NSSW Core Workshops · relying on the third-party resource, ‘Careerpilot’, these interventions have been analysed in a separate report. Aims The primary barrier addressed by NSSW

NSSW Core Workshops Report Tranche 3 Eleanor Hodgson (Evaluation Specialist) Page 1

Activity Name NSSW Core Workshops

Primarily delivered to Key Stage 4 students (pp. 2-8 of this report)

Student Life; Level 3 Options

Primarily delivered to Key Stage 5 students (pp. 8-19 of this report)

Choosing an HE course; CV Writing; Higher & Degree Apprenticeships; Intro to

HE; Personal Statements; Preparing for UCAS; Student Finance

Date ≈250 individual workshops delivered throughout Tranche 3 (September 2018 –

July 2019)

Location 56 target schools and colleges across Cornwall, Devon, and Somerset (see

schools involved)

Total number of

students

≈13,000 Students

≈6000 Key Stage 4 Workshops (Years 9, 10 and 11); ≈7000 Key Stage 5

Workshops (Year 12 and 13 and College Level 3 Learners)

Number of target

students

≈3500 Students, 27% of total participants

(≈1500 Year 9, 10 and 11; ≈2000 Year 12 and 13)

Schools involved Bishop Fox's School, Bridgwater & Taunton College, Bridgwater College

Academy, Bucklers Mead Academy, Callywith College, Cape Cornwall School,

Chilton Trinity, City College Plymouth, Clyst Vale Community College, Coombe

Dean School, Cornwall College, Cullompton Community College, Eggbuckland

Community College, Exeter College, Fowey River Academy, Great Torrington

School, Haygrove School, Hayle Academy, Heathfield Community School,

Hele's Trust, Holyrood Academy, Humphry Davy school, King Edward VI

Community College (KEVICC), Marine Academy Plymouth, Mounts Bay

Academy, Paignton Community and Sports College, Plymouth School of

Creative Arts, Penrice Academy, Pilton Community College, Plympton

Academy, Preston School Academy, Redruth School, Richard Huish, Richard

Lander School, Robert Blake Science College, Scott College, Sir John Hunt

Community Sports College, South Devon College, St Cuthbert Mayne School,

St Ives School, Stoke Damerel Community College, Strode College, Teign

School, Teignmouth Community School, The Blue School, The Castle School,

The Ilfracombe Academy, The Spires College, Tiverton High School, Tor Bridge

High, Torpoint Community School, Torquay Academy, Truro & Penwith College,

West Somerset College, Whitstone School, Yeovil College

Introduction

Throughout Tranche 3, Next Steps South West (NSSW) staff worked across Cornwall, Devon,

and Somerset to deliver a range of NSSW Core Workshops to target and non-target students

in years 9-13 across 56 target schools. All sessions were designed to provide students with

key information that would support them in understanding their HE options, facilitating their

access to HE and addressing barriers to HE progression on the NSSW Theory of Change.

The workshops run during Tranche 3 were led by the NSSW delivery team (Institutional

Officers (IOs) and County Outreach Officers (COOs)), with many sessions supported by

Student Ambassadors (SAs), who helped facilitate activities and provided additional

information regarding their experiences of higher education. The majority of sessions were run

as workshops with groups of students (~25 students per group), although some content was

delivered as whole-year assemblies or presentations to larger groups, particularly for sessions

such as ‘Level 3 Options’, and ‘Intro to HE’.

As an integral part of the NSSW core offer during Phase 1, these sessions were offered to

whole year groups in target schools. As a consequence, in Tranche 3 a mixture of target


NCOP students and non-target students engaged in sessions, enabling NSSW to support a

large number of students (≈13,000) across all three counties, and ensuring engagement from

a large number of target schools.

Finally, it should be noted that two Careerpilot workshops (one focusing on Job Sectors with

Key Stage 4 students, and one exploring HE skills mapping with Key Stage 5 students) also

form part of the suite of core offer sessions delivered by NSSW staff. However, given the large

volume of data collected for these workshops, and the distinct nature of these sessions as

relying on the third-party resource, ‘Careerpilot’, these interventions have been analysed in a

separate report.

Aims

The primary barrier addressed by NSSW Core Offer workshops is Knowledge of HE, as the

sessions aimed to increase students’ understanding of and ability to access relevant higher

education options. Some workshops had particular additional focus on the barrier of Finance,

with others supporting students to develop their Soft Skills relating to career planning and

writing applications or CVs. Given the diverse nature of the workshops, the individual aims for

each one will be outlined in the respective sections of this report.

Evaluation Design and Data Collection

Evaluation of the Core Offer workshops discussed in this report consisted of asking students

to complete a post-activity evaluation survey that was designed for each individual workshop,

according to their content and aims, and which collected both quantitative and qualitative data

for analysis. Overall, evaluation surveys were collected from 445 participants in Key Stage 4

workshops, and from 1011 participants in Key Stage 5 workshops, giving a total of 1456

evaluation surveys for the NSSW Core Offer workshops. Further information regarding each

survey’s design and data collection will be provided in the individual sections of this report.

