29–30 April 202510:00–17:00
Annual Conference 2025: How to evaluate
University of Warwick, The Slate, Coventry CV4 7SH
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Join us at TASO’s two-day annual conference on 29–30 April 2025 to develop your evaluation expertise and deepen your understanding of how your work impacts equality of opportunity in higher education.
Designed for both newcomers and experienced practitioners, TASOCon25 will feature interactive sessions led by experts who will guide you through best-practice approaches to evaluation.
Our agenda this year is designed to enable peer-to-peer learning, bringing the sector together to share insights and best practice, alongside updates and practical guidance from TASO and sector experts.
What to expect
- Gain practical insights to enhance your evaluation skills.
- Learn from peers and providers tackling challenges in equality of opportunity.
- Expand your network with like-minded professionals in higher education.
Why attend?
As higher education providers focus on implementing their access and participation plans (APPs), this conference provides the skills and knowledge needed to deliver impactful initiatives. TASOCon25 equips the sector to effectively execute their APPs and fosters opportunities to learn from others in the sector.
Who should attend?
- Practitioners, managers, or heads responsible for developing access and participation Plans (APPs).
- Evaluators working in higher education.
- Third-sector representatives interested in best-practice evaluation methods.
Event details
Date: 29–30 April 2025
Location: The Slate, University of Warwick
Agenda
Click the plus (+) next to each title to view the agenda.
In addition to the listed sessions, there will be facilitated networking opportunities with other attendees and TASO staff, including ‘home groups’. All attendees will be assigned to a small ‘home group’ which will meet briefly after every plenary session, giving the opportunity for peer-to-peer discussion and reflection on the content of plenary sessions, as well as facilitating networking. TASO colleagues will also join these home groups.
Agenda: Tuesday 29 April
- 9:30–10:00: Arrival and registration
- 10:00–10:05: Opening and welcome remarks
- 10:05–10:25: Transforming Tomorrow: TASO and the global evidence revolution
- TASO is part of a global movement to drive better use of evidence. Hear about how TASO came into being, what we’ve achieved so far, and what needs to happen next for higher education evaluation to drive meaningful change.
- 10:45–11:30: Breakout sessions
- Session 1: Achieving impact through evaluation
- How can we ensure our findings are impactful? The evidence created through evaluation has the potential to lead to direct change in policy and practice, but practitioners often face barriers in getting to this stage. This panel discussion will bring together experts in evaluation to discuss the regular challenges in securing buy-in and advocating for change, and how you can approach these for a greater chance of success.
- Session 2: Engaging students meaningfully
- How can we ensure we are reaching students in our outreach? This panel discussion will look at different approaches that can be used to promote student participation and the inclusion of student voice in projects.
- Session 1: Achieving impact through evaluation
- 11:30–12:00: Break
- 12:00–12:40: Higher Education Evaluation Library (HEEL)
- The Higher Education Evaluation Library (HEEL) will support the sharing of evidence and evaluation in relation to equality of opportunity in higher education. The Office for Students is funding TASO to establish this library which will be hosted and developed by the Higher Education Access Tracker (HEAT). Hear an update from TASO and HEAT on the development of the HEEL, including the opportunity for attendees to be consulted as part of ongoing development.
- 12.45–13:30: Lunch
- 13:30–14:00: Keynote: Higher education in 2025
- In this keynote, you’ll hear insight into the current situation for higher education, and the direction we can expect to see at a senior level over the next year, including key economic and policy drivers. Come along to understand how your work fits into this wider context, and how it continues to be important.
- 14.00–16:30: Breakout sessions
- Session 1: Evaluation across the sector
- A fast-paced session during which you’ll hear from others in the sector about their experiences of facing and overcoming challenges in evaluation.
- Session 2/3: Interactive problem-solving
- Work in small groups to get stuck into the nitty gritty of evaluation by tackling mini evaluation problems set by TASO.
