Learning and teaching Research and innovation

SFC allocates about £1.6bn in public funds to Scotland’s 19 universities and 25 colleges each year for:

Student support funds (for college students)

Skills developmentWidening access to further and higher education

Other costs such as staff, buildings and equipment

Fiona BurnsAssistant Director for Access0131 313 6517fburns@sfc.ac.uk

Call for Action - A National ambition for potential and existing students from a care experienced background

• Why those from a care experienced background are a priority for the SFC• Our plans to announce a national ambition • Details on this ambition is, how we will support it and how we will be

accountable to it• Thoughts on what more we could do for care experienced people

Today’s presentation

• Under-represented in both sectors – largely driven by a lack of data• Reported low levels of declarations in both sectors• Significant differences in outcomes• More recently, Corporate Parenting and Scotland’s Youth Employment Strategy

Why are those from a care experienced background a priority group for the SFC

What have we done about it?

• Equivalence with a protected characteristic• Supported Buttle UK in Scotland• Sought change through Outcome Agreements• Next step is a national ambition

Why set an ambition?• Lower attainment, poorer school performance and higher negative post school destinations• Mental health issues, higher levels of declared disability• More at risk of the worst outcomes• Only 4% go from school to university (compared to 36%)• Students with care experience are significantly less likely to complete their college course• Because both sectors are excellent at what they do – post 16 education can be a leveller!• To build on the Buttle UK Quality Mark – retain what we have achieved and promote an ambition

to collectively do more• To overcome poor educational outcomes together• Co-ordinate, challenge and improve outcomes

Why now?• To build on the Buttle UK Quality Mark• Corporate Parenting – requirements from April 2015 and the need for evidence• Outcome Agreement process is embedded and can promote the excellent practice already in place• Our data sets record the outcomes of this group in both sectors• We know this group is under-represented and is not achieving comparative to their peers

What is the ambition for those from a care experienced background?Vision - those from a care experienced background will be equal to their peers and that their will be no difference in the outcomes achieved. These ambitions take us further towards that vision.

• To increase intake from 613 to 800 (31%) in the college sector and 266 to 400 in the university sector (50%) by AY 2018-19

• To increase the number of FTHE students successfully completing from 54% to 71% by AY 2018-19• To increase the number of FTFE students successfully completing from 53% to 66% by AY 2018-19.• To increase the number of Scottish domiciled undergraduate entrants who progress to year 2 to

within 5% of the sector average by AY 2018-19

How will we support these ambitions?• Publish them in the AY 2016-17 Outcome Agreement Guidance• Student led and work with partners• Supporting a legacy to Buttle UK Quality Mark – based on feedback from each sector• Seeking and assisting with improvements to our data• Encourage and support positive declaration environments • Promoting excellence in existing and future activity• Raise aspirations by promoting the sectors• Support peer/buddy systems• Continually review our student support systems• Raise the profile of this group especially within our access work• Continue to consider this group as protected• Assist in the development, collection and assessment of Corporate Parenting reports

How will we know we have achieved our ambition?• Set up a governance group to oversee it and hold us to account – include both sectors, partners

and care experienced students• Consider the commitments outlined in the Outcome Agreements in early 2016 and assess

progress• Officially publish our progress in Learning for All – March 2016• Review and reset the ambitions annually in case we are not being ambitious enough

What more do we need to do?• Address issues together and address them earlier – the attainment gap and more time to succeed• Encourage and achieve higher aspirations – subject choice, level of provision and guaranteed

progression routes• Understand diversity and intersectionality• Understanding the support needs of this group and the high link to declared disabilities• Help to build peer support and cohorts• Plan for positive outcomes at each step and keep in touch• Build our own evidence and collate it with other

Thank you for listening, any questions?