Ipsos | Formative Evaluation of Uni Connect Phase Three
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Uni Connect partnership plans to deliver attainment raising activities were generally found to be at an early stage at the time of the interviews for the formative evaluation ( Autumn 2022 ). Most partnerships had had initial conversations with schools and wider stakeholders and partners about what such an offer might look like , and several were planning to run small-scale pilots with local partners to develop and test potential approaches .
Schools were said to have been generally positive and responsive to the news that partnerships would be working on developing an attainment raising offer . However , partnerships were keen not to raise expectations that could not be met .
Uni Connect attainment raising interventions are expected to support one or more of the following aims : 1 ) upskilling and supporting existing teachers ; 2 ) providing targeted academic support to learners ; 3 ) tackling non-academic barriers to learning and 4 ) supporting curriculum development . Tackling nonacademic barriers to learning was the most common aim that partnerships were looking to address through their attainment raising offer . Where partnerships were intending to deliver targeted academic support to learners , this most commonly focused on developing literacy and numeracy skills . These types of intervention were considered by partnerships to be most closely aligned to their existing outreach offer and where they felt they could add most value .
Partnerships would welcome clearer guidance from the OfS on the key metrics of success for the attainment raising element of the programme . Partnerships were given autonomy to determine appropriate measures for their attainment raising interventions , which could include measures relating to intermediate outcomes such as improved academic self-efficacy , critical thinking or study strategies .
Key Findings : Signposting Uni Connect partnerships were expected to continue to deliver signposting to help teachers and advisers find out about the outreach activity available in their area . Requirements in relation to this include acting as a point of contact for secondary schools and colleges to signpost to local outreach provision , supported by a website providing contact information and details of their Uni Connect offer .
Signposting was considered by partnerships to be a well-established and stable element of their offer . Partnerships have been developing their website content over several years and these are now very rich sources of information .
The main challenge facing partnerships in relation to signposting was resourcing as many had let go or reduced marketing and communications staffing in response to funding reductions . Some were now outsourcing this support , some had passed responsibility to project officers and one had hired a graduate intern to take the lead on their social media activity , which was said to be working well .
Recommendations The findings from the formative evaluation point to some recommendations for consideration by the OfS and Uni Connect partnerships to support future programme planning , development and delivery – these are set out below .
Recommendation 1 – OfS to provide clarity on likely levels of future funding A key barrier faced by partnerships in planning their Uni Connect provision was uncertainty about future funding , both overall and the expected division of funding across the different elements of the programme . This was impacting the ability of partnerships to enter into formal agreements with local
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