Supporting our region
Introduction
Our outreach within the South West last year supported around 2,500 learners across 100 schools and colleges, with a further 22,000 students accessing tailored advice and guidance.
Learners in the South West region continue to face some of the most significant barriers to equal opportunity nationally. Persistent attainment gaps at primary and secondary levels, limited access to enrichment opportunities, and the compounded effects of rurality and coastal isolation, mean that disadvantaged young people across the peninsula are less likely to progress to higher education than their peers elsewhere in England.
This year, we deepened our commitment to tackling entrenched educational and geographical inequalities across the South West. Partnership working within our region was a priority to improve access by addressing risks related to educational attainment, the opportunity to develop relevant knowledge and skills to progress to higher education, and access to good quality advice and guidance for learners. We strengthened our collaboration with local authorities, FE colleges, multi-academy trusts, and community organisations through our Civic Agreements and joint initiatives aimed at addressing educational isolation.
This is a really long page to scroll down through. It would be better if we could have a carousel linking through to pop out windows for one of the sections (as per the Widening Access page).
Information, advice and guidance
Research indicates that disadvantaged learners may have restricted opportunities to access good quality advice and guidance to help them make informed decisions about next steps.
Confidence in applying to higher education, certain courses, types of institution or to navigate the admissions process may be affected negatively without access to information or support to make a successful application. For many schools and colleges within our region, we are the sole provider of this type of outreach which is shown to offer scalable opportunities to achieve impact. This is a very different to the situation faced by many schools in London and other urban areas supported by a variety of higher education providers.
Supporting local schools and colleges
The University has a dedicated team providing information, advice and guidance to Key Stage 4 and 5 pupils in the South West.
Support is focused on those schools and colleges serving the most deprived areas or those with lowest progression to higher education and building strong working relationships with teachers and advisors.
During the year the team delivered 120 talks and workshops in local schools and colleges and student ambassadors attended 55 information fairs, supporting 22,000 students with their decision making. We also provided advice and guidance sessions on campus as part of 25 campus visits by schools involving over 1,000 pupils.
The nature of support is determined by schools depending on need, and covers a range of subjects such as the benefits of higher education; financial support; degree apprenticeships; the application and admissions process; and how to write a personal statement.
120 talks and workshops.
55 information fairs.
22,000 students supported.
I think this one is too low resolution to use
Addressing the needs of rural communities
Learners in rural and coastal communities may face additional barriers to engaging with outreach and educational opportunities due to limited transport links.
Working with schools in North Devon, the University is piloting a new model of outreach in the area with the aim of increasing engagement with information, advice and guidance to support progression to higher education.
Young people in North Devon are much less likely to progress to higher education than their regional and national peer group. Aspire North Devon is a collaborative, community-focused programme which seeks to help local pupils make informed choices about their future. The University-led partnership involves schools and colleges across North Devon, including Petroc College, University Centre Northern Devon, Atlantic Academy, Bideford College, Braunton Academy, Great Torrington School, Pilton Community College, The Park School, and West Buckland School.
Participants are nominated by their school to take part in Year 10 and Year 12 pathways which are locally delivered by the University within host institutions, Petroc and West Buckland, who provide valuable logistical support. An initial cohort of 168 pupils took part in goal setting, career mapping and team building activities with access to mentoring support and an on-campus field trip. We will evaluate the pilot and incorporate learnings into the second year of delivery.
Developing subject knowledge
Supporting students to make informed choices about qualification routes linked to types of employment is a key part of our information, advice and guidance and supports schools with achieving their Gatsby marks.
This is particularly important when students are making decisions about Level 3 choices as sector research shows patterns between subject choice and HE participation, demonstrating the importance of providing students with good quality advice about post-16 study options to reduce the risk of narrowing opportunities prematurely.
We deliver subject and careers information mainly through our course discovery and careers insights activities, often involving employers and alumni. Delivery is varied including online panels, subject conferences and the creation of teacher resources.
Course Discovery events offer students in Years 9–13 the chance to explore university-level subjects in depth, helping them make informed decisions about their future. Sessions are tailored by age group and delivered in various formats, showcasing academic content, teaching styles, and campus facilities to inspire and engage. In 2024/25, we ran 32 sessions involving 22 schools and colleges engaging 1,427 students, 81% of whom met widening participation criteria.
Subjects covered included Business, Law, Languages, Biosciences, Drama, Sociology, Medicine, and Theology & Religion. Delivery formats included: online tasters (regional and national); in-school presentations; on-campus events, ranging from workshops to large multi-school conferences.
Co-creating resources for learners outside mainstream education
Informed by research carried out by the Centre of Social Mobility and shaped by input from home educated young people and their communities, the University of Exeter launched a bespoke project in 2025 to support progression to higher education.
There are growing numbers of students who are excluded from information, advice and guidance about higher education because they are home educated. The South West has a large home education community and research has shown that the make-up of these students is changing with growing numbers being home educated due to school exclusions and mental health issues.
