Evaluating activities to support students with their transition into higher education

TASO has commissioned two organisations to evaluate interventions designed to support students with their transition from school into higher education. 

The evaluators – the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR)  and Verian – will work alongside the University of Leicester, Middlesex University and the University of Nottingham to better understand the impact of their interventions to support students entering higher education for the first time. 

The project aims to fill a gap in the evidence on effective ways to support students entering higher education – a period that is widely regarded as a critical milestone in a student’s life. 

Research consistently links smooth transitions into higher education with improved academic performance and better mental health. Conversely, a difficult transition can lead students to poor attainment and discontinuation of their studies, with long-term consequences for their employment opportunities and lifetime earnings. 

While higher education providers recognise the need to support students during this pivotal transition period, there has been little evaluation of the activities that are offered. This project builds on TASO’s previous efforts to support the sector in designing activities to support disabled students in their transition into higher education. 

Each of the evaluations will comprise an impact evaluation and implementation and process evaluation so that we can understand if a programme works, for whom and in what context. 

We selected the partners for this project following a call for higher education providers to submit details about interventions designed to support student success that were suitable for evaluation. 

Final reporting for all the evaluations are expected in early 2027.  

The three projects

Succeed at Leicester

At the University of Leicester, we are partnering with NIESR to evaluate the Succeed At Leicester programme, which supports incoming first year students as they transition into university life. 

The programme is delivered in three stages: pre-arrival online webinars covering a variety of ‘university life’ topics such as how to manage finances, the role of the student union, and ‘a day in the life of a university student’; an on-campus welcome programme with cohort introductions to help students settle in; and ongoing support and signposting throughout the term, including guidance on academic skills and access to university resources. 

Though open to all students, the programme is designed to be especially helpful for those who may be the first in their family to attend university, helping to level the playing field and ensure everyone has a strong start at Leicester.

“Following the development and growth of the Succeed at Leicester programme, over the last four years, we are excited to be working with TASO and NIESR to explore the impact it has had on our students’ university experience. This is a wonderful, timely opportunity to explore the depth of impact that scaffolded support can have on student outcomes, and we look forward to sharing insights into our programme with other institutions who are looking to improve their students’ experience.” – Linda Ralphs, Interim Pro-Vice Chancellor for Education, University of Leicester 

Tailored Transitions: Middlesex

At Middlesex University, we are also partnering with NIESR to evaluate the institution’s tailored transition support programme for first-year students. The programme is novel in that it uses insights from a pre-arrival survey, where students indicate the types of information and support most relevant to them. 

Their responses are used to guide the design of a wide range of activities to support students in their transition into higher education such as academic skills workshops, and peer mentoring. 

“Understanding the needs and expectations of our incoming students is a fundamental part of ensuring that we can successfully support their journeys with us. It’s wonderful to be part of this project with TASO, so that we can rigorously evaluate the impact of supportive interventions based on what students tell us in our pre-arrival survey. We hope that the findings will inform not just our next steps at Middlesex, but other universities that want to do more in supporting successful student transitions into higher education.” – Dr David Gilani, Head of Access and Participation, Middlesex University

Edoardo Masset, Associate Research Director, Education and Evaluation, at NIESR, said:

“We are delighted to be collaborating with TASO and with the universities of Leicester and Middlesex to evaluate two innovative transition support programmes for first-year students. These programmes offer tailored guidance to help students navigate the challenges of entering higher education. Through randomised controlled trials and in-depth interviews with both students and staff, we aim to understand not only whether the programmes improve motivation, attainment, and continuation, but also how and why. There is still limited evidence on the impact of such initiatives, and we are proud to generate valuable evidence that can inform university policy and ultimately enhance students’ academic success.” 

Launch transition: Nottingham

At the University of Nottingham we are partnering with Verian to evaluate the institution’s ‘Launch transition’ programme. This is a two-day on-campus pre-induction programme designed to support students in their transition into higher education. 

New students who were previously eligible for free school meals have been invited to apply for the 100-place programme. Activities on the programme cover an introduction to the campus,the support services available in the university, academic skills, and financial planning. 

“The University of Nottingham is excited to be working with TASO and Verian on this project, to strengthen our evaluation practice and measure the impact of our new Free School Meal Transition Programme. We hope this programme will help students feel more confident starting their first year with us and provide valuable tools and knowledge to assist them during their degree. By utilising the expertise of both TASO and Verian, we can produce a rigorous and detailed evaluation that will form part of our Access and Participation Plan evaluation. This collaboration will provide valuable insights that we hope will influence practice within the higher education sector.”  – Professor Katherine Linehan, Pro-Vice Chancellor of Education and Student Experience

Natalie Gold, Head of Trials at Verian, said:

“We are delighted to be working with TASO and the University of Nottingham (UoN) to understand how a transition programme for students from free-school-meal (FSM) backgrounds can help these students thrive at university. Many Higher Education Providers invest significant time and resources in reducing the attainment gap between FSM students and their peers, and we are proud to be able to help UoN evaluate their programme to demonstrate its impact on students’ wellbeing, their sense of belonging at the university, and their academic outcomes.”