Evaluation Results and Analysis

The following sections present data from the different Core Offer workshops that were

evaluated during Tranche 3. These workshops have been divided into two types, those

primarily delivered to Key Stage 4 students (Student Life and Level 3 Options), and those

delivered primarily to Key Stage 5 learners (Choosing an HE course, Personal Statements,

Student Finance), with each section presenting data from the workshops

Key Stage 4 Workshops

Student Life

The Student Life workshop, run primarily with Year 9 and Year 10 students, aimed to increase

students’ understanding of the wider benefits of HE study and of student life and what to expect

as an HE student. It thus primarily addressed the barrier of Knowledge of HE, although it also

sought to raise students’ aspirations for HE study, thus also addressing the barrier of Socio-

economic factors.

The evaluation of this workshop, for which 66 responses were collected in Tranche 3, began

by measuring students’ increase in their knowledge of student life and the wider benefits of

HE study (Figure 1).


Figure 1 – Students’ increased knowledge of student life

83% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they understood the different aspects of

student life as a result of the workshop, with 77% agreeing that they could identify aspects of

this that appealed to them. Furthermore, over three quarters (76%) agreed that they could

identify experiences available to HE students, thus indicating that they had learned about the

broader benefits of HE study. Finally, 72% of respondents felt they could make a more

informed decision about their own HE progression after the session. This data suggests that

the workshops successfully increased students’ understanding of student life and the benefits

of HE study, helping to address the barrier of Knowledge of HE.

Figure 2 shows the aspects of the Student Life session that students found most relevant.

Figure 2 – Aspects of the workshop students found relevant

It should be noted that for the data in Figure 2, students were able to select as many elements

as they wished. Respondents selected an average of 2.8 aspects each, with over half of

respondents (52%, N=34) selecting at least three elements. This indicates that students found

many aspects of the workshop relevant, with particular interest shown in information regarding

the location of HE courses (39 responses) and discussions focusing on course and study

options (38 responses) and on accommodation and student spending (35 responses). These

results suggest that the Student Life session also helps to address the barriers of Geography

and Finance, dispelling any myths or helping students to question any concerns they may

have regarding these barriers to HE progression.

9% 8%

18% 20%

74%68%

59%52%

14%18% 18%

23%

2% 5% 3% 5%2% 2% 2% 2%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

I understand the differentaspects of student life

during HE study

I can identify differentexperiences available

through HE study

I can identify aspects ofstudent life which appeal

to me

I can make a moreinformed decision aboutwhether HE study is for

me

As a result of today's workshop...

Strongly agree Agree Unsure Disagree Strongly disagree

38

39

35

27

17

29

Thinking about course types and study options

Thinking about location and travel

Thinking of accommodation and spending needs

Finding out there is more to being a student thanjust studying

Finding out about the extra support servicesavailable

Hearing insights about student life from actualstudents

Which aspects of the day did you find most relevant to you?


One new element of evaluation of Core Workshops during Tranche 3 was the inclusion of

some ‘knowledge test’ questions (multiple choice) to investigate whether students had

retained key information covered during the sessions. Figure 3 presents the results from the

‘knowledge test’ question in the Student Life survey, and shows that the majority of

respondents (87%) were able to correctly define the key term ‘Freshers’ Week’. From this data

it can be suggested that the majority of participants in the Student Life workshops increased

their Knowledge of HE (student life).

Figure 3 – Definition of the term ‘Freshers’ week’

In order to gather further evidence regarding what knowledge about higher education students

had gained from the session, survey respondents were asked to provide two key points about

student life that they had learned. 91 comments were received, which have been coded into

the categories shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4 – Qualitative data categories showing student knowledge from the sessions

From Figure 4, it can be argued that the session was successful in achieving its primary aims

of increasing students’ understanding of student life and expanding their knowledge of the

wider benefits of HE study, with further impact on the barrier of Finance for some students.

In the interests of space, this report will not provide extensive examples of the qualitative data

gathered in these surveys. However, the table below provides illustrative quotations for each

of the categories of response shown in Figure 4.

What two key points about Student Life have you learnt from today's sessions?

Accommodation

‘The accommodation’

Course options / info

‘The courses are arranged so you have plenty of

options to choose from’

A week of exams to decide which

subject you will study5%

A week of activities and social events

to meet new people and find societies

to join87%

A week of activities and social events to help you

decide on your accommodation

8%

Thinking back over the session, which of the following is a definition of 'Freshers' week'?

36

4

4

2

7

24

9

5

Student life outside studies

Support available

Making friends

Self-directed learning

Geography

Cost / funding

Accommodation

Course options / info

What two key points about Student Life have you learnt from today's sessions?


Cost / funding

‘There is a lot of financial support, you don't have

to pay for everything yourself’

‘You only have to pay back debt if your income is

over £25,000 a year’

Geography

‘Distance between uni and home’

‘Location decision’

Making friends

‘You will meet people in the same boat as you’

Self-directed learning

‘That you're in charge of whether you turn up to

a lecture or not’

Student life outside studies

‘There is more to uni than just study’

‘The different opportunities you get’

Support available

‘There is always help’

‘There are support services’

Finally, students were asked about their intentions for HE study after the workshop (Figure 5).