While there is a sparsity of data relating to these students nationally, work by the Centre indicates growing intersections between being home educated and indicators of disadvantage and underrepresentation with up to 50% of home educated young people with special educational needs and a significant number coming from single parent and/or low-income families[1].
Key updates to the Exeter Scholars programme made eligibility explicitly inclusive of home educated students, resulting in seven applications and three successful participants in the 2024/25 cycle.
A dedicated webpage was created to address FAQs, and four Zoom sessions ran from February to July, offering tailored guidance and community-building opportunities. These sessions saw 75 household sign-ups, with most attending at least three. The series culminated in a campus visit in July, attended a group of 17 registrants, marking a milestone in outreach to this group.
Trust remains a barrier due to past negative experiences with institutions, but bespoke communication and extended access to 1:1 admissions clinics have led to steady engagement growth.
Qualitative feedback, collected from the Zoom series and the on-campus event, has been overwhelmingly positive, with praise for the University of Exeter’s willingness to listen to the community and build activity specifically tailored to their needs and concerns.
Plans for 2025/26 include further development of inclusive policies, an exam centre pilot by our School for Education, tailored online and campus offerings, and continued collaboration with the home education community.
[1] Jo Merrett and Luke Graham, Centre for Social Mobiity.
Visit marks important first step
Our work through the Devon Civic Agreement has identified young refugees and asylum seekers as an underserved and growing community within our local area.
Council colleagues supporting these young people have identified specific information and support needs relating to lack of personal and family knowledge of the UK higher education system. Similar issues have been highlighted by national research by UNICEF UK and Refugee Education UK.
In 2024/25, the University for the first time provided outreach to refugees and asylum seekers to support decisions about future qualifications and higher education, working with learners at Exeter College who are completing ESOL language courses and key GCSEs.
A bespoke campus visit was hosted for students undertaking pre-Level 3 qualifications and included an overview of the admissions process, qualification pathways, and undergraduate course options. Students toured the campus, including the multifaith centre, and attended a panel discussion featuring current University of Exeter Sanctuary Scholarship students.
The cohort represented a wide range of backgrounds, with students from Afghanistan, Ukraine, Romania, the Philippines, Sudan, Eritrea, Hong Kong, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cuba, Iran, Turkey, and Colombia.
Work is ongoing to develop a formal support pathway for displaced learners in Devon in partnership with local education providers and Devon Refugee Network. Meanwhile the University continues its commitment to supporting refugees and asylum seekers through its participation in the Sanctuary Universities initiative and the Sanctuary Scholarship scheme.
Subject knowledge development
Sector research shows patterns between subject choice and higher education participation, demonstrating the importance of providing students with good quality advice about post-16 study options to reduce the risk of narrowing opportunities prematurely through via subject choice.
Supporting students to make informed choices about qualification routes linked to types of employment is a key part of our information, advice and guidance and support schools with achieving their Gatsby marks. This is particularly important when students are making decisions about Level 3 choices.
Course Discovery events offer students in Years 9–13 the chance to explore university-level subjects in depth, helping them make informed decisions about their future. Sessions are tailored by age group and delivered in various formats, showcasing academic content, teaching styles, and campus facilities to inspire and engage.
In 2024-25, we ran 32 sessions with 22 schools and colleges engaging 1,427 students, 81% of whom met widening participation criteria; with 41% from high deprivation neighbourhoods (IMD Q1/2) and 57% from areas of low progression to HE (TUNDRA Q1/2).
Subjects covered included Business, Law, Languages, Biosciences, Drama, Sociology, Medicine, and Theology & Religion. These events, which included large multi-school subject conferences and in-person and online subject tasters, form part of our wider offer to schools with high proportions of widening participation students.
32 sessions.
22 schools and colleges.
1,427 students engaged.
Access to educational opportunities
Sector research suggests most of the socio-economic gap in HE participation in England can be explained by the fact that disadvantaged students have lower levels of attainment at GCSE with learning gaps emerging from early years and continuing to widen across all stages.
In recent years we have developed provision in partnership with local schools to support attainment, subject knowledge and motivation to study. We have focused on maths and literacy as these are key building blocks to support wider educational attainment; and have worked with schools to enrich the curriculum through exposure to research-led teaching and study methods students will experience in higher education.
Skills development for boys: Community Exe
Community Exe is a unique programme providing opportunities and support for young men from under-resourced backgrounds.
The scheme, launched in 2024/25, has been developed in partnership with local sports teams, businesses and charities to provide careers insight and skills development as well as the chance to experience learning in context and meet new people.
Research shows that white males from the lowest socioeconomic status backgrounds are less likely than any other group to access higher education[1] and typically boys are outnumbered 2 to 1 in typical outreach programmes. Community Exe seeks to engage participants in informal educational activities in a new environment based on areas of their own interest, encouraging them to set development goals and better understand the steps needed to help achieve them.
The significant milestones achieved this year included securing an external funding grant from the Angus Lawson Memorial Trust, meeting the recruitment target of 100 boys and securing 10 Community Partners and six Community Exe Champions as co-creators and deliverers of content.
