Here you can find presentations and materials from the NEON Summer Symposium 2024.
Ben Jordan, Director of Strategy, Chief of Staff, UCAS
Professor Jane Robinson DL, Pro-Vice Chancellor, Engagement and Place, Newcastle University
Shahid Omer, Director of Policy, Universities UK (no slides available)
Professor Peter John CBE, Vice Chancellor and President, University of West London
Professor Graeme Atherton, Director of the Centre for Inequalities and Levelling Up, University of West London, and Director of NEON.
The Lord Bird MBE, Cross Bench Peer in the House of Lords and founder of The Big Issue (no slides available)
Sarah Atkinson, Chief Executive Officer, Social Mobility Foundation (no slides available)
Nick Hillman, Director, Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) (no slides available)
Angela Nartey, Policy Officer, University and College Union (no slides available)
Session 1: One in Five
Joni Chase, Development Manager, Kent and Medway Progression Federation (KMPF), John Hague, Area Manager, Go Higher West Yorkshire (GHWY) and Jessica Tuominen, BA Sociology student, University of Greenwich
Session 2: Using AI and Data to Support At-Risk Students and Inform Leadership
Gorm Eriksen, Chief Executive Officer, StudentPulse
Session 3: Further, Higher, Stronger: The Power of Partnership-Working for Progression
Denise Jelly, Deputy Head, and Aimee Green, Area Manager, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Collaborative Outreach Partnership (DANCOP)
Session 4: Empowering Students through a Coaching-led Approach: The Role of Coaching in Student Success
Jess Woodsford, Director, Inclusive Futures, Martin Walker, Student Success Manager, and Hannah Critchley, Student Success Officer, Lancaster University
Session 5: The Future of Uni Connect (no slides available)
Martin Webster, Deputy Director, NEON
Session 6: NEON Widening Participation in Postgraduate Study Network update and discussion
Liv Powell, Plus Programme Senior Officer, University of Leeds
Session 7: Degree Apprenticeships
Alison Delius, Apprenticeship Outreach Officer, University of West London
Session 1: What can the NEON Establishing Evidence and Measuring Impact Working Group do for you? (no slides available)
Dr Hannah Merry, Head of Higher Horizons Operations, Higher Horizons
Session 2: Student Loan Applications: A Look behind the Headlines
Ben Rutter, Funding Information Services Account Manager, Student Loans Company
Session 3: sfG MentorNet – Unlocking Potential: The Power and Promise of Mentoring
Ben Hosie, Product Manager, SfG MentorNet
Session 4: UCAS
Ellie Rowley, Fair Access Programme Lead, UCAS
Session 5: Primary Age Outreach
Krishna Maroo, Outreach Manager, and Jordan Campbell, Outreach Officer, University of West London
Session 6: Meeting of the Mature Learners Working Group
(no slides available but presenter would like to share a relevant resource)
Charlotte Thackeray, Outreach and Inclusion Lead, University College of Estate Management
Session 1: Engaging Widening Participation Groups – Ethnicity & Refugees
The Uncover Progress Proposal: Reflections on an Internship Focused on Creating an Access Project for Black British Students
Eleanor Dove, Widening Participation Officer, and Emmanuel Adeyemi-Abere, Graduate, Lancaster University
Culturally Aware Access for Success
Helen Sykes, Head, Go Higher West Yorkshire (GHWY), Shames Maskeen, Lecturer in Psychology and Associate Director, The Race Institute at Leeds Trinity University, and Nathan Ghann, Programmes Director, The Educate Group
Making Higher Education More Accessible to Newcomers: The Pre-Bachelor Programme for Refugees and Displaced Ukrainians in the Netherlands
Maria Hilda Van Schaeren, Senior Lecturer, Zuyd University of Applied Sciences
Session 2: Raising Attainment
Raising Attainment Literacy Project for Working Class Boys
Abbie Salkeld, Outreach Coordinator, and Penny Garner, Outreach and Partnerships Manager, Inspiring Choices
Grade Shifter: A Subject Specific Attainment Raising Project Working Collaboratively with Teachers
Jacob Flannery, Engagement Coordinator (Attainment Raising), Higher Education Progression Partnership South Yorkshire (HeppSY)
Primary Education Outreach: A Rallying Cry for Interventions
Luke Gordon-Calvert, Senior Widening Access Officer, University of Derby