Figure 5 – Students’ likelihood to apply for HE

It is encouraging to note that more than half of respondents (61%) indicated that they were

either ‘Very likely’ (16%) or ‘Fairly likely’ (45%) to apply to HE. It should be noted that there is

no pre-workshop data with which to compare these figures, and we cannot therefore clearly

state whether the session had a direct impact on students’ HE intentions. However, it can

nevertheless be suggested that the workshop is likely to have increased students’ intentions

for HE study, as their increase in Knowledge of HE, and particular knowledge of student life

and the costs of study, may have encouraged them to consider HE in the future.

Level 3 Options

This workshop, which was also delivered in some schools as an assembly, aimed to explain

different post-GCSE options to students currently studying in Year 10 or Year 11. It had a

particular focus on increasing students’ understanding of HE-related Level 3 options and

pathways, and on helping them to increase their confidence and expertise in researching and

planning future options. As such, the workshop addressed the barriers of Knowledge of HE

(course options and pathways required to reach them), and Soft Skills (careers planning).

Evaluation of Level 3 Options workshops was received from 379 students, whose responses

are analysed below. Figure 6 indicates that the workshops were successful in increasing

students’ understanding of Level 3 options, how these impact their future career and study

plans, and how to best research their own options, with ≥77% of respondents agreeing or

strongly agreeing with statements related to these areas of impact. This data suggests likely

impact on the barriers of Knowledge of HE and Soft Skills for a large number of participants.

Very likely16%

Fairly likely45%

Unsure17%

Not very likely8%

Not likely14%

After the session today, how likely are you to apply for Higher Education?


Figure 6 – Students’ increase in knowledge of Level 3 Options

The results in Figure 6 suggest that the sessions were particularly successful in increasing

students’ understanding of their post-16 Level 3 options, with 91% agreeing or strongly

agreeing that they understood the different Level 3 pathways as a result of the workshop.

Figure 7 further supports the indication that students increased their understanding of how

Level 3 options shape future career plans, particularly those relating to HE study, as a result

of their attendance at the workshop. It shows the results from the ‘knowledge test’ designed

to see whether students could identify a Level 3 Option that would not be relevant for someone

wanting to study a particular HE pathway, as explained in an example given in the workshop.

Figure 7 – Students’ knowledge of relevant Level 3 pathways for HE study

The majority of students (67%) selected the correct response to this question, indicating that

they had understood and could recall the key information delivered in the session, and

providing further evidence to suggest impact on students’ Knowledge of HE (courses and

pathways) from the workshop.

Figure 8 shows students’ responses when asked how confident they felt about making post-

GCSE plans after the workshops.

28%24% 25%

30%

63%57%

52%57%

8%

18%21%

11%

1%1% 1% 2% 1%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

I understand thedifferent pathwaysavailable at level 3.

I know how to explorewhich level 3 optionswould best suit mylearning style andsubject interests.

I am able to considerwhich Level 3 optionswould best sit with my

career and or HE Plans.

I understand how Level3 choices shape future

career and/or studyplans.

As a result of today's session...


3 A Levels in Maths, Further

Maths and English

67%

International Baccalaureate

including science13%

BTEC including science or healthcare

13%

3 A Levels in Science or health-related subject

7%

Thinking over the session, which of the following is NOT a Level 3 option for someone wanting to

become a paramedic?


Figure 8 – Students’ confidence in planning post-GCSE next steps

This data indicates that the sessions are likely to have had some impact on students’

confidence in this area, as the majority of respondents (68%) indicated that they were either

‘Much more confident’ (14%) or ‘A bit more confident’ (54%) in planning their next steps.

Furthermore, qualitative data collected in the survey, categorised thematically and presented

in Figure 9, provides evidence to suggest that students left the session knowing at least one

task or activity that they planned on completing to support them in choosing options. Indeed,

it is of note that almost three quarters of respondents (73%, N=278) were able to state what

their next step in picking their Level 3 options would be, as this indicates that students were

able to take something practical from the workshop to help them plan their next steps,

Figure 9 – Students’ intended future use of Careerpilot

The categories presented in Figure 9 show a range of different tasks that students plan to

undertake following the session. It shows that, whilst the largest number of respondents stated

that they had a specific course at Level 3 that they had already decided on starting, a similarly

large number of respondents indicated that they would research courses or work experience

after the session. This data suggests that the workshop may have helped inform students of

their different options, and may have given students tools and encouragement to support them

in deciding the most appropriate pathways for them.

As with the qualitative data shown in the previous section of this report, the table below

provides some examples of students’ comments for each of the categories in Figure 9.

Moving forward, what will be your next step in picking your Level 3 options?

Deciding / thinking about what I want to do

‘Find out which I’m best at and choosing the right

thing for me’

‘Thinking about the career I want to go down in

more detail’

Focusing on GCSEs

‘Work harder’

‘Getting the grades needed’

14% 54% 30% 2%

After today's session, how confident do you feel in planning your next steps after Y11?

Much more confident A bit more confident About the same Less confident

7

91

42

48

88

29

2

Focusing on GCSEs

Starting specific courses at Level 3

Starting / finding an apprenticeship

Deciding / thinking about what I want to do

Researching courses / work experience

Unsure / don't know

Joining military / starting employment

Moving forward, what will be your next step in picking your Level 3 options?


