12 May 202609:30–16:30
Collaborate to evaluate: TASO annual conference 2026
Woburn House, London WC1H 9HQ
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Join us at our annual conference – Collaborate to evaluate – 09:30–16:30 on Tuesday 12 May 2026, followed by a drinks reception.
The event will be held at Woburn House, London WC1H 9HQ,
We will be running an action packed one-day programme, filled with opportunities to learn from peers and experts.
Come along to find out more about the Higher Education Evaluation Library (HEEL) and hear directly from colleagues about their evaluations.
Why attend?
- Be at the forefront of evaluation trends – Hear from peers about efforts to improve equality of opportunity, learn about the new Higher Education Evaluation Library (HEEL) and trends in evaluation across the sector.
- Learn from experts – Engage in sessions with evaluation experts to enhance your skills and get inspired about how your work fits into the bigger policy picture.
- Build your network – Connect with like-minded colleagues to spearhead the government’s new collaboration agenda and foster knowledge sharing.
Who should attend?
- Practitioners, managers, or heads responsible for developing access and participation plans.
- Evaluators working in higher education.
- Third-sector representatives interested in best-practice evaluation methods.
Agenda
Short talks and poster presentations
Throughout the day there will short talks and poster presentations from attendees who have submitted their evaluations. The call for submissions is now closed. These sessions are designed to support shared learning across the sector, creating a space to network, exchange insights, discuss challenges and reflect on what works – and what doesn’t.
Presentations will showcase planned, ongoing and completed evaluations addressing equality of opportunity in higher education. Short talks will run for 10–15 minutes, each with time for questions, and poster sessions will provide dedicated opportunities for informal engagement with presenters.
Conference sessions
| Section | Description | Speakers |
| Opening and welcome | Dr Omar Khan, CEO, TASO | |
| Improving equality of opportunity: the role of collaboration | Professor Chris Millward (Interim Director for Fair Access and Participation, Office for Students) will discuss how regional collaboration is at the heart of the government’s recent post-16 white paper. What does best practice collaboration look like? And how can it support equality of opportunity in higher education? | Professor Chris Millward, Interim Director for Fair Access and Participation, Office for Students |
| How do we address the higher education postcode lottery? | As participation in higher education increases, regional inequalities in access remain the same. This panel will explore the need for renewed focus on collaborative strategies that target areas with the largest disadvantage gaps and longstanding cold spots. Drawing on their experience and insights, the panelists will discuss how evaluation can support regional strategies and help reduce inequalities in access to higher education. | Panel chaired by Professor Eunice Simmons, Chair of TASO Board of Trustees – Vice-Chancellor, University of Chester Professor Graeme Atherton, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Regional Engagement, University of West London; Vice-Principal, Ruskin College, Oxford; and Director, World Access to Higher Education Network Alex Proudfoot, Chief Executive, Independent Higher Education Dr Shaid Mahmood MBE, Chair, Association of Colleges; Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Durham University Dr Kate Wicklow, Director of Policy and Strategy, GuildHE |
| BREAK | ||
| The HEEL: fostering a culture of knowledge exchange | In this session, Dr Anna Anthony – Director of HEAT – will provide an overview of the Higher Education Evaluation Library (HEEL) and its role in supporting knowledge exchange, fostering collaboration, and supporting the dissemination of evaluation evidence. | Dr Anna Anthony, Director of the Higher Education Access Tracker (HEAT) |
| Higher education sector paper presentations: Session 1 | Sector representatives will present their evaluations, followed by a facilitated panel discussion with a TASO team member. | Dr Molly Rowlands, Research Manager, TASO |
| LUNCH | ||
| Higher education sector paper presentations: Session 2 | Sector representatives will present their evaluations, followed by a facilitated panel discussion with a TASO team member. | Katherine Drew, Evaluation Officer, TASO |
| POSTER SESSION WITH REFRESHMENTS | ||
| Collaboration in practice: risks and rewards | This session will focus on how collaboration works in practice. Hearing from TASO and higher education providers that have collaborated effectively and what were the steps of putting that in place. | Dr Omar Khan, CEO, TASO |
| Closing keynote address | Professor Eunice Simmons, Chair of TASO Board of Trustees – Vice-Chancellor, University of Chester | |
| Drinks reception until 18:00 |
Event details
- Date: 12 May 2026
- Time: 09:30–16:30, followed by drinks reception until 18:00
- Location: Woburn House, London WC1H 9HQ.
Add to Calendar
In registering for this event, you agree to the following terms: Cancellations must be received in writing (to info@taso.org.uk) by Friday 3rd April to qualify for a refund. We regret that no refund can be made for cancellations received after this time. However, substitute delegates will be accepted at any time. If sending a substitute delegate please provide the registered delegate’s full name and the substitute delegate’s full name, job title, organisation, and email address to info@taso.org.uk.