University Centre Colchester | Access and Participation Plan 2025-2029

Colchester Institute

Access and Participation Plan 2025-26 to 2028-29

Introduction and strategic aim

Colchester Institute is a large general further education college based in North Essex with campuses located in Colchester and Braintree and additional outreach Centres in Harwich and Clacton-on-Sea. Colchester Institute has a history of delivering higher education courses for over 50 years and established the brand ‘University Centre Colchester (UCC)’ in 2016 under the auspices of the department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) to group together its higher education provision.

Colchester Institute specialises in the provision of technical and professional education and training from levels 1 – 7 and has a strong widening participation focus. The College’s mission is to support its local communities and to transform lives through the development of technical, professional, and personal knowledge and skills. It is the organisation’s goal to offer a responsive curriculum, mapped to local and national skills priorities that meets the skills needs of individuals, organisations, the economy, and the environment.

The organisation looks to do this whilst simultaneously offering a curriculum that is inclusive by level, subject, provision type and delivery mode with the ambition of eliminating achievement gaps for learners with SEND or by ethnicity, gender, and age.

Our higher education provision is a relatively small part of the wider Colchester Institute offer, having reduced in recent years and having gone from being predominantly a provider of social and creative arts programmes to being increasingly focused on employer-informed professional programmes, with a large percentage of students on apprenticeship or part-time employer- sponsored programmes.

Colchester Institute is based in the local authority area of ‘Colchester’ and recruits the majority of its undergraduate students from a 30-mile radius of Colchester.

Our curriculum is currently made up of HNC, HND, Cert HE, Dip HE, Cert Ed, PGCE and Degree Top-Up courses as well as of a handful of more traditional three-year Honours degree programmes.

For the 2024/25 academic year we anticipate having approximately 300 learners (210 FTEs) on full-time, part-time or apprenticeship programmes covering Business and Management: Construction, Counselling, Early Years, Engineering and Teacher Training. Further programmes in Fine Art, Policing and Digital Film Production are on teach-out, the latter two until Summer 2025 and Fine Art until Summer 2026.

Our programmes blend academic study with the opportunity for workplace (and workplace-style) experience which allows students the opportunity to gain valuable skills while working towards nationally recognised and valued higher education qualifications.

Our approach to equality of opportunity encompasses several key initiatives:

• Widening Access: We actively work to remove barriers to entry by looking to provide tailored support and information. We collaborate with local schools and other stakeholders to ensure potential students are aware of the opportunities available to them in their own locality.
• Tailored support and interventions: We recognise that every student has unique strengths and challenges. We therefore look to provide comprehensive support services and targeted interventions to address individual needs. Our aim is to ensure that every student receives the support and guidance necessary to succeed academically and personally.
• Inclusive learning environment: We look to foster a welcoming learning environment where all students feel valued, respected and supported. We promote equality and diversity through inclusive teaching practices, student support services and a commitment to addressing individual needs.
• Employer Engagement: We actively collaborate with employers and industry professionals with regard to course development and providing meaningful opportunities for students. By creating strong partnerships we provide access to industry-relevant experiences that enhance employability and pathways to successful careers.

We are dedicated to providing an opportunity to all learners, regardless of their background to access, succeed and progress from higher education.

Risks to equality of opportunity

Utilising the Access and Participation Data Dashboard (provided by the Office for Students), our own internal data analysis, and the equality of opportunity risk register (EORR) we have undertaken a detailed analysis of performance of all stages of the student lifecycle.

A detailed breakdown of this analysis can be found in Annex A, ‘Assessment of Performance’.

Important Note: Our self-assessment of performance was undertaken prior to the 1^stJuly 2024 due to the required submission date for this report. During the finalisation and approval process of this report new official widening participation statistics were released by the Office for Students.

Although the timing of this release was after the original self-assessment had taken place it was agreed that we would include any significant changes to performance or narrative into the review where possible and be used when setting targets and milestones. Such updates are highlighted within Annex A and are evident in our target setting later in this plan.

Access

The Access and Participation Data Dashboard shows that historically the institutions primary type of provision has been full-time undergraduate study (67% of new students in 2021-22). When analysing recruitment trends against data within the data dashboard, Colchester Institute was found to recruit above national trends for mature learners (8.7 percentage points above national average), those with a reported disability (4.7 percentage points above national average), students from Tundra quintiles 1 and 2 (combined 29.2 percentage points above national average), students eligible for free school meals (4.7 percentage points above national average) and students from ABCS quintiles 1 and 2 (combined 31.5 percentage points above the national average).

One area where Colchester Institute was below the national average was ethnicity, as the comparison below highlights.

 However, upon closer inspection with data taken from the local population census (2021) recruitment was found to be in line with the demographics of the local area (see below). As previously stated, the very large majority of students are drawn from within 30 miles of Colchester.

 Upon initial review, access to our full-time provision was not seen as a significant risk to equality of opportunity.

However, as discussed earlier in this plan our curriculum has undergone significant change in recent years with the volume of full-time and part-time undergraduate students decreasing and the percentage of learners on apprenticeship programmes increasing. This is evident in the Office for Students size and shape provision data dashboard:

We are currently anticipating this trend to continue, and for Higher or Degree Apprentices to make up close to 50% of our undergraduate intake in 2024/25, and for them to become our largest student type over the duration of this Access and Participation Plan.

Data regarding Apprenticeship learners was more limited within the Access and Participation Data Dashboard. However, during our analysis of performance, we did identify discrepancies with the diversity of both our part-time and apprenticeship cohorts when compared to the full-time student body.

Although we are proud of our historic records regarding attracting and recruiting students from a widening participation background, our current apprenticeship offering is centred on accommodating apprentices referred to UCC by their employer. There is concern over the impact that recruitment which is mainly driven by third party referrals could have on our student profile in the future.

As an example, 30.1% of students who commenced a full-time course in 2022-23 reported they had a disability (OFS WPDD). Data below shows this value to be noticeably decreased for learners on an apprenticeship, although this has risen in recent years and is currently above the national average.

It has also been identified internally that apprentice students with learning support needs have self- declared or come forward for diagnostic opportunities late in the academic year. Feedback from mentors suggest this is due to concerns over stigmatisation and the impact it may have on their employment or with peers. We have witnessed this before with traditional adult learners, but we have now recognised a need for a separate approach for informing prospective apprenticeship learners, and their employers, of the services available to them, and removing any perceived stigmatisation relating to receiving additional support, whilst studying in Higher Education. