25/10/2021
A new AccessHE report shows Covid-19 hasn’t dampened young Londoners’ enthusiasm for going to university.
While Covid-19 is known to have impacted pupils’ choices after secondary school, a new report released today by AccessHE shows that young Londoners preparing to go to university this year remain intent on embarking on higher education and feel confident about receiving a normal or near-normal experience once they get there.
https://www.accesshe.ac.uk/resources/publications-research-reports/
Best Laid Plans: London’s ‘Covid Cohort’ and Progression to Higher Education by Dr Richard Boffey and Emily Dixon is based on a large-scale survey of 16-to-18-year-olds in London. The report finds:
• no evidence that London’s school and college leavers are less likely to pursue higher education study post-pandemic;
• the majority of those surveyed are expecting a normal or near-normal higher education experience; and
• students who are the first in their family to go to university are more likely to seek information, advice and guidance about higher education outside the family home and are therefore more likely to benefit from university resources, in-person events and dedicated mentoring or buddying schemes.
To ensure ‘first in family’ students receive longer-term, structured engagement opportunities, the report recommends that higher education providers include ‘first in family’ in their evaluation of - and reporting - on continuation outcomes for students.
The authors also recommend the creation of a young Londoner higher education (HE) progression committee to help instigate important pan-London conversations between students, providers, schools and colleges. This voice would enrich discussion surrounding transition to higher education and enable the co-creation of appropriate support and curricula.
Dr Richard Boffey, co-author of the report and Head of AccessHE, said:
“We are still building an understanding of exactly how the lost learning and lost opportunities of the past 18 months impact on young people’s transition into HE. Today’s AccessHE report, which looks in depth at how the ‘Covid cohort’ view HE and how the sector can enable them to access and succeed in it, contributes to this emerging picture. It gives grounds for optimism in its conclusion about likely levels of HE progression over coming years but also points to some complex emerging challenges in how this is managed.”
Dr Diana Beech, Chief Executive Officer of London Higher, said:
“With demand for higher education in England set to rise sharply over the next decade, especially in London and the South East, it is vital that the capital’s schools, colleges and universities find new and innovative ways of working together to support the transition into higher education of London’s large and diverse student community. A pan-London forum to address London students’ future needs will be key to ensuring local Londoners achieve parity of opportunity and are set up to succeed.”
For further information, please contact Emily Dixon at [email protected].
A series of research findings and reports produced by AccessHE.
