Higher Education: Commissioner for Fair Access annual report 2024 - response
- Published
- 9 September 2024
- Directorate
- Lifelong Learning and Skills Directorate
- Topic
- Education
Scottish Government response to the Fair Access Commissioner's 2024 annual report into widening access to higher education.
The Commissioner for Fair Access, Professor John McKendrick, published his 2024 annual report in January 2024.
The report - Renewing the alliance for fair access - included 20 recommendations for strengthening the framework for promoting fair access to higher education.
Our response to each of these recommendations is below.
Recommendation 1: primary focus for fair access
The primary focus for fair access should continue to be improving outcomes for those who experience or have experienced socio-economic disadvantage.
Scottish Government response
Agree. This continues to be a primary focus for Scottish Government (SG), as is fully reflected in Programme for Government and other public commitments.
Progress on the recommendation
Commitment made publicly by Scottish Government.
Recommendation 2: retain SIMD as the central metric
Retain SIMD as the central metric to indicate national progress in achieving fair access.
Scottish Government response
Agree. SIMD is a long established measure and its continuing use is required as both a benchmark and to inform future activity.
Progress on the recommendation
Addressed. Commitment made to Commission on Widening Access SIMD targets by Scottish Government.
Recommendation 3: report evidence in deciles up to SIMD40
To strengthen the utility of SIMD to understand fair access, SFC and institutions are encouraged to report evidence in deciles up to SIMD40, in addition to quintiles.
Scottish Government response:
Agree in principle. For SFC and institutions to consider.
Progress on the recommendation
Ongoing. Further discussions required with SFC and institutions.
Recommendation 4: replacing the SIMD institutional target
Withdraw the SIMD institutional target but introduce a commitment from each HEI to take action to increase the proportion of SIMD20 among its entrants or, if this is demonstrably not possible without adverse consequences, to match the highest proportion and number of SIMD20 entrants that it achieved since 2013-14.
Scottish Government response
Agree in principle. Specific universities have consistently failed to meet institutional targets, often with valid justifications. SIMD20 is just one of a number of indicators used by universities for contextualised admissions and other initiatives aimed at widening access. The proposal would need consultation with institutions, as well as evaluation to ensure that there was no impact on delivery against the sector level targets.
Progress on the recommendation
Ongoing. Further discussions required with SFC and institutions.
Recommendation 5: universities to collectively specify indicators
For universities in Scotland to collectively specify a basket of indicators from which individual HEIs may draw to demonstrate their wider work in promoting fair access.
Scottish Government response
We are aware that most, if not all, institutions already use a ‘basket of measures’, although this varies from institution to institution. While SG would welcome the collective views on what a basket of measures may contain we would want any use of such measures to be subject to agreement with SG, as well as rigorous analysis to enable evaluation of performance against them and outcomes for students. Any additional indicators should genuinely improve fair access for disadvantaged groups, rather than simply measuring existing students differently. This would require more detailed data gathering and reporting by SFC.
Progress on the recommendation
Ongoing. Further discussions to take place at upcoming Ministerial roundtable.
Recommendation 6: strengthening the Commissioner remit
The Scottish Government should consider strengthening the remit of the Commissioner for Fair Access to assume responsibility for advising on fair access to the whole of tertiary education.
Scottish Government response
Disagree. Given the necessary focus on the Commission on Widening Access 2026 and 2030 targets, we believe that the primary focus of the Commissioner’s remit should continue to be higher education. While SG absolutely supports a tertiary approach to post-school education – and parity of esteem for all learner pathways – this work will be progressed separately as part of wider consideration of the post-school system.
Progress on the recommendation
Addressed.
Recommendation 7: transition towards individual level indicators
The Scottish Government should take the necessary preparatory steps to embolden the fair access agenda beyond 2026 by transitioning toward individual level indicators of socio-economic disadvantage, and thereafter to challenge institutions to achieve fair access for prospective students who have experienced such disadvantage.
Scottish Government response
Agree. Work on this activity has started now with the consideration of Free School Meals and a pilot in Aberdeen for school leaver applicants. Work will continue on introducing individual level indicators which would enrich the widening access agenda.
Progress on the recommendation
Ongoing. Updates on this work will be provided in due course to key sector stakeholders via email and the Access Delivery Group.
Recommendation 8: recalibrating the fair access agenda
The fair access agenda should be recalibrated to give equal weight to entry, student experience, and outcomes.
Scottish Government response
Agree in part. We agree that a focus on outcomes would be beneficial. The Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) datasets currently provide data on graduate outcomes. We would want to consider this data in more detail to determine if we can measure student experience before committing to that element of the recommendation. This would require more detailed data gathering and reporting by SFC. The Scottish Government have also commissioned a student finance and wellbeing study which is due to report later in 2024, and which may provide further insight.
Progress on the recommendation
Ongoing. Consideration of data and reporting required.
Recommendation 9: widening the focus of fair access
The primary focus on fair access should remain on Scottish domiciled, full-time, first-degree entrants. However, for a rounded perspective on fair access to higher education, it is necessary to also focus on Graduate Apprenticeships, part-time undergraduate study, and postgraduate study.
