The University continues to work to ensure that students from a wide range of diverse backgrounds thrive and feel a sense of belonging, as the University aims to be leading on Scotland’s commitment to widening participation. 10 per cent target achieved Image Through this work, the University has met the Commission for Widening Access targets of 10 per cent of our intake to come from the 20 per cent most deprived areas in Scotland ahead of schedule.A total of 10.2 per cent of undergraduate entrants came from a SIMD20 (Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation, most deprived 20 per cent) area. The University also increased its offer rate to SIMD20 applicants from 24 per cent in 2016 to 47.7 per cent in 2022. YourEd schools programmeThis year has seen the development of the YourEd schools programme both in scope and numbers of pupils. YourEd is a long term programme of information, advice and guidance spanning the whole high school journey.From 2021, the programme has expanded to 14 schools across seven different local authorities in the south east of Scotland.Schools were targeted based on overall academic attainment and a range of metrics such as the high proportion of pupils from areas of deprivation as defined by the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD20), high numbers of pupils registered for free school meals and high percentages of students from ethnic minority backgrounds.Moving onlineDuring the pandemic, the University has worked hard to move its various widening participation activities into an accessible online format. The annual Sutton Trust Summer School, usually a week-long residential experience, took place online.Although moving to online provision can never fully replicate the experience of being on campus, it meant we were able to increase the number of young people taking part in the programme and offer extra support to students facing isolation or social anxiety. TutorEd programmeIn addition to updating existing activity, new initiatives have been created specifically tailored to work online, such as the TutorEd programme, which offers small group tuition in literacy, numeracy and the sciences.TutorEd has worked with 14 schools and has helped to bridge the gap in pupils’ learning during the extended lockdown, whilst also offering development and employment opportunities to University students who worked as tutors for this programme.Access Edinburgh ScholarshipSupport for some of the most vulnerable groups, such as those with care experience, increased with the Edinburgh Cares service and the introduction of the new Access Edinburgh Scholarship for care-experienced students. Applications from confirmed care-experienced applicants who were academically qualified for entry more than doubled in 2021. Widening ParticipationOur Widening Participation Strategy This article was published on 2024-10-01