Joining military / starting employment

‘Join the army’

‘Getting a job’

Unsure / don't know

‘I still have no clue what I want to pick’

‘I'm not too sure’

‘I haven't really thought about it’

Starting / finding an apprenticeship

‘I now understand and I think I will choose

apprenticeship’

‘I will look more into an apprenticeship for

engineering and mechanics’

‘Researching where certain apprenticeship

courses are’

Starting specific courses at Level 3

‘A level in sport science, physics and maths’

‘Stay with my original decision of L3 diploma

course of dance and performing arts’

‘Choose my 3 specific subjects for a levels’

Researching courses / work experience

‘Researching, emailing and deciding’

‘Looking at colleges which offer preferred courses’

‘Figure out what a levels the uni I want to go to requires me to take to be a midwife’

‘Talking to teachers and possibly contacting those already in the job’

Finally, students were asked whether they had any further questions relating to their Level 3

Options. Comments were provided on 22 of the 379 surveys received, and the table below

outlines the three categories of responses, with examples provided to illustrate each one.

Do you have any further questions relating to Level 3 options not covered today?

Subject-specific questions (4 responses)

‘Can you take a language as a summer course?’

‘What do you need GCSEs in to do politics A

level?’

Further info on different course / study types (4

responses)

‘Examples of vocational study’

‘More details on different sectors’

No further questions (14 responses)

‘No thank you’

‘I have none’

‘The presentation helps me to understand the different options after GCSE. Today has told me

about my views and my options and the future, whether it's at university or college’

This data shows that the majority of those who responded had no further questions (64%,

N=14), with some requests for specific information on subjects (18%, N=4) or course types

(18%, N=4). From this data, it could be argued that students were happy with the session, as

there were only a very small number who asked for further information, and some indicated

how the session had helped them.

Overall, from the data provided in the survey analysed above, there is a strong indication that

the Level 3 Options sessions helped participants to increase their knowledge of pathways

available to them after their GCSEs, particularly those related to HE study. In so doing, it is

likely that the sessions helped students to tackle the barrier of Knowledge of HE, and for some

students this may have helped to raise their aspirations for future study, thus addressing the

barrier of Socio-economic factors.

Key Stage 5 Workshops

Student Finance

During Tranche 3, 365 evaluation surveys were collected for the Key Stage 5 workshop

focusing on Student Finance. The aim of this workshop was to address the HE progression

barrier of Finance, supporting students to increase their knowledge of student funding system,


including Student Finance England. It also aimed to communicate key information relating to

the additional funding support available, with the intention of increasing students’ confidence

in their ability to financially access HE. Finally, the workshop discussed budgeting, in order to

increase students’ confidence in their ability to manage their own money as a student.

Figure 10 presents data which indicates significant success of the Student Finance workshops

evaluated during Tranche 3 in meeting their key aims.

Figure 10 – Student knowledge of and confidence in Student Finance

A combined 93% of respondents agreed (58%) or strongly agreed (35%) that they understood

more about student funding after the workshop, with 87% indicating that they now knew how

to apply for this funding. Furthermore, a total of 92% of respondents agreed (63%) or strongly

agreed (29%) that they could identify ways of managing money as a student, and a slightly

smaller total proportion (85%) agreed that they felt more confident in managing their own

money. Combined, this data strongly indicates likely impact on the barrier of Finance for the

majority of attendees at these sessions.

Figure 11 shows responses indicating how useful students had found the session useful in

helping them to increase their knowledge and understanding of Student Finance. A combined

total of 90% of survey respondents indicated that the session had been useful in this regard,

with the majority stating that it had been ‘Quite useful’ (51%), and over a third stating that it

had been ‘Very useful’ (39%). This data indicating impact is further supported by Figure 12,

which shows that, when asked, 91% of respondents were able to correctly identify the amount

of money that graduates have to earn before beginning loan repayments.

Figure 11 – Usefulness of Student Finance session Figure 12 – Knowledge of loan repayment system

35%

23%29%

25%

58%64% 63% 60%

4%11%

6%11%

2% 1% 1% 2%1% 1% 1% 2%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

I understand more aboutwhat student funding isavailable for HE study

I know how to apply forstudent funding

I can identify ways inwhich students manage

their money.

I am more confident inmanaging my own money

as a student.



Very useful39%

Quite useful51%

Slightly useful8%

Not useful2%

How useful was this session in helping to understand student

funding options?

1%5%

91%

3%

What is the amount you have to be earning before you begin to

repay your student loan?

"£30,000"

"£25,000"

"£20,000"

"£15,000"


In order to evaluate whether addressing the barrier of Finance with students had an impact on

their intentions to progress to HE, students were asked to indicate the likelihood of them

applying to higher education (Figure 13), and to explain their response (Figures 14 to 16).

Figure 13 – Likelihood of HE application Figure 14 – Reasons why likely to apply to HE

Figure 15 – Reasons why unlikely to apply Figure 16 – Reasons why unsure whether will apply

Figure 13 shows that nearly three quarters of respondents (73%) stated that they were ‘Very

likely’ (43%) or ‘Fairly likely’ (30%) to apply to HE after the session. It should be noted that it

is not possible to know from this quantitative data whether the workshop changed students’

intentions for HE, and analysis of the qualitative data explaining students’ HE intentions shows

that a number of students who were ‘Very likely’ or ‘Fairly likely’ to apply had already planned

on doing so before the workshop (N=32), or had a set subject or career in mind (N=154) that

they are likely to have decided on before the session. However, some students (N=4) indicated

that the workshop had encouraged them to consider applying to HE:

‘I’m less concerned about the cost of uni’

‘Funding seems less of an issue’

‘Easier to understand money wise. Might as well do it.’

