Student Data Collection Notice – Widening Participation

Edge Hill University has a five-year Access and Participation Plan (APP) that covers academic years 2021/22 to 2024/25. APPs set out how higher education providers will improve equality of opportunity for underrepresented groups throughout their student journey. This includes access activity to support underrepresented groups to enter higher education; success activity, to support underrepresented students to be retained on their course and achieve their degree; and progression activity, to support underrepresented students to progress to graduate level employment or postgraduate study. APPs are a national requirement by the regulator of Universities in England, the Office for Students (OfS).

The OfS states that ‘targeting underrepresented groups for whom the largest gaps in access, success and progression have been identified’ is required and they encourage students to get involved in this important work that aims to address inequalities among a range of student groups. Please see the Office for Students webpage ‘help improve equality of opportunity’ for further information.

In our APP, we share our five targets to reduce specific gaps in access, success and progression among cohorts of students, and our wider Strategic Aims to support all underrepresented student groups to succeed. To deliver our APP, a programme of targeted, research informed initiatives are required to ensure we eliminate the gaps identified. As a result, the Edge Hill University Student Data Collection notice outlines why students may be contacted if the data the University collects, or the data you have chosen to provide indicates you have one or more widening participation characteristic(s). We will be reaching out to you to ensure that you’re aware of the wide range of support and opportunities available to you, so that the University can support you accordingly.

Edge Hill’s Student Data Collection Notice states that:

Should the data you provide indicate you have one or more widening participation characteristic(s), the University may contact you regarding targeted offers of optional support and opportunities and the evaluation of these. Contact may be made by teams and individuals who contribute to the delivery of the University’s Access and Participation Plan. These communications are to ensure that all students, including those from backgrounds that are traditionally underrepresented in higher education, are aware of, and engaged in, the breadth of support and opportunities available to them. This forms part of the University’s wider work towards tackling inequality within higher education. Widening Participation characteristics include being: care experienced. a care leaver, a person estranged from their family, mature (aged 21+ on entry to an undergraduate degree), from a Black, Asian, or Minority Ethnic group, people from Gypsy, Roma, Traveller, Showman and Boater communities, a carer, a child of a military family, local and commuting students, LGBTQ+ students, disabled students, a refugee, first in family to study in higher education, students with certain entry qualifications, students from an area of lower higher education participation, lower household income and/or lower socioeconomic status groups.