Aimhigher London is committed to supporting Higher Education Institutions to meet their Strategic APP (Access and Participation Plan) priorities through our targeting of specific learner groups and range of programmes, co-produced to meet local need and address equality gaps.

We have forged strong working relationships with schools to ensure we are delivering the ‘right’ programme and targeting the ‘right’ learners to prepare them for success.

• AHL programmes are peer-reviewed through our working groups to mitigate risks of inequity
• This is evidenced-based as we meet and ‘stretch’ our annual collaborative targets

Equality of Opportunity Risk Register Outcomes

All our programmes address different combinations of the risks set out in the register.

We know that ‘sustained’ outreach makes a difference: ‘Sustained and progressive outreach with multiple activities has a more positive impact on learners’ knowledge and attitude toward higher education than single or ad-hoc outreach activity’ (Office for Students 2019)

We have high expectations and aspirations of all those we work with. Aimhigher London has forged strong relationships with schools over the last 15 years’ that enables us to respond to, meet and evaluate the local needs of students, parents and staff.

Learner Outcomes

All our delivered programmes build self-awareness, confidence and resilience to transition to and succeed in higher education and are mapped against one or more Gatsby benchmarks that support the development of skills in preparation for life at and beyond Higher Education.

• Our programmes offer sustained and progressive opportunities from KS3 to KS5 through a combination of accessible in-school, on-campus and online events that enables learners to build and consolidate learning over time.
• Provides Personal Development opportunities to become active and enquiring citizens

Gatsby Benchmarks and Career Advice

• Providing comprehensive impartial advice and guidance, interactions with further and higher education providers, apprenticeship pathways and choices beyond school.

Ofsted Impact

• Demonstrating both quantitative and qualitative data on progression for learners through key stages.

School Improvement Plans

• Sharing best practices to support school improvement plans through professional development.

The Care Experience network functions as a collaboration between staff in universities, colleges, schools and Virtual schools to support the achievement, retention and progression of young people in the care of a Local Authority, from KS3 to Post-16 and on to Further or Higher Education and employment.

We do this through

• Building learner confidence through an annual programme of targeted activities
• Enhancing cross-sector communication through sharing best practice
• Raising awareness of different routes into and through education to employment, university and beyond
• Signposting to statutory and voluntary information services

We facilitate this by

• Co-ordinating learner programmes
• Planning and Review meetings (co-produce activities, programmes and resources twice a year)
• Brokering links between specialist higher education institutions and local authorities
• Engaging national and regional networks (NNECL; Catch 22; SELDMS)
• Developing new provision for specific communities (ESOL; UASC)
• An annual best practice conference

Identifying outcomes

• Evaluating the impact of individual activities and the programme-as-a-whole

Network representation

• Promoting the network and programme activity