Common use of Background and Context Clause in Contracts

Background and Context. Edge Hill University has a long and successful history of commitment to widening participation with a strong track record in the recruitment of students from under- represented groups and in the provision of high quality teaching, learning and student support services that sustain good rates of progression and achievement. We lead the region in Aimhigher and consistently perform at or above our HEFCE benchmark for participation, diversity and efficiency. The decision to implement variable tuition fees has been taken with a view to providing a range of financial support schemes targeted to students where the level of family income could be a disincentive to participation in higher education, offering direct support to student learning and to securing further investment in the infrastructure that supports these areas. We expect 50 – 60% of our students to benefit through these schemes as detailed in later sections. Our Bursaries and Scholarships Scheme was awarded the ‘Outstanding Student Support Financial Package’ in the Times Higher Awards 2006. In addition, we wish to extend our provision of outreach activities and develop progression opportunities through our partnership arrangements to further widen our student base. Our on-course package, which emphasises life-cycle support, is designed to enhance our ability to attract students from groups that have not previously considered higher education as a viable option whilst the recognition of excellence in areas especially pertinent to our mission and long-term development aims adds an important extra dimension. This Access Agreement has been developed in the light of our most recent Corporate Planning Statement and its perceived strengths demonstrating our existing commitment to the widening participation agenda: 1. We are one of the top ten Universities in the country for the recruitment of students from low participation neighbourhoods and social class Low NS- SEC 4-7. We outperform our benchmark significantly on all the social inclusion indicators. 2. We are committed to the continuous enhancement of and investment in the student experience. 3. We have made significant year on year investment (£85m over 10 years) to achieve one of the best campuses in the NW. 4. The quality of our support to students has been endorsed by students through the National Student Survey, internal Student Satisfaction Surveys and by external agencies (QAA, OFSTED, NMC) through quality review processes. 5. Two thirds of all reviews by the Quality Assurance Agency have achieved excellent ratings (22/24) and since 2003 all subjects have received commendations for Learning and Teaching. 6. Our financial performance is strong and has been confirmed by internal and external auditors and the HEFCE Audit Service. 7. Our market position has strengthened year on year. We have seen growth of more than 70% in UCAS applications since 2001 with a 38% increase for 2007 entry against a national rise of 5.4%. 8. We have developed substantial and wide ranging outreach and access programmes funded through a variety of sources. 9. Fair access has been at the heart of our Admissions Policy for many years and Edge Hill supports the broad principles outlined in the ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Review of Admissions. 10. We are an initial partner with the ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Trust, working to raise aspiration amongst Care Leavers. 11. We are committed to Foundation Degrees and have the largest programme in the country for Teaching Assistants and a number of programmes with further education collaborative partners. 12. We are the lead institution for the Greater Merseyside and West Lancashire LLN offering students a passport scheme for HE progression within the LLN and we work in partnership with a wide range of FE providers to deliver relevant local HE provision. 13. The University is a member of the bid team to develop a Lancashire LLN. 14. We have recently opened a Research Centre for Widening Participation to investigate, identify and disseminate best practice in this area. 15. We are committed to the continued development of Access programmes (Fastrack and FastForward) providing entry routes to all our undergraduate provision including teaching and health programmes and offering bridging opportunities for those in employment to Foundation Degrees. 16. Our commitment to Summer School provision is nationally recognised. Edge Hill was the only HEI to be awarded funding to run a national ITT Summer School. 17. The University is the regional lead institution for Aimhigher North West and also delivers a wide ranging aspiration-raising and attainment programme in partnership with Lancashire and Greater Merseyside. 18. The national co-ordination team for widening participation, Action on Access, is led by and based at the University. In developing this agreement, we are concerned to maintain our position as a major provider of higher education for mature students, first generation students, students from low income families and those from low participation neighbourhoods through the continued development of local partnerships. At the same time, we recognise the need to sustain appropriate retention and employability rates, to increase our recruitment from areas currently under- represented in our student profile and to recognise excellence. We seek to achieve this through a co-ordinated strategy of bursary and scholarship provision, outreach and infrastructure support.