Session 3: Engaging Widening Participation Groups – Gender & Sexuality
An Evidence-Based Collaborative Approach: Establishing the Greater Manchester Boys Impact Hub
Helen Lord, Head, Greater Manchester Higher
Breaking the Mould
Jessica Ford-Powell, Outreach Assistant, Jack Todd, Outreach Officer, Gareth Clayton, Outreach Officer, and Anna Bradley, Outreach and Evaluation Manager, Hello Future
Understanding the Experience of Students from the LGBTQ+ Community
Zara Lawson, Research Director, Alterline Research Limited, and Sarah Harder-Collins, Director of Widening Participation, University of Winchester
Session 4: Ensuring Student Success
Preparing to Succeed: The Impact of an Access Module at The Open University
Dr Renu Bhandari, Staff Tutor in Access, Open and Cross Curricular Innovation, The Open University
The Importance of Inclusive Teaching and Learning in Supporting Student Success
Jenny Brady, Inclusive Learning and Teaching Manager, University of Leeds
Collaboration Is Key to Increasing WP Students’ Employability Confidence
Aaran Graham, Career Confident Manager, and Stuart Sneddon, Career Confident Project Officer, Cardiff University
Session 5: Alternative Routes to Higher Education
Data-Driven Outreach: Transforming FE Student Support with Market Segmentation
Anne Kildunne, Evaluation Coordinator, Humber Outreach Programme, and Sarah Dirrane, Director, Research and Strategy, Cosmos
Accessing the Ladder of Opportunity & Empowering Informed Choices
Tina Wakelin, Area Manager, and Denise Jelly, Deputy Head, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Collaborative Outreach Partnership (DANCOP)
Integrating Mature Male Students in English Universities: An Exploration of their Perspectives & Experiences
Hinna Abid, Doctoral Student, University of Sheffield
Session 6: Partnership & Collaboration 1
Collaborating for Success: An Attainment Raising Case Study
Aimee Green, Area Manager, South Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Collaborative Outreach Partnership (DANCOP)
The Evolution of Metacognition based KS3 Programmes
Rosie Girling, Evaluation and Operations Manager, and Libby Hewson, Outreach Assistant, Pathways
Care Leavers Residential in Collaboration with John Lewis Partnership
Alex Hargreaves, Outreach and Partnerships Officer, and Penny Garner, Outreach and Partnerships Manager, Inspiring Choices
Session 7: Partnership & Collaboration 2
A Widening Access Evaluation Collaboration within a Welsh University: Outcomes and Lessons for Partnership Working
Amy Bendall, Research Assistant, and Elisha Hughes, Widening Access Officer, University of Wales Trinity Saint David
Community Focused Widening Participation: Bridging Gaps through Collaboration and Partnership in West London
Gagandeep Owen-Chaggar, Outreach Coordinator, University of West London
Developing Intercultural Fluency, Carbon Literacy and Employability of WP Students through In-Person Sustainable Global Experiences
Jamie Bettles, Founder, Pagoda Projects
Session 8: Widening Access Evaluation and Data
A Practitioner’s Guide to Running a Randomised Controlled Trial – A/B Testing
Alex Holland-Leavens, Widening Access and Outreach Coordinator, and Peter Cassidy, Widening Access and Outreach Coordinator, Nottingham Trent University
Using Census Data to Derive a New UK-Wide Area-Based Measure of Deprivation
Siobhan Donnelly, Lead Statistical Analyst, Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA, Part of Jisc)
Transformational Evaluation Practice: Tools for Continuous Improvement and Decision-Making, a Uni Connect Example
Vicky Cotterill, Evaluation Manager, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Collaborative Outreach Partnership (DANCOP)
Session 9: Developments in Widening Access
Recognising and Professionalising the Work of WP/WA Practitioners – A Case of Partnership: Introducing the DAPP (Development of Access and Participation Professionals) Professional Standards Framework & Accreditation Scheme
Tara Webster-Deakin, Assistant Professor/WP Manager, University of Nottingham, and Alice Smith, Assistant Director, Lothian’s Equal Access Programme for Schools (LEAPS)
The Big AI Conversation
John Corish, Associate Director, University of Liverpool
Personalised Learning: Is the Holy Grail of Education in the HE Sector Finally Achievable Due to AI?