106 Year 9 students were offered places from 20 different schools in Devon and Somerset. Participation commenced with an Award Day in June 2025 and the remaining programme delivery will take place in 2025/26. Participants are invited to attend Award Days with guests if they would prefer and content is delivered specifically for these support networks to ensure they also feel like a part of the programme Community.
Evaluation of impact for this programme will focus on more creative methods for collecting the views of participating young men and being granted ethics approval for this was a significant achievement for the programme team, as well as being a first for a University of Exeter access programme.
[1] Crawford, C., & Greaves, E. (2015). Socio-economic, ethnic and gender differences in HE participation (BIS Research Papers 186). UK Department for Business, Innovation & Skills.
Community Exe supports young men with career insights and skills development.
Sport is one of the programme’s activity strands run in partnership with organisations such as the Somerset Cricket Foundation, Exeter Chiefs Foundation and Exeter City Community Trust.
Levelling Up: Maths
We piloted KS5 maths tutoring at two partner schools through the Levelling Up: Maths programme in 2024/25 with the potential of extending the scale delivery depending on outcomes.
Levelling Up: Maths is a sustained access and enrichment programme, created by the London Mathematical Society, for students from underrepresented backgrounds studying A level Maths involving near peer tutoring. The goal is to help these students achieve a place, and succeed, at university in preparation for a career in STEM.
In 2024/25 the Access, Participation and Outreach Team coordinated the delivery of online tutoring sessions for 17 Year 12 & 13 participants meeting widening participation criteria, led by trained student ambassadors. This high intensity programme, involving 20 maths sessions covering core A level curriculum topics, served as a pilot.
The focus on interactive content using both participant and tutor tablets is a unique feature of the programme and allows for complex mathematical problems to be worked through in a group setting, hosted via an online learning environment.
Whilst a full cohort has not yet completed the programme, interim evaluation data showed indicated respondents felt participation had so far increased their ability to motivate themselves to study, had increased awareness of what to expect from university level study and had increased self-efficacy.
Lessons have also been learned in respect of maintaining engagement levels and supporting tutor confidence with subsequent changes for 2025/26.
Maths Levelling Up won a Highly Commended award at the University’s Success for All Awards and will continue to learn from its participants and their teachers to support positive outcomes for A level maths students.
Curriculum enrichment
The University’s curriculum enrichment activities are part of our offer to schools and colleges in the South West whose pupils are from areas of high deprivation and low progression to higher education.
The educational events linked to the school curriculum involve discipline-specific delivery meeting a variety of learning outcomes, largely developed in response to school demand for sessions which add value by providing exposure to a higher education environment and teaching methods.
These include a series of schools’ KS4/5 conferences on campus in STEM and HASS disciplines and events linked to national events such as National Biomechanics Day and Holocaust Memorial Day. The programme also includes Blue Skies run in partnership with the John Egging Trust which seeks to develop aspiration, self-belief and resilience amongst young people through the prism of science, technology, engineering and maths.
During the year 690 students took part in curriculum enrichment activities; 60% were from the lowest areas of progression to higher education with 33% from high deprivation neighbourhoods[1].
[1] Based on 536 participants providing demographic data by completing HEAT forms.
Devon Healthcare Hub
The Devon Healthcare Hub is a University-led initiative designed to support the academic attainment of A level biology and chemistry students from local state schools aiming to progress to medicine or study biological sciences.
The course designed and led by an academics from our College of Health and Life Sciences involved six two-hour lab-based sessions on biological and medical science topics and practical lab experience.
Pre and post activity questionnaires sought to assess the impact of the programme on confidence, knowledge and motivation. Overall, the data indicated improved knowledge, confidence in ability to study at undergraduate level, and motivation, particularly to apply for relevant work experience. Confidence in achieving good exam results however was reduced and while 40 places were offered to schools, only 17 A level students took advantage of the opportunity from five participating schools.
The focus in 2025/26 will be to increase engagement from target students and formalise teacher feedback to strengthen evaluation.
Community-based academic support
Evidence shows that learning gaps for disadvantaged pupils begin in early years and continue to expand over time. Interventions are more likely to be impactful if involving multiple touchpoints and family engagement.
We have therefore worked in partnership with IntoUniversity since 2015 to provide this type of support, co-founding the South Bristol Centre along with Bath and Bristol Universities.
The Centre provides community-based support for learners and their families at primary and secondary level. In 2024/25 the Centre worked with 590 primary and 581 secondary students.
Centre staff provide structured academic support after school, encouraging students to become effective leaners and providing them with essential resources which may not be available at home. Learners can access support with course work, homework and revision and have access to opportunities such a mentoring from University of Exeter students and project work.
62% of secondary school participants reported improved grades as a result of the support they received, with 71% saying they were working better at school. Participants progress to higher education at a much higher rate than their peers (47% v 10% local average) with 60% of those eligible for free school meals entering higher education compared with a national average of 29%. See full evaluation report.
of those surveyed said their employability skills had improved following their internship.
agreed the internships helped them feel more confident about securing a graduate job.
agreed the experience will help them during the interview process for future jobs.
agreed the internship has helped inform their career plan and they feel positive about future career opportunities.