‘Realised how to manage money for university’

In the interests of space, this report will not provide further quotations from the other qualitative

data analysed in Figures 14-16. However, whilst most of this data shows that students’

reasons behind their HE intentions were perhaps unrelated to the workshop, it can be argued

from the quotations above that, for some students, the workshop may have had a small impact

on their plans for HE progression.

Very likely43%

Fairly likely30%

Unsure11%

Not very likely8%

Not likely8%

After this session, how likely are you to apply for higher

education?

6 4

39

154

32

Unclearreason /

unclear if willapply

Moreconfident

about finance

Stay ineducation /

increasequalifications /

getexperience

Specificsubject /

career route

Alreadyconsidering

HE

Reasons why likely to apply to HE

24

96

15

Do not want toattend HE

Unsure Prefer to doapprenticeship

Want to workfull time / otheroptions in place

Reasons why unlikely to apply to HE

25

52 2

Unsure offuture plans

Unsure if HEneeded forfuture plans

Not interestedin HE study

N/A

Reasons why unsure whether will apply to HE


Finally, the surveys asked students whether they had any queries about Student Finance.

Figure 17 – Further comments and questions after the sessions

Figure 17 shows that in the majority of the 27 comments received (56%, N=15) students did

not ask for further information, with another 3 students (11%) giving positive feedback, thus

suggesting that the session covered what they needed to know and was a positive

intervention. Some students did request additional content (18%, N=5), and a small number

of students (15%, N=4) left negative feedback, however these comments, as given in the table

below, indicate recommendations that are likely to have been implemented in Tranche 4

(better planning of the timing of workshops, and more targeting to relevant students).

Do you have any further queries relating to student funding and the cost of HE?

Negative feedback

‘Have the same assembly repeatedly and never

helps anymore than the last times we had it’

‘Should have had this talk in year 12 so bit too

late’

‘The presentations should only be for people who

want to go to the university’

No further comments / questions

‘Nothing much’

‘No, I know a lot more now’

‘No, I think the presentation should only be for

students who are interested in going to uni’

‘No was really good’

Positive feedback

‘I am more confident with budgeting and how I

am going to repay the student loan’

‘You have made me less worried about having a

student loan’

‘Thank you for explaining student finance’

Requests for additional content

‘Medical, A and E, dentist etc. Insurance’

‘About DSA’

‘Is your tuition loan fully covered or do you have

to partly pay up front?’

‘We know the course fees aren't something to

worry about we need to know how to manage

the maintenance loan’

‘What are the average earnings for students in

part time jobs’

Overall it can be argued that the qualitative and quantitative feedback left om Student Finance

evaluation surveys was positive. Analysis of the data suggests that students found the session

useful, and that it helped them to address the barrier of Finance, which, for some students,

may have had a positive impact on their intentions to progress to HE.

Personal Statements

441 evaluation surveys were collected during Tranche 3 for Personal Statements workshops.

These workshops aimed to increase students’ understanding of the role of the personal

statement in the HE application process, providing them with techniques for drafting and

tailoring content for personal statements in order to increase their confidence in writing and

No further comments / questions

56%

Negative feedback

15%

Positive feedback

11%

Requests for additional content

18%

Do you have any further queries relating to student funding and the cost

of HE?


refining their UCAS applications. These aims align with the barriers of Knowledge of HE (how

to access HE courses), and Soft Skills (students’ awareness of their transferable skills).

Data shown in Figure 18 indicates that the sessions were very successful in meeting the aims

outlined above, as ≥88% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed with the four statements

designed to evaluate these objectives.

Figure 18 – Student knowledge of and confidence in Personal Statements

The results in Figure 18 suggest that the workshops were particularly successful in helping

students understand the role of a personal statement (39% ‘Strongly agree’, 57% ‘Agree’),

and in supporting them to identify elements of a good personal statement (33% ‘Strongly

agree’, 62% ‘Agree’). Furthermore, although a slightly smaller proportion of students agreed

(64%) or strongly agreed (24%) that they had learnt techniques for drafting their personal

statement, data in Figure 19 indicates that students had learned at least one technique, as

79% of respondents were able to correctly define the ‘ABC’ method (‘Activity, Benefit, Course’)

for drafting content explained during the session. Finally, Figure 20 shows that the significant

majority of respondents (81%) felt either ‘A bit more confident’ (59%) or ‘Much more confident’

(22%) in drafting their personal statements after the workshop, providing further evidence to

suggest that the workshops met their aims and helped students to address this key aspect of

the HE application process.

Figure 19 – Definition of ‘ABC’ rule Figure 20 – Confidence in drafting Personal Statement

39%32%

24%

40%

57%62% 64%

48%

2% 4%10% 10%

1% 1% 1% 1%1% 1% 1% 1%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

I understand the roleof the personalstatement in the

application process.

I can identify whatmakes a good

personal statement.

I know techniques tohelp me draft content

for my personalstatement.

