networks alongside a broad range of FE partners, including two land based organisations. An extensive and varied set of public and community engagement activities contributes directly to the widening participation agenda by engaging young people, parents, teachers and advisers. The Lancashire Science Festival, held for the first time in June 2012, and now organised as an annual event, is our flagship community event, with an audience of around 7500 people visiting campus over the three-day event. The Festival core audience is schoolchildren aged 10-16 years, and families with young children aged approx. 5-14 years. It takes place over three days at the end of June (25-27 June in 2015) and aims to engage young people with STEM, and the potential educational and career paths open to them, and is in this sense aspiration-raising. Visitor feedback tells us that we are successful in this aim: Visitor feedback also highlighted that this was an initial point of contact with UCLan that many underrepresented groups would not otherwise have had. Students contribute to the Lancashire Science Festival through provision of hands-on activities, as voluntary festival assistants and as student ambassadors, who are matched to the school groups visiting to ensure that students have the best possible experience at UCLan. Funding is made available for schools in low socio economic areas to cover transport costs to the Lancashire Science Festival. Outreach projects, especially in STEM, are often targeted at those schools that cannot participate in expensive curriculum enrichment and are always provided free of charge. We work closely with the ▇▇▇▇▇ Trust to raise the aspirations of young people and increase progression into STEM subject areas, especially Maths and Physics, through Science Partnerships and access to ▇▇▇▇▇ studentships. The outreach projects also raise awareness of the UTCs which provide pupils with opportunities to focus on these subject areas alongside gaining workplace experience and developing applied projects to engage their interest. The Young Scientist Centre (YSC) was formally opened in 2015 and is a collaboration between UCLan and the Royal Institution, offering high-quality practical science experiences for pupils at key stages 2-5 within a dedicated laboratory space. The programme of activities covers areas of chemistry, cell biology, ecology and forensic science, with workshops in engineering and astrophysics currently in development. All workshops are an extension to the curriculum and provide practical experiences which cannot be delivered in school/college. Such experiences are likely to lead to increased interest in science subjects and possibly uptake of such subjects at A-level and beyond. We intend to offer the opportunity to access the YSC, free-of-charge, to schools fulfilling our WP criteria, to remove all potential barriers to engagement, and enable us to work with schools who would most benefit. Schools accessing KS4/5 workshops are also offered a campus tour, maximising the opportunity for raising aspirations around future HE participation. Public and community engagement is part of the research culture at UCLan. Ten research staff have been appointed as ‘engagement catalysts’ and an artist in residence bridges the gap between the research environment and the regional community, through creative outputs. Many Catalyst projects directly address issues of aspiration and participation, from working with girls in computing to offering a Pro ▇▇▇▇ law clinic extending legal advice to socioeconomic deprived groups. This is supported by the Creative Communities Network of alumni, UCLan honorary fellows, business leaders, staff and students who put on a range of activities during the year designed to engage pupils who have otherwise limited exposure to higher education as well as creating a forum for raising existing students’ aspirations, awareness and opportunities for progression into chosen careers. UCLan is also actively engaged in local civic events, such as the Preston City Council sponsored ‘Winckley Weekend’ in May 2014, which will attracted over 6,000 visitors to the City from diverse backgrounds. Supported by student ambassadors, UCLan put on hands-on activities and raised awareness of university education through a series of stalls and events over are: