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Evidence toolkit: Student access, success and progression

Our toolkit summarises the existing evidence on approaches to widening participation and student success for disadvantaged and underrepresented groups.

How we rate evidence in our access, success and progression toolkit.

Find out more

  • Work experience (post-HE)

    Work experience includes a range of interventions providing students with exposure to industry and employment. These interventions are run by higher education providers to improve career outcomes and employability for students.

    • Cost

      Low cost

    • Impact on aspirations / attitudes

      More evidence needed

    • Impact on behaviour / outcomes

      Small positive impact

    • Strength of evidence

      Emerging evidence

    Socio-economic / demographic disadvantaged learnersFemale learnersBAME learnersDisabled learnersPost-entry to HEProgression to employmentSkills development

  • Foundation year programmes (post-entry)

    Foundation year programmes are one-year introductory courses at the start of undergraduate university. They are designed to help students who may not meet the standard requirements for entry into university to develop skills and subject-specific knowledge, with the aim of increasing access to undergraduate studies, increasing course completion and raising attainment.

    • Cost

      High cost

    • Impact on aspirations / attitudes

      More evidence needed

    • Impact on behaviour / outcomes

      More evidence needed

    • Strength of evidence

      Weak evidence

    Post-entry to HEAttainment raising (post-entry)Belonging in HE (post-entry)CompletionProgression to ‘high tariff’ institutionProgression to HEProgression to own institutionRetentionSkills developmentSocial / cultural capital

  • Information, advice and guidance for employment and employability (post-HE)

    Information, advice and guidance (IAG) for employment and employability is the provision of resources to students to help them understand their career options and make effective decisions around them.

    • Cost

      Low cost

    • Impact on aspirations / attitudes

      More evidence needed

    • Impact on behaviour / outcomes

      Mixed impact

    • Strength of evidence

      Emerging evidence

    Socio-economic / demographic disadvantaged learnersFemale learnersBAME learnersDisabled learnersPost-entry to HEProgression to employmentSkills developmentSocial / cultural capital

  • Transition support into HE for disabled students (pre-entry)

    Transition support aims to help disabled students transition into higher education.

    • Cost

      Medium cost

    • Impact on aspirations / attitudes

      More evidence needed

    • Impact on behaviour / outcomes

      More evidence needed

    • Strength of evidence

      Weak evidence

    Disabled learnersPre-entry to HECompletionProgression to HEProgression to own institutionRetentionSkills developmentWellbeing

  • Technology-based solutions to improve employability/employment outcomes (post-HE)

    Technology-based solutions include a range of innovative practices that make use of new technologies to improve graduate employment outcomes.

    • Cost

      Low cost

    • Impact on aspirations / attitudes

      More evidence needed

    • Impact on behaviour / outcomes

      More evidence needed

    • Strength of evidence

      Weak evidence

    Post-entry to HEProgression to employmentProgression to PG studySkills developmentSocial / cultural capital

  • Teaching employability skills (post-HE)

    Interventions developed by higher education providers that aim to teach employability skills and a range of competencies deemed necessary for success in securing and retaining employment (e.g., career adaptability).

    • Cost

      Medium cost

    • Impact on aspirations / attitudes

      More evidence needed

    • Impact on behaviour / outcomes

      More evidence needed

    • Strength of evidence

      Weak evidence

    Post-entry to HEProgression to employmentProgression to PG studySkills developmentSocial / cultural capital

  • Online teaching and learning (post-entry)

    Online Teaching and Learning is the support carried out in the absence of face-to-face contact.

    • Cost

      Medium cost

    • Impact on aspirations / attitudes

      More evidence needed

    • Impact on behaviour / outcomes

      Mixed impact

    • Strength of evidence

      Emerging evidence

    Post-entry to HEAttainment raising (post-entry)CompletionProgression to employmentProgression to own institutionProgression to PG studyRetentionSkills development

  • Raising attainment through school governance and teacher training (pre-entry)

    School governance and teacher training are sometimes used as mechanisms to improve the attainment of school-age pupils. Partnerships between schools and higher education providers are typically formed through university sponsorship of schools, professional development opportunities for teachers, and placing university staff as governors of schools. 

    • Cost

      High cost

    • Impact on aspirations / attitudes

      More evidence needed

    • Impact on behaviour / outcomes

      More evidence needed

    • Strength of evidence

      Weak evidence

    Pre-entry to HEAttainment raising (pre-entry)Progression to HEProgression to own institutionSkills development

  • Reasonable adjustments (or accommodations) for disabled students

    Higher education providers must provide a range of reasonable adjustments (or, particularly in the US context, ‘accommodations’) for disabled students to help them succeed on their course; for example access to assistive technologies, or extra time on tests.

    • Cost

      Medium cost

    • Impact on aspirations / attitudes

      More evidence needed

    • Impact on behaviour / outcomes

      More evidence needed

    • Strength of evidence

      Weak evidence

    Disabled learnersPost-entry to HEAttainment raising (post-entry)Belonging in HE (post-entry)CompletionRetentionSkills developmentWellbeing

  • Information, advice and guidance (IAG) (pre-entry)

    Information, advice and guidance (IAG) is an umbrella term for support that helps students make informed choices about education options.

    • Cost

      Low cost

    • Impact on aspirations / attitudes

      Mixed impact

    • Impact on behaviour / outcomes

      Mixed impact

    • Strength of evidence

      Medium evidence

    Pre-entry to HEProgression to ‘high tariff’ institutionProgression to HEProgression to own institution

  • Learning analytics (post-entry)

    Learning analytics is an umbrella term for the measurement, collection, analysis, and reporting of data about learners, for the purpose of understanding and optimising their learning and the environments in which it occurs.

    • Cost

      Medium cost

    • Impact on aspirations / attitudes

      Mixed impact

    • Impact on behaviour / outcomes

      Small positive impact

    • Strength of evidence

      Emerging evidence

    Post-entry to HEAttainment raising (post-entry)CompletionProgression to employmentProgression to own institutionProgression to PG studyRetentionSkills development

  • Programmes of student support (post-entry)

    Programmes of student support refers to sustained programmes of engagement (for example, via course modules or events) designed to improve retention and success among students from disadvantaged and underrepresented groups.

    • Cost

      Medium cost

    • Impact on aspirations / attitudes

      Small positive impact

    • Impact on behaviour / outcomes

      Small positive impact

    • Strength of evidence

      Weak evidence

    Post-entry to HEAttainment raising (post-entry)Belonging in HE (post-entry)CompletionProgression to employmentProgression to PG studyRetentionSkills developmentSocial / cultural capitalWellbeing