I have identified atleast one activity thatwill be relevant for mypersonal statement.



11%3%

79%

8%

Thinking back over the session, which of the following best explains

the 'ABC' rule?

A rule for providing anextended list of activitiesyou've undertaken

A rule for giving specificevidence of your skills andlinking them to thejob/course

A rule for finding a job youare interested in

A rule for checking yourspelling and punctuation

Much more

confident22%

A bit more confident

59%

About the same18%

Less confident

1%

As a result of today's session how confident do you feel in drafting

your personal statement?


As with the Student Finance survey, students were asked to indicate the likelihood of them

applying to higher education (Figure 21), and to explain their response (Figures 22 to 24).

Figure 21 – Likelihood of HE application Figure 22 – Reasons why likely to apply to HE

Figure 23 – Reasons why unlikely to apply Figure 24 – Reasons why unsure whether will apply

In data similar to that gathered from the Student Finance workshops, Figure 21 shows that

around three quarters of respondents (76%) stated that they were ‘Very likely’ (31%) or ‘Fairly

likely’ (45%) to apply to HE after the UCAS Personal Statement session. Once again, analysis

of the qualitative data explaining students’ reasons for their likelihood rating shows the majority

of students who were ‘Very likely’ or ‘Fairly likely’ to apply either had a specific course in mind

(N=208) or already planned on applying before the workshop (N=15). Nevertheless, in a

similar manner to the Student Finance data, some students (N=14) indicated that the

workshop had made them feel more confident in their decision and ability to apply to HE, as

shown in the following quotations:

‘As I have gained knowledge on how to apply’

‘Because I now know how to properly form a statement’

‘Inspired me for what courses I can do’

‘It has inspired me’

‘I've gained more confidence about applying’

‘Less daunting prospect as techniques made more clearly’

‘Because I feel that I am more confident in applying for a course’

‘It is clearer on how to apply for higher education than a job or apprenticeship’

‘I know what to do’

‘Great presentation’

Very likely31%

Fairly likely45%

Unsure6%

Not very likely12%

Not likely6%

After this session how likely are you to apply for Higher

Education?

19 14

46

208

15

Unclearreason /

unsure if willapply

Moreconfident

aboutapplying

Stay ineducation /

increasequalifications /

getexperience

Specificsubject /

career route

Alreadyconsidering

HE


31

12

6

19

Do not want toattend HE

Unsure Prefer to doapprenticeship

Want to workfull time / otheroptions in place

Reasons why unlikely to apply to HE

21

31

Unsure of futureplans

Unsure if HEneeded for future

plans

Not interested inHE study



‘Made it more manageable’

The feedback shown above indicates that the workshops may have had an impact on students’

intentions to apply to HE in the future, and that they were well received by attendees. Further

positive feedback was also found in the small number of qualitative responses to the final

question on the survey, some of which have been given in the table below.

Do you have any further queries relating to Personal Statements?

Request for more workshops (3 responses)

‘More workshops as they are really helpful’

Request for further information (2 responses)

‘I still feel like I would need to learn some more

about personal statements before I write mine’

‘Linking my universities to the course/uni’

Positive feedback on session (6 responses)

‘Everyone was very helpful and friendly’

‘Thank you’

‘It was really informational and easily put’

‘It was a good session’

In summary, the qualitative and quantitative data analysed for the UCAS Personal Statement

workshops indicates that these sessions were successful in supporting students with

understanding how to write a personal statement, and thus helping them with a key aspect of

the application process for HE.

Choosing an HE Course

During Tranche 3, 156 survey responses were received for the Choosing an HE Course

workshop, which was delivered primarily to students in Key Stage 5 with the aim of increasing

students’ understanding of HE pathways and personally relevant options, helping them to

understand approaches to researching and choosing a relevant course in higher education.

Data in Figure 25 shows that 81% of respondents found the sessions useful for understanding

how to research course options and for knowing what to consider when researching their

options. This indicates that the sessions met their key aims, as outlined above, addressing the

barrier of Knowledge of HE (course options) and Soft Skills (career and/or course research).

Figure 25 – Student perception of usefulness of Choosing an HE course sessions

As part of the workshop, students were shown information about different HE course types

and HE levels of study, ranging from HND through to PhD (doctorate). In order to evaluate

whether students had retained this information, they were asked to identify which of four

30% 28%

51% 53%

13% 13%6% 6%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

How useful was this session in helping youto understand how to research course

options?

How useful was this session in helping youidentify factors to consider when choosing

an HE course?

Usefulness of session

Very useful Quite useful Slightly useful Not useful


courses or qualifications were not at HE level. The results shown in Figure 26 indicate that the

majority of students (67%) were able to correctly identify the erroneous non-HE qualification.

Figure 25 – Student perception of usefulness of Choosing an HE course sessions

However, it should be noted that the proportion of correct answers shown in Figure 26 is lower

than would be perhaps hoped for (a proportion of ~75% would be expected). This lower result

could be due to the unfamiliar language used in the question (such as ‘Doctorate’ and ‘Higher

national diploma’), and the inclusion of a fictitious qualification (‘General Certificate of Higher

Education’). Therefore, in Tranche 4 this survey has been amended to include more familiar

qualification terminology ‘(Foundation Degree’, ‘Higher Apprenticeship’, ‘Doctorate / PhD’,

‘General Certificate of Secondary Education’), and it is hoped that this will more fairly evaluate

students’ knowledge of this part of the workshop.

