Developing theories of change for contextualised admissions

About the project

TASO is working with six higher education providers to develop theories of change for their contextualised admissions policies. The project forms part of TASO’s programme of work with UKRI Policy Fellow Professor Anna Zimdars on the use of contextualised admissions to widen access to higher education.

Through workshops facilitated by TASO staff, each provider will develop a theory of change outlining how their contextualised admissions policy is expected to lead to its intended outcomes and impact. The process will explore the causal pathways underpinning each policy, as well as the assumptions and factors that may affect how it works.

The project will also identify suitable outcome measures and the data needed to support future evaluation of contextualised admissions. The theories of change will be published for the wider sector, alongside a report drawing together learning from the process and recommendations for higher education providers.

Related outputs

• Individual theories of change for six higher education provider contextualised admissions policies (March 2027)
• Report and recommendations for the sector (May 2027)

Background

Contextualised admissions consider an applicant’s individual circumstances, such as their socio-economic background or the school they attended, as part of admissions decisions. They recognise that structural barriers may affect prior attainment and are widely used to support access to higher education for disadvantaged and underrepresented students.

Emerging evidence suggests that contextualised admissions can increase enrolment among underrepresented groups and that contextually admitted students can go on to do well at university. However, there are few robust published evaluations, and approaches to contextualised admissions, data collection and evaluation vary across the sector. This project aims to help strengthen the foundations for future evaluation.