Team
As partners navigate the new era of Access and Participation Plans, and Phase 2 of NCOP it seems important to assess what each partner requires from EMWPREP moving forward. As such we recently held a strategic planning meeting to discuss potential changes in the EMWPREP provision to meet new expectations and requirements and have developed a list of key priorities for the next 6-12 months. To help deliver these objectives we will be seeking support from partners in setting up operational groups to shape delivery of these aims. To find out more or to register your interest please click here.
In line with the EMWPREP Data Compliance Agreement, the team has implemented an audit schedule for all our partners. The 2-year cycle will see us audit all partners in relation to:
- 1.Database Access
- 2.Data Collection
- 3.Inputting (Including time scales)
- 4.Data Integrity (Auditing)
- 5.Storage Electronic/Paper Records
One audit has been already completed and another two are planned in the forthcoming months.
Earlier this month Emma Church attended and delivered a session alongside EMWPREP partner colleagues, at the NEON Summit – Taking NCOP into the next phase: challenges and opportunities. The event was designed to examine the NCOP project as it moves into its second phase by reviewing the progress that NCOP has made, but also discussing its future, both in the next stage and beyond.
Alongside Hannah Merry (HH+) and Vicki Spink (DANCOP), Emma facilitated a session on ‘Evaluation – offering the evidence that NCOPs work’. For details of our presentation, please click below
NEON Summit - Taking NCOP into the next phase: challenges and opportunities
Database
Update
We are continuing to work closely with our developer on the Phase 2 developments, there is now a comprehensive work schedule for the forthcoming months. Please take a moment to familiarise yourself with some recent changes.
Bulk Uploads
It has been great to see the uptake in the bulk upload facility within the database, the bulk upload schedule, has been imperative in managing the increased inputting work on the EMWPREP team in line with the current team pressure points, allowing us to limit the bulk uploads to once a month. As the team start to prepare for HEI year-end we have to inform partners that the last bulk upload of this academic year will be 5th July, after this date partners will need to manually enter data onto the database if they require it to be included in the year end reports.
Database Training
We will be facilitating 2 database training sessions in the summer which are open to all database users. To book onto either session please do so using the buttons below.
Tuesday 2nd July 10am – 12.30pm
Are your database users up to date?
Since the implementation of GDPR we must ensure that access to the database is limited to those who require it. It is the responsibility of superusers to inform EMWPREP of any updates, failure to do so could lead to breached to data compliance agreement. Click for an updated institutional user list.
Reports
HEI
As we speedily head towards the end of year reporting period for our HEI partners we are busy prepping documents, updating analysis tools and cleansing data to ensure reports are accurate and informative. To assist during this busy time please ensure you are familiar with and adhere to the below deadlines.
End of year- dates for the diary!!
- Deadline to confirm reporting requirements is Friday 21st June.
- End of Year bulk upload deadline is 5pm Friday 5th July.
- End of year manual inputting deadline is 5pm Friday 9th August.
- Inputting error rectification deadline is 5pm Monday 12th August
- EMWPREP reporting will commence on Tuesday 13th August.
- End of Year reports to be disseminated on Friday 13th September.
Feature
In the January edition of our newsletter we advised how EMWPREP had been working alongside HEAT and AHWM on a ‘Gaps Mapping’ exercise to help provide a national picture of WP activity delivery and possibly seek to identify any cold spots where additional support is required.
This project allowed the three organisations tracking outreach delivery to work collaboratively to collate data for the first time, and the resulting report should thus be seen as a first release, enabling the trackers to expose the challenges of mapping coverage and to agree upon a methodology for future exploration.
Currently the maps provide basic identification of those schools and colleges across England who were recorded as having engaged in at least one WP outreach activity on tracking systems during the academic years 2016/17 and 2017/18. They do not measure the intensity, type or duration of the activity or the engagement of individual participants within those schools. They also do not isolate those individual schools or colleges that have not had outreach.
With this in mind there is a desire by the tracking organisations to extend this work further and to examine coverage in detail so that we can identify hot and cold spots of outreach delivery.
As a first release we are keen to seek feedback from partners in term of usability and suggestions for requirements of future edition. To provide feedback please click here
News
The publication of the long-awaited Augar report on post-18 education and funding on 30th May 2019, has again reignited the debate surrounding the impact of the reduction in tuition fees on students.
Alongside the recommendation that fees should be reduced (to £7,500) are also suggestions that the repayment threshold be lowered (to £23,000 if done today) and the repayment period be extended (to 40 years). It has been suggested that these changes could adversely affect low to middle earning graduates as they could in fact end up paying more back over a longer period than under current arrangements.
The report also suggests parental contribution should be made explicit and the system of student loans be renamed.
Interesting articles from the BBC and Martin Lewis.
External Training and Conferences
13th June (London)
13th-14th June (Lancaster)
The third age of widening access
18th June (London)
Gathering data and measuring outcomes
19th June (London)
Collaborative partnerships for Higher Education access and success: Lessons from the sector
3rd – 5th July (Sheffield)
4th July (Birmingham)
the 2019 Aimhigher Annual Conference
10th July (Milton Keynes)
Closing the Black Attainment Gap
11th July (London)