Geoff Paul, Assistant Director (Academic), and Theo Ammari-Allahyari, Senior Lecturer (Academic Development), University of Sunderland in London
Session 1: Subject Specific Attainment Raising
Subject Specific Attainment Raising: Creative Attainment Raising Scheme – Neaco and Norwich University of the Arts
Emma Jones, Higher Education Champion – Arts Design and Media, Norwich University of the Arts
Year 7 Reading Intervention
Gareth Clayton, Outreach Officer, Anna Bradley, Outreach and Evaluation Manager, Jack Todd, Outreach Officer, and Jessica Ford-Powell, Outreach Assistant, Hello Future
Maths Buddy: Addressing Maths Failure
Helen Lord, Head, and Amie Richardson, Project Coordinator, Greater Manchester Higher
Session 2: Raising Attainment and Confidence
Oracy and Advocacy: How 11–12-Year-Olds Can Change the World
Dylan Stallard, Engagement and Delivery Officer, Kent and Medway Collaborative Outreach Programme (KaMCOP)
More Than Just Breakfast: Exploring the Impacts of an Early-Morning Enrichment Program on School Attendance, Punctuality and Attainment on Students from Low-Income Households
Anmol Ahmed, Engagement Coordinator, Higher Education Progression Partnership South Yorkshire (HeppSY)
Live Mock Interviews Increase Confidence of Prospective Medical School Applicants
Keegan Curlewis, Radiology Doctor, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, and Elizabeth Dick, Professor of Practice, Associated Director of Medical Education, Consultant Radiologist, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and Imperial College London
Session 3: Access and Transition
International Approaches to Linking Pre-University and On-Course Support for Underrepresented Students
Alexandra Lyons, Outreach Evaluation and Research Manager, Imperial College London
Treating All Students the Same, and Each Student Differently
Stuart Billingham, Professor of Lifelong Learning, York St John University, Independent Chair, Inspiring Choices, Member Editorial Board, Journal of Widening Participation & Lifelong Learning
Postgraduate Access and Widening Participation at the University of Oxford
Felicity Long, Graduate Access and Widening Participation Manager, and Ashley-Patson Aryee, Head of Graduate Student Recruitment, University of Oxford
Session 4: Student Support, Retention and Progression
Using Data and Empathy to Contribute to Student Success
Dave Baldwin, Student Success Lead Officer, and Iona Gillies, Student Contact and Engagement Support Caller, University of Leeds
Vulnerability, Safety and Agency: Care-based Academic Support
Gillian Bradley, Higher Education Achievement Coordinator, NCG, and Sam Harper-Coulson
Empowering Progression: upReach’s Learnings about Boosting Progression for Underrepresented Undergraduates
Josephine Scott, University Partnerships Manager, and Grace McDermott, Programme Leader, upReach
Session 5: Working with Parents
Belonging Starts at Home: Why Community and Parent Engagement Should Be a Priority for Increasing Access to and Ensuring Success in Higher Education
David Horner, Head of University Partnerships, The Brilliant Club
Engaging Parents and Carers: Our Journey So Far
Emma Walker, Area Manager, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Collaborative Outreach Partnership (DANCOP)
What Do Students with Parental Responsibility Need – And How Can We Deliver?
Andrea Todd, Associate Professor, University of Chester
Session 6: Partnership and Collaboration 1
Make the Dream Work: Developing University-School Partnerships (no slides available)
Celine West, UCL East Schools Engagement Manager, UCL
Choosing to Trust: A Case Study in a Third Sector/Uni Connect Collaboration
Jayne Taylor, Chief Executive Officer, The Elephant Group, and Vicki Spink, Head, Higher Education Progression Partnership South Yorkshire (HeppSY)
Collaborative Community Connections: Why is It Important to Work with the Same People Over and Over Again?
Ross Harrison, Strategic Outreach Officer, and Jasmine Reeves, Outreach Assistant, Pathways
Session 7: Partnership and Collaboration 2
Empowering Futures: The UNI Club Initiative
Rajita Patel, Widening Access Coordinator, and Natasha Mycawka, Widening Access Manager, University of Northampton
Working in Partnership to Diversify Our Student Body
Sara Pittman, School and College Engagement Officer, and Catherine O’Mahony, Schools and Colleges Engagement Officer, the University of Exeter
Employer Supported Learning in Higher Education: Maximising the Opportunity Provided by the ‘Tripartite Relationship’ in Degree Apprenticeships
Sarah Bloomfield, Lecturer in Work-Based Learning, The Open University Business School, Evelyn Mooney, Lecturer in Nursing, The Open University’s Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Languages, and Helen Marshall, Practice Tutor, The Open University Business School
Session 8: Widening Access Evaluation and Data
Making Mentoring Impactful: Using Practitioner Assessment to Drive Student Outcomes in Widening Participation
Adam Runacres, Impact and Policy Manager, The Access Project
What Works in Outreach? Finding the Winning Formula Using HESA Data and Power BI
Anna Davey, Data, Evaluation and Impact Manager, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Collaborative Outreach Partnership (DANCOP)
We Know What Works to Widen Access: Exploring Higher Horizons Impact Data
Hannah Merry, Head of Higher Horizons Operations, and James Elliott, Evaluation and Evidence Manager, Higher Horizons
Session 9: Developing Projects
Listening to Youth Voice: Insights from Over 16,000 Young People
Lauren Valentine, Schools Programme Manager, Brightside
From Community Outreach to Raising Attainment – Redesigning and Repurposing Established Targeted Activity to Increase Confidence in Literacy within Schools
Rob Thatcher, Widening Participation and Outreach Manager, and Dr Joe Hickinbottom, Widening Participation and Outreach Officer, University of Surrey
Greater Together Than the Sum of Our Parts: Building and Maintaining Effective Communities of Practice
Joanne Moorhead, Higher Education Progression Adviser, Shaping Futures