Background and Context. Edge Hill The University of Bradford has been at the leading edge of building a long more inclusive higher education for over a decade and is recognised globally as a successful history University that provides realistic opportunities for all of commitment to widening participation with a strong track record its students. The University is distinctive in the recruitment that not only does it have significantly higher proportions of students from under- represented low socio economic and minority ethnic groups and in than nearly any other university it also has one of the provision highest proportions of high quality teachingstudents gaining graduate employment. In essence, learning and student support services that sustain good rates of progression and achievementBradford is a university with a holistic approach to achieving ‘Student Success’. We lead deliver a learning experience which has high impact and value for money as our core mission. To emphasise our approach the region in Aimhigher and consistently perform at or above our HEFCE benchmark University has adopted a ‘Social Model’ of inclusion, which is based on the precept that the barriers that exist to prevent universal access to higher educational opportunities for participationthose with the ability to benefit, diversity and efficiencyhave been predominantly created by society. The decision University already does a lot to implement variable tuition fees has been taken with a view remove those barriers and therefore it will now focus on supporting our current inclusivity whilst enhancing student success and achievement in order to providing a range of financial support schemes targeted to students where make the level of family income could be a disincentive to participation in higher educationdifference required for economic and social regeneration necessary locally, offering direct support to student learning regionally, nationally and to securing further investment in the infrastructure that supports these areas. We expect 50 – 60% of our students to benefit through these schemes as detailed in later sections. Our Bursaries and Scholarships Scheme was awarded the ‘Outstanding Student Support Financial Package’ in the Times Higher Awards 2006. In addition, we wish to extend our provision of outreach activities and develop progression opportunities through our partnership arrangements to further widen our student base. Our on-course package, which emphasises life-cycle support, is designed to enhance our ability to attract students from groups that have not previously considered higher education as a viable option whilst the recognition of excellence in areas especially pertinent to our mission and long-term development aims adds an important extra dimension. internationally This Access Agreement has been developed in four key themes designed to ensure that we continue to be at the light forefront of our most recent Corporate Planning Statement and its perceived strengths demonstrating our existing commitment to the widening participation agenda: 1. We are one of the top ten Universities in the country for the recruitment of access, enable students from low participation neighbourhoods poorer income households to participate and social class Low NS- SEC 4-7to provide the high impact and added value of a high quality student experience with a focus on “Bradford Graduates Getting Graduate jobs.” Widening Access and Outreach in which our focus will build on current activities, establish a strategic partnership with targeted schools (particularly our trusts and academies), roll out the proposed STEM Schools Laboratories, further develop the Sustainable Schools Network and the University wide Public and Community Engagement Programme which includes community partnerships and intergenerational learning. We outperform our benchmark significantly on all the social inclusion indicators. 2. We are committed Student Success where we will seek to the continuous enhancement of support learning and investment in the student experience. 3. We have made significant year on year investment (£85m over 10 years) to achieve one of the best campuses in the NW. 4. The quality of our support to students has been endorsed by students understanding through the National Student Survey, internal Student Satisfaction Surveys and by external agencies (QAA, OFSTED, NMC) through quality review processes. 5. Two thirds of all reviews by the Quality Assurance Agency have achieved excellent ratings (22/24) and since 2003 all subjects have received commendations for Learning and Teaching. 6. Our financial performance is strong and has been confirmed by internal and external auditors Learner Development Unit and the HEFCE Audit Service. 7. Our market position has strengthened year on year. We have seen growth introduction of more than 70% in UCAS applications since 2001 with a 38% increase for 2007 entry against a national rise of 5.4%. 8. We have developed substantial and wide ranging outreach and access programmes funded through a variety of sources. 9. Fair access has been at the heart of our Admissions Policy for many years and Edge Hill supports the broad principles outlined in the ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Review of Admissions. 10. We are an initial partner with the ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Trust, working to raise aspiration amongst Care Leavers. 11. We are committed to Foundation Degrees and have the largest programme in the country for Teaching Assistants and a number of programmes “graduate teaching assistant” posts which will include training to provide intensive additional subject support to first year students. Employability where we will seek to develop a series of initiatives to boost graduate employment ranging from internships, campus employment, support for startup companies, work placements. Senate has recently agreed that all our courses should include an element of assessed work experience, and the delivery of this will be a key aspect of our approach. Financial Support where we will seek with further education collaborative partners. 12the Student Union to develop a targeted bursary and hardship scheme based on financial need. We are In addition a package of support will be established as part of the lead institution for the Greater Merseyside NSP based on bursaries and West Lancashire LLN offering students a passport scheme for HE progression within the LLN and we work in partnership with a wide range of FE providers discounted living costs. In order to deliver relevant local HE provision. 13aspects of the activities set out in this document, the University will also build upon its three HEFCE Strategic Development Funded (SDF) projects, taking forward new activities which will offer real practical opportunity in our priority areas for student success. These are addressed in theme one. The University is a member will also take forward existing sub regional partnership work. In collaboration with the other HE providers in West Yorkshire, both HEIs and FECs, we will invest in the Higher Education Access and Progression Partnership (HEAPP), building on the success of previous partnership working and the bid team to develop a Lancashire LLN. 14shared expertise established through the West Yorkshire Lifelong Learning Network and AimHigher. We have recently opened a Research Centre for Widening Participation to investigate, identify The HEAPP will target both adult learners and disseminate best practice in this area. 15young people. We are committed to It will continue the continued development of Access programmes (Fastrack high level skills in the region by maintaining the West Yorkshire Progression Agreement Framework and FastForward) providing entry routes to all our undergraduate provision including teaching an effective communication channel between HE providers, the Leeds City Region and health programmes Leeds Local Enterprise Partnership; and offering bridging opportunities for those in employment to Foundation Degrees. 16. Our commitment to Summer School provision is nationally recognised. Edge Hill was the only HEI to be awarded funding to run a national ITT Summer School. 17it will define and oversee an appropriately coordinated programme of sub-regional widening participation activity. The University is the regional lead institution for Aimhigher North West HEAPP will be established in 2011/12 and also delivers its effectiveness will be carefully monitored during a wide ranging aspirationtwo-raising and attainment programme in partnership with Lancashire and Greater Merseysideyear development phase. 18. The national co-ordination team for widening participation, Action on Access, is led by and based at the University. In developing this agreement, we are concerned to maintain our position as a major provider of higher education for mature students, first generation students, students from low income families and those from low participation neighbourhoods through the continued development of local partnerships. At the same time, we recognise the need to sustain appropriate retention and employability rates, to increase our recruitment from areas currently under- represented in our student profile and to recognise excellence. We seek to achieve this through a co-ordinated strategy of bursary and scholarship provision, outreach and infrastructure support.