Scottish Government response
Agree in principle. This change would be in line with SG purpose and principles that all education and learning pathways are equally valid. Any change would require significant resource from all parties, as well as prioritisation against the other recommendations.
Progress on the recommendation
Open. Further consideration to take place over time.
Recommendation 10: disaggregating fair access data
Wherever practicable, data on fair access should be disaggregated to understand the relative contributions of different pathways (direct entry from school; articulation; and adult wider access).
Scottish Government response
Agree in principle. This would inform debate and encourage more joined-up thinking. Published data on students over the age of 21 is currently limited. In order to supplement that data SG’s role and potential resource required would need to be considered to enable such disaggregation.
Progress on the recommendation
Ongoing. Consideration of data and reporting required.
Recommendation 11: making disaggregated data available
SFC, in conjunction with participating universities, should ensure that disaggregated data are available for each of the disciplines that comprise the ‘high demand professions’ that are part of the Access to High Demand Professions (AHDP) programme (to enable the national impact of this work to be appraised) and the Transitions programme.
Scottish Government response
Agree in principle. For SFC to consider.
Progress on the recommendation
Ongoing. Further discussions required between SFC and institutions.
Recommendation 12: funding for Scottish Community of Access and Participation Practitioners (SCAPP)
SFC should act on the advice of the previous Commissioner for Fair Access, specified as a recommendation in each of his last four annual reports, to commit to more secure and longer-term funding for Scottish Community of Access and Participation Practitioners (SCAPP).
Scottish Government response
For SFC to consider.
Progress on the recommendation
Ongoing. For SFC to consider.
Recommendation 13: re-affirm central purpose of SCAPP
It should be re-affirmed that the central purpose of SCAPP is as a vehicle to support the development and professionalisation of a widening access and participation practitioner community in Scotland.
Scottish Government response
Agree in principle. For SCAPP and others to consider.
Progress on the recommendation
Ongoing. For SCAPP and others to consider.
Recommendation 14: strengthening research and evaluation
SFC, in conjunction with SCAPP, Universities Scotland and the wider educational research community in Scotland, should examine what steps should be taken to strengthen research and evaluation to underpin the fair access agenda.
Scottish Government response
Agree in principle. For the SFC and others to consider. We would suggest also including possible collaborative working with Transforming Access and Student Outcomes in Higher Education (TASO), which considers this for the rest of the UK.
Progress on the recommendation
Ongoing. For SFC and relevant partners to consider.
Recommendation 15: collective agreement of intelligence by universities
For universities in Scotland to collectively agree what intelligence is in the national interest to promote fair access (as opposed to that which is commercially sensitive), and thereafter to ensure that this intelligence is made available to all relevant stakeholders in Scotland.
Scottish Government response
Agree in principle. For Scottish universities to consider.
Progress on the recommendation
Ongoing. For universities and relevant partners to consider.
Recommendation 16: assessing impact of withdrawn funding
Should the decision be taken to withdraw funding for an intervention that had been integral to promoting fair access, or if an element of such work is to be radically altered, providers should undertake (and funders should encourage) an impact assessment to ascertain the impact on pupil cohorts who have previously benefited from this provision.
Scottish Government response
Agree in principle. This is good practice. We would recommend that any such assessment should also assess the likely impact of any replacement scheme that may be provided in its place.
Progress on the recommendation
Ongoing. Further discussions to take place with SFC to discuss implementation of this expectation.
Recommendation 17: examination of underpinning fair access within broad general education phase
School leaders in Scotland, the SFC and its National Schools Programme, SCAPP and Universities Scotland should examine if, and if so what, steps should be taken to underpin the fair access agenda within the broad general education phase in Scottish education.
Scottish Government response
Agree in principle. This is a wide-reaching recommendation which SG will consider in collaboration with colleagues across the education sphere.
Progress on the recommendation
Ongoing. Discussions required between relevant partners.
Recommendation 18: accessible user-centred web-based resource
SFC, Universities Scotland and Skills Development Scotland should examine the prospects of introducing an easily accessible user-centred web-based resource that provides a single point of reference to inform prospective students and other stakeholders of the programmes and resources that are available to support access to higher education.
Scottish Government response
Agree in principle. For SFC and the identified partners to consider and take forward as necessary.
Progress on the recommendation
Ongoing. Discussions required between SFC and relevant partners.
Recommendation 19: single student identifier
Recommendation 19: Stakeholders should explore the prospects for introducing a single student identifier to improve tracking and to facilitate more robust evaluation of the impact of fair access activity.
Scottish Government response
Agree in principle. A unique learner number would facilitate better data sharing and data linkage which could lead to smoother transitions for learners and better evaluation of the long term outcomes of policy interventions. Further work required to understand requirements, current landscape and legal issues.
Progress on the recommendation
Ongoing. Further work required to understand requirements and current landscape.
Recommendation 20: stakeholders and leaders to reaffirm commitment to fair access
Stakeholders and leaders should reaffirm their commitment to promote fair access and commit to take those actions necessary to attain the next interim target for 2026.
Scottish Government response
Agree. Scottish Government would welcome such a commitment. SG remains committed to the 2026 target and its delivery.
Progress on the recommendation
Addressed. Commitment made via Ministerial roundtable on widening access in June 2024.
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