Blog25 September 2025
In this blog, we outline why, although we already had an established plan, we still wanted to engage in strengthening our ‘whole-provider approach’ – an approach that looks at widening-participation interventions across the whole institution, supporting equality for all students.
When TASO invited expressions of interest to co-develop a plan to help reduce risks to equality of opportunity in higher education, we saw a valuable opportunity. Despite having invested significant time and resources into our access and participation plan (APP), we recognised the importance of stepping back to reflect, challenge assumptions and strengthen our approach.
Teesside University is committed to our role as an anchor institution within the Tees Valley and north-east England. Our mission of contributing to the economic, social and cultural success for our students and communities is rooted in providing accessible, transformative higher education.
We are proud that our students continue to thrive through our support, despite a majority (almost 90%) facing risks of inequality in higher education in 2023/24. This commitment is central to our ethos of enabling students to be future-ready, regardless of background or circumstance.
Why a theory of change matters
A theory of change is a plan that outlines how activities can lead to intended outcomes and impacts. Having worked in evaluation across sectors for over a decade, I’ve seen how a well-developed theory of change can sharpen focus and improve outcomes.
While ideally created before an intervention begins, in practice, it is often a retrospective exercise. Yet even then, it offers a useful moment of reflection to revisit rationale, review data collection, check assumptions and understand what intervention delivery is actually like in reality, rather than what was planned.
For Teesside, this process was also a chance to think beyond the APP’s regulatory scope. We wanted to explore how our existing assets could be leveraged to address inequality across the whole student body, starting with international students.
The value of critical friendship
Naturally, we had reservations. Opening up our APP to external scrutiny, especially after such significant investment, was daunting. But the support from Professor Liz Thomas and Mike Hill – who collaborated with TASO on this project as ‘critical friends’ – was invaluable. Their gentle challenge helped us articulate our whole-provider approach more clearly and reflect on the work we do to address inequalities outside the APP framework.
A useful piece of feedback was the need to focus our ambitions, acknowledging that reducing inequality for all students is a long-term goal best approached one cohort at a time. Starting with international students allowed us to focus our efforts while building a scalable model.
The workshop itself was a highlight. Bringing together colleagues from across the university helped us assess how well our whole-provider approach had been communicated internally and provided a collaborative space to plan our next steps.
Navigating complexity
Developing a theory of change within a complex system is no small task. Our early iterations reflected this challenge, evolving significantly as we refined our thinking. It reminded me of system-change work such as that of the charitable foundation LankellyChase, which seeks to address deep-rooted inequalities through holistic, community-led approaches. There’s much the higher education sector can learn from such models, especially in tackling systemic barriers.
We also reflected on how the sector often focuses on risks and gaps rather than recognising the strengths and assets of a diverse student population. This mindset, coupled with the need for regulatory intervention, highlights the importance of shifting towards more inclusive, asset-based approaches.
Identifying patterns and challenges
While we remain quietly confident in our whole-provider approach, the theory of change process has helped us identify areas for growth.
Since the workshop, we’ve undertaken a deep dive into student outcome data for international students, identifying patterns and challenges that will inform new interventions. This includes grappling with issues like inconsistent ethnicity recording across national contexts and cultural barriers that affect service accessibility and relevance.
We’re also expanding our focus beyond the APP. This means identifying emerging equality risks and working collaboratively across the university to address them. A key part of this is rethinking student involvement, partnering with the students’ union to co-create solutions, and ensuring students are active participants in shaping their experience.
Our recent pledge to the Disabled Students Commitment offers a timely opportunity to embed this inclusive approach across all APP workstreams. It’s a chance to test new models of engagement and ensure our interventions are both meaningful and sustainable.
Reflections and learnings
Participating in TASO’s theory of change development has been a valuable experience – one that has strengthened our whole-provider approach, deepened our understanding of systemic inequality, and opened new pathways for inclusive practice. It’s reminded us that reflection is not a luxury but a necessity, especially when striving to create lasting change.
We look forward to continuing this journey, learning from others in the sector, and sharing our insights as we work to ensure every student at Teesside University has the opportunity to succeed.