University of Exeter recognised for life-changing work to promote social mobility

The university has been shortlisted for two categories - Innovation and University of the Year - in the UK Social Mobility Awards. The awards, which recognise and celebrate the achievements of businesses and organisations across the country in their work of advancing social mobility, will take place in October.

University of Exeter staff work with several thousand pupils and their teachers each year via outreach activities to widen participation in higher education. The university was among the first to take contextual information into account in admissions other than just qualification results and has achieved sustained improvements in the diversity of its study body. Almost a quarter of UK undergraduates come from low income families. It also has some of the highest rates of retention, attainment and progression to graduate employment.

Exeter offers dedicated support for students and potential students facing the biggest challenges. In recent months staff have rapidly responded to address the needs of disadvantaged pupils in lockdown and provide a financial life-line for students in hardship.

The university’s Centre for Social Mobility – the first in the UK – influences national policy and informs Government guidance, as well as researching and recommending support for disadvantaged students. Research has informed national debates and interventions such as the new national tutoring service, support in schools, contextual offers and transition support. Most recently academics carried out a rapid response research project looking at the educational impact of school closure on teachers, parents and students as a result of Covid-19.

Nicola Sinclair, Head of Widening Participation and Co-Director of the Centre: “At the University of Exeter and the Centre for Social Mobility we are committed to helping disadvantaged young people so they do better at school, benefit from higher education and realise their potential. Right now our focus is on mitigating against the disproportionate impact of Coronavirus on disadvantaged pupils and students, both through research to inform policy makers and in practice through new approaches to outreach and the support we are putting in place for our own students”.

The University of Exeter partners with local schools and other organisations to unlock student potential, address regional skills gaps, improve the gender balance in science, technology, engineering and maths and provide fair access to higher education. It is a joint sponsor of the Exeter Mathematics School and a partner in the Ted Wragg Multi Academy Trust in Exeter. The University of Exeter also co-sponsors the IntoUniversity South Bristol Centre which provides a higher education presence in in one of the region’s most disadvantaged communities and works over the long-term with young people aged 7-18 and their families.

Around 1,000 young people from disadvantaged and under-represented backgrounds take part in the free programme Exeter Scholars, which supports students to make informed choices about their future and go on to university. Continued support during Covid-19 includes a digital summer school for around 350 Year 12s. Exeter Scholars are twice as likely as peers to apply to high tariff universities.

The University of Exeter works in partnership with other organisations to promote social mobility in the South West. This includes Brilliant Club, where PhDs students work in schools.

The University of Exeter is a signatory of the Care Leavers Covenant and provides financial, practical and pastoral support for estranged students and provides similar support for student carers. The Access to Exeter Bursary supports those with low household incomes, and there are tuition fee waivers for care leavers and Sanctuary Scholarships for refugees and asylum seekers. Exeter was the first university to provide emergency funding available to all students affected by Covid-19. Around £5m of bursaries are granted annually to around 23 per cent of UK undergraduates.