- Session 1: Evaluation across the sector
- 16:30–17:30: Poster room and networking
- Come along to this knowledge exchange and networking session where you’ll be able to speak to other higher education providers about interventions they are delivering and considering. Find out how to submit a poster here
- 17:30–18:30: Break
- 18:30–19:30: Drinks reception
- 19.30–21:30: Dinner with keynote speaker
Agenda: Wednesday 30 April
- 8:30–9:30: Arrival, networking and registration for day pass attendees
- 9:30–9:40: Opening and welcome
- 9.40–10:00: Keynote
- 10:00–11:00: Pathways into and through higher education for young people with experience of children’s social care
- Our recent report with Rees Centre examined the educational pathways of students with experience of children’s social care, using newly linked datasets. In this session, we will give an overview of the findings and discuss key recommendations for policymakers and practitioners, with a chance for the audience to ask questions of the panel.
- 11:00–11:30: Break
- 11:30–12:30: TASO live work mini-tours
- The TASO team will take you on a mini-tour of some of TASO’s key projects and resources which can help you provide high-quality evaluation. This session will allow everyone to refresh their understanding of what TASO has to offer.
- 12.30–13:30: Lunch
- 13.30–15:00: Breakout sessions
- Session 1: Guide to RCTs
- In this re-run of our popular 2024 conference session, we will explore the practical considerations of how to conduct a randomised controlled trial (RCT). Delegates will engage in a live RCT simulation to grasp key concepts of ethical considerations, randomisation methods, sample size determinations, and resource allocation. The session will conclude with an audience Q&A.
- Session 2: Tackling the common challenges in evaluation
- An interactive session: join themed discussion groups with other delegates to discuss how to overcome the biggest challenges in evaluation.
- Session 1: Guide to RCTs
- 15:00–15:30: Break
- 15:30–16:15: The role of contextualised admissions
- Are contextualised admissions effective in supporting more students from underserved backgrounds to attend higher education, or do they represent a lowering of academic standards? In this panel session, key players in the sector will make the case for and against contextualised admissions, and debate their usage.
Pricing
Standard
- Day 1 only: £449
- Day 2 only: £449
- Both days with accommodation and dinner: £699
- Both days without accommodation and dinner: £659
For profit
- Day 1 only: £499
- Day 2 only: £499
- Both days with accommodation and dinner: £799
- Both days without accommodation and dinner: £759
Showcase your work at the conference poster session
We are hosting a ‘poster room’ at the conference so attendees can showcase their work related to widening participation, student success, and evidence-informed practice in a visual format.
Who can submit?
Only registered conference participants are eligible to submit a poster.
What to submit
Posters should align with themes of widening participation and student success. Posters may include:
- Theories of change explaining the logic behind an intervention or policy.
- An overview of a current projects or intervention you are working on,
- Details on an intervention you are piloting or plan to pilot
Each poster must include:
- Institution/organisation name
- Project title
- Outcomes/learnings
Practical requirements
- Size: A0
- Orientation: Landscape
- Resolution: 300dpi minimum for high-quality printing
Design guidelines
- Make the poster visually engaging by using infographics, images, and diagrams where possible.
- Keep text concise and prioritise key messages.
- Use accessible fonts (serif and sans serif) and avoid text smaller than size 13.
- Ensure clear headings and logical structure to help viewers engage with your work.
We will soon provide a template/example poster to support submissions – more details to follow.
How to submit
Submit a short proposal (max 250 words) outlining your poster’s topic and relevance to Alisha Collins (alisha.collins@taso.org.uk) by Wednesday 26 March (17:00 GMT).
Applications will be assessed based on alignment of themes.
Successful applicants will be contacted by Wednesday 2 April and will be asked to design a poster (high-resolution PDF) by Monday 21 April.
Accepted posters will be displayed throughout the event, with dedicated networking sessions for discussions with attendees.
If you have any questions about the poster session, please contact Alisha Collins at alisha.collins@taso.org.uk.
Privacy notice for TASO conference
Please read the privacy notice before registering for the conference.