Finally, data presented in Figure 26 shows that nearly three quarters of respondents (72%)

felt more confident in applying their HE course knowledge to their future plans. However, it

should be noted that this statement does not clearly indicate how students will apply their new

knowledge, and for Tranche 4 the survey has been amended in order to gather more specific

data with which to evaluate the sessions’ impact on participants.

Figure 26 – Student confidence in applying new knowledge of HE

From the data in Figure 26, and the other data analysed above, it can be argued that the

workshops are likely to have had a positive impact on students, helping them in particular to

address the barrier of Knowledge of HE.s

Bespoke Key Stage 5 Workshop - Student Life, Intro to HE, Student Finance

In December 2018, 49 students provided evaluation data on a bespoke Key Stage 5 workshop

at Yeovil College that they attended. This session included elements from three NSSW Core

Offer workshops (Student Life, Intro to HE, and Student Finance), and the data analysed below

67% 12% 14% 7%

Thinking back over the session, which of the following is NOT a type of HE course or qualification?

General Certificate of Higher Education Higher national diploma

Doctorate Higher apprenticeship

Much more confident

22%A bit more confident

50%

About the same27%

Less confident1%

As a result of today's session, how confident do you feel in applying your new HE

knowledge to your own future plans?


further adds to the overall evaluation of these Core Offer workshops during Tranche 3. With

its blend of key content from other workshops, the session aimed to address the barriers of

Knowledge of HE and Finance, increasing students’ understanding of HE qualifications and

courses, the benefits of HE study, Student Life, and Student Finance.

Figure 27 shows data from the survey designed to evaluate whether the workshop had met

the aims outlined above, with statements taken from other surveys analysed in this report.

Figure 27 – Indicated impact of the workshop on Knowledge of HE and Finance

The results in Figure 27 show that, on the whole, the session is likely to have had a significant

impact on students’ Knowledge of HE, including the benefits of HE study, with 98% of

respondents agreeing that they had a better understanding of HE after the workshop.

Furthermore, it can be argued that the session helped students increase their knowledge of

student finance, with 94% agreeing that they understood more about funding for HE study.

Perhaps more significantly, 92% of respondents agreed that they felt confident to make an

informed decision about HE study after the workshop, indicating that the session is likely to

have been successful in giving them a range of relevant information to support them in

deciding on their next steps after Key Stage 5.

In order to understand more about the potential impact of the workshop on attendees, students

were asked to provide up to three key points that they had learned in the session. From the

49 surveys received, 133 key points were provided, giving an average of 2.7 key points

recalled by survey respondents. Figure 28 shows the thematic categories into which these key

points have been sorted.

Figure 28 – Key points learnt during the session

41%

20%29%

41%31% 33% 29%

57%66% 61%

55%61% 61% 63%

14%8% 4% 8% 4% 8%

2% 2% 2%

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%

I have a betterunderstandingof what highereducation is

I can namedifferent types

of HEqualification

I understandthe differentopportunitiesavailable as aresult of HE

study

I can identifyfactors to

consider whenchoosing anHE course

I understandthe differentaspects ofstudent lifeduring HE

study

I understandmore about

what studentfunding is

available forHE study

I feel moreconfident to

make aninformed

decision aboutHE study

After today's session...

Strongly agree Agree Unsure Disagree

4548

7 8

17

8

Informationabout Student

Finance

Informationabout HEcourses

Student Lifeoutside studying

Accommodation GeneralKnowledge of

HE

Applying to HE

What three key points have you learnt from today's session?


It is positive to note that almost all respondents recalled information about Student Finance

(N=45) or HE courses (48), and the quotations in the table below show that a number of

students learnt key points about these topics that may have had an influence over their HE

intentions, such as details regarding the student loan repayment system or applications to HE.

What three key points have you learnt from today's session?

Information about Student Finance

‘Student debt isn't too bad’

‘Student loans disappear after 30 years’

‘Only pay if earn over 25,000’

‘Student loans aren't as bad as I think’

Information about HE courses

‘50,000+ courses’

‘You can take a gap year’

‘The variety of qualifications and routes’

‘There is a course for everyone’

Student Life outside studying

‘Lots of clubs and activities’

‘Opportunities in higher education’

Accommodation

‘Different accommodation available’

‘Universities offer halls’

General Knowledge of HE

‘Better understanding of HE’

‘Tiers of qualifications’

‘Opportunities after higher education’

Applying to HE

‘Importance of personal statements’

‘More confident on decisions I can make’

‘You can still get in even if you don't get all the

grades’

Finally, students were asked to indicate their intentions for applying to HE, following the

workshop. Figure 29 shows that the significant majority of respondents (82%) stated that they

were either ‘Very likely’ (39%) or ‘Fairly likely’ (43%) to apply to HE.

Figure 29 – Key points learnt during the session

Once again, it is not possible to know from the data in Figure 29 alone whether students’ HE

intentions were affected by the session, or whether those who indicated that they were likely

to apply had already intended on doing so before the workshop. Therefore, students were

asked to explain their answers (Figures 30 and 31).

