Evidence toolkit

Our toolkit summarises the existing evidence on approaches to widening participation and student success for disadvantaged and underrepresented groups. The evidence is presented by types of interventions.

Click through for detail on the efficacy and evidence of interventions.
Find out how approaches have been categorised on our ratings page.
We’ll be updating our toolkit as new evidence is produced. If you have evidence to share, please get in touch.

Order by:

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.
- Progression to employment
- Skills development
- Post-entry to HE
- Socio-economic / demographic disadvantaged learners
- Female learners
- BAME learners
- Disabled learners
- Cost
  
  Low cost
- Impact on aspirations / attitudes
  
  More evidence needed
- Impact on behaviour / outcomes
  
  Small positive impact
- Strength of evidence
  
  Emerging evidence
Tutoring (pre-entry)

Academic tutoring is an intervention that involves a teacher, trained teaching assistant or a tutor providing academic support to an individual or group of students.
- Attainment raising (pre-entry)
- Progression to ‘high tariff’ institution
- Progression to HE
- Progression to own institution
- Skills development
- Pre-entry to HE
- Cost
  
  High cost
- Impact on aspirations / attitudes
  
  Small positive impact
- Impact on behaviour / outcomes
  
  Large positive impact
- Strength of evidence
  
  Medium evidence
Transition support into HE for disabled students (pre-entry)

Transition support aims to help disabled students transition into higher education.
- Completion
- Progression to HE
- Progression to own institution
- Retention
- Skills development
- Wellbeing
- Pre-entry to HE
- Disabled learners
- Cost
  
  Medium cost
- Impact on aspirations / attitudes
  
  More evidence needed
- Impact on behaviour / outcomes
  
  More evidence needed
- Strength of evidence
  
  Weak evidence
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.
- Progression to employment
- Progression to PG study
- Skills development
- Social / cultural capital
- Post-entry to HE
- Cost
  
  Low cost
- Impact on aspirations / attitudes
  
  More evidence needed
- Impact on behaviour / outcomes
  
  More evidence needed
- Strength of evidence
  
  Weak evidence
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).
- Progression to employment
- Progression to PG study
- Skills development
- Social / cultural capital
- Post-entry to HE
- Cost
  
  Medium cost
- Impact on aspirations / attitudes
  
  More evidence needed
- Impact on behaviour / outcomes
  
  More evidence needed
- Strength of evidence
  
  Weak evidence
Summer schools

Summer schools are a form of outreach comprising a range of activities organised during the summer holidays, including workshops, taster sessions and social activities. Summer schools often take place on campus but can also be delivered online.
- Attainment raising (pre-entry)
- Belonging in HE (pre-entry)
- Progression to ‘high tariff’ institution
- Progression to HE
- Progression to own institution
- Skills development
- Social / cultural capital
- Pre-entry to HE
- Cost
  
  High cost
- Impact on aspirations / attitudes
  
  Small positive impact
- Impact on behaviour / outcomes
  
  More evidence needed
- Strength of evidence
  
  Emerging evidence
Study and soft skills support (pre-entry)

Attainment-raising activities are interventions carried out by higher education providers to raise attainment of school-age pupils. Some of these activities aim to improve attainment through the development of study skills, by way of practical activities designed to enhance attitudes and techniques to improve learning.
- Attainment raising (pre-entry)
- Progression to HE
- Progression to own institution
- Skills development
- Pre-entry to HE
- Cost
  
  Medium cost
- Impact on aspirations / attitudes
  
  Small positive impact
- Impact on behaviour / outcomes
  
  Small positive impact
- Strength of evidence
  
  Emerging evidence
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.
- Attainment raising (post-entry)
- Belonging in HE (post-entry)
- Completion
- Retention
- Skills development
- Wellbeing
- Post-entry to HE
- Disabled learners
- Cost
  
  Medium cost
- Impact on aspirations / attitudes
  
  More evidence needed
- Impact on behaviour / outcomes
  
  More evidence needed
- Strength of evidence
  
  Weak evidence
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.
- Attainment raising (pre-entry)
- Progression to HE
- Progression to own institution
- Skills development
- Pre-entry to HE
- Cost
  
  High cost
- Impact on aspirations / attitudes
  
  More evidence needed
- Impact on behaviour / outcomes
  
  More evidence needed
- Strength of evidence
  
  Weak evidence
Promoting self-advocacy for disabled students (post-entry)

Self-advocacy is the ability to speak up for yourself. It relates to an individual’s ability to manage their own environment effectively. Promoting self-advocacy involves supporting students to navigate and negotiate their learning.
- Belonging in HE (post-entry)
- Completion
- Retention
- Skills development
- Wellbeing
- Post-entry to HE
- Disabled learners
- Cost
  
  Medium cost
- Impact on aspirations / attitudes
  
  Small positive impact
- Impact on behaviour / outcomes
  
  Mixed impact
- Strength of evidence
  
  Emerging evidence

Order by:

Evidence interventions

Work experience (post-HE)

Cost

Impact on aspirations / attitudes

Impact on behaviour / outcomes

Strength of evidence

Tutoring (pre-entry)

Cost

Impact on aspirations / attitudes

Impact on behaviour / outcomes

Strength of evidence

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

Cost

Impact on aspirations / attitudes

Impact on behaviour / outcomes

Strength of evidence

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

Cost

Impact on aspirations / attitudes

Impact on behaviour / outcomes

Strength of evidence

Teaching employability skills (post-HE)

Cost

Impact on aspirations / attitudes

Impact on behaviour / outcomes

Strength of evidence

Summer schools

Cost

Impact on aspirations / attitudes

Impact on behaviour / outcomes

Strength of evidence

Study and soft skills support (pre-entry)

Cost

Impact on aspirations / attitudes

Impact on behaviour / outcomes

Strength of evidence

Reasonable adjustments (or accommodations) for disabled students

Cost

Impact on aspirations / attitudes

Impact on behaviour / outcomes

Strength of evidence

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

Cost

Impact on aspirations / attitudes

Impact on behaviour / outcomes

Strength of evidence

Promoting self-advocacy for disabled students (post-entry)

Cost

Impact on aspirations / attitudes

Impact on behaviour / outcomes

Strength of evidence