February 2003
News

Widening Participation League Table Success

The University is performing well above Government expectations in attracting students from a diverse range of backgrounds, according to the latest league tables.

Statistics compiled by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) show the University has performed 'significantly better than expected' in the number of students from the lower social classes, with 35 per cent from classes IIIM, IV and V.* This is well above the HEFCE benchmark of 28 per cent and also above the national UK average of 25 per cent.

The University also scored highly with 91 per cent of its students enrolled from state schools and colleges, above the HEFCE benchmark of 89 per cent and above the national average of 86 per cent. Similarly, in the number of students enrolled from low participation neighbourhoods, the University scored 16 per cent - above the benchmark of 13 per cent and above the national average of 12 per cent. The University also performs well in the level of participation by disabled students in higher education (as defined by those claiming Disabled Students' Allowance) - figures which HEFCE introduced for the first time this year. While the national average shows universities have only 1.5 per cent of disabled students, the University has 2.2 per cent, above its benchmark of 1.5 per cent. The University's Disability Office however estimates that around 6 per cent of its student population has some form of disability, which students do not always initially disclose.

Head of Disability Services, Liz Clarke, said: "The number of students seeking support from the Disability Office has risen dramatically over the last four to five years. The University has a strong commitment to ensure that disabled students are not disadvantaged in their studies and was one of the first universities in the country to have a disability office."

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Chris Taylor, said: "These statistics reflect our firm commitment to widening participation in higher education. Bradford is well positioned within the widening participation field and we are confident that we can contribute significantly in the Government's initiative to extend participation of 18- to 30-year-olds in higher education to 50 per cent by 2010."

The benchmarks are calculated by looking at the subject mix of an institution, and the entry qualifications of its students.

* skilled manual, semi-skilled, and unskilled respectively.

10 February 2002

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