Figure 30 – Likelihood of HE application Figure 22 – Reasons why unsure whether will apply

Very likely39%

Fairly likely43%

Unsure16%

Not likely2%

After today's session, how likely are you to apply for higher education?

2

1

12

24

1

Unclear reason / unsure if willapply

More confident about applying

Stay in education / increasequalifications / get experience

Specific subject / career route

Already considering HE


2

2

1

2

Unsure of future plans

Unsure if HE needed forfuture plans

Unsure due to finance

Interested in apprenticeship



The data in Figure 30 indicates that the majority of students were intending on applying to HE

before the workshop, as many already had a specific subject or course in mind. Although one

student indicated that the workshop had made them feel more confident about applying,

overall it is not possible to state that the results in Figure 29 were due to impact from the

intervention. Nevertheless, the data from this session highlights positive reception of the

workshop, indicating that students increased their knowledge of different aspects of HE,

including student funding, and it can therefore be argued that the workshop was successful in

meetings its aims and supporting the students who attended with their respective HE plans.

ISC Survey Feedback

In order to triangulate self-reported responses from students in relation to the NSSW Core

Offer workshops delivered in Tranche 3, data was also collected from NSSW In School

Coordinators (ISCs) relating to these interventions. In three ISCs surveys conducted at the

end of each term during Tranche 3 (September 2018 – July 2019), 51 survey responses were

collected from ISCs providing feedback on their perception of the different Core Offer sessions

and the impact of these activities on their students (Figure 32).

Figure 32 – NSSW Core Offer Workshops quantitative feedback responses

Figure 32 shows that ≥78% of respondents agreed that the workshops raised students’

aspirations, were impactful on students, taught them about HE or career planning, and that

students talked positively about the interventions. In particular, ISCs stated that they believed

the workshops had increased students’ understanding of HE or career planning (88%

agreement), echoing much of the student survey data analysed in this report which indicates

impact on the barrier of Knowledge of HE for the majority of Core Offer workshops.

It could be suggested that ISCs may have a positive attitude towards these workshops due to

the ease of organising them (96% agreed they were easy to arrange) and the approachable

and informative nature of NSSW staff (92% agreement). However, it is nevertheless significant

that 94% of ISC respondents agreed that they wished to arrange the activity again in the future,

as this highlights the positive reception of these core interventions, all the while supporting

decisions to increase delivery of these sessions across the consortium.

Conclusion and recommendations

This report has presented a body of evidence with which to argue that the Core Offer

workshops delivered by NSSW throughout Tranche 3 have been well received by students

88% 84%92%

47%

78% 78%

96% 94%

10% 14%8%

53%

18% 20%

2% 6%2% 2% 4% 2% 2%

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

The majority ofstudentslearned

somethingabout HE or

career planningfrom the activity

The activityraised the

aspirations ofthe students

who attended

The NSSW staffwho delivered

the activity wereapproachable

and informative

The studentambassadorswho helpeddeliver the

activity wereapproachable

and informative

Students talkedpositively abouttheir experienceafter the activity

I have noticedan impact fromthe activity onthe students

(e.g.conversationsabout HE or

careers)

It was easy toorganise theactivity in my

school/college

I would like toarrange the

same activity inmy

school/collegeagain

Core Offer Workshops (51 Responses)

Strongly agree/ agree Neither / N/A Strongly disagree / disagree


and staff, and that it is likely these interventions have had an impact on the majority of

attendees. It can be strongly argued that, as an overarching suite of workshops, these

interventions have supported students in developing their knowledge and understanding of

higher education, including elements of student life, the benefits of HE study, and student

finance, as well as helping to increase students’ confidence in researching, choosing, and

applying to an HE course in the future. Data analysed in this report thus indicates potential

impact on the barriers of Knowledge of HE and Finance, with impact on Soft Skills in some

sessions (such as Personal Statements) and Socio-economic factors in sessions that have

raised students’ aspirations for HE study.

Overall, the data for these workshops gives very few examples of negative feedback or

recommendations for amendments to the content of the sessions. The specific content queries

and requests (such as those highlighted in data from the Student Finance workshop) have

been passed on to the NSSW delivery team to ensure that they are taken into account in the

annual revision of workshops materials. The main recommendations highlighted by the

analysis in this report relate to amending the evaluation surveys for these interventions, such

as asking students whether they are more likely to consider HE after the workshops, rather

than simply asking whether they are likely to apply at all, and thus gathering data with which

to explore any potential impact from the sessions on students’ HE intentions. It should be

noted that these recommendations have been carried out under amendments to the evaluation

surveys for all workshops before the start of Tranche 4, and it is hoped that the recent creation

of a question bank will produce more robust and comparable data, through the use of set

evaluation questions evidencing impact on specific elements of the barriers to HE progression.

Finally, as an integral part of the Phase 2 progression framework, it is hoped that recent

improvements to delivery resources for all workshops will ensure that NSSW target students

and their non-target peers are able to tackle barriers to HE progression through their

engagement in these sessions, and that the different workshops will continue to support

students as they plan their next steps.

Documents

NSSW Core Workshops · relying on the third-party resource, ‘Careerpilot’, these interventions have been analysed in a separate report. Aims The primary barrier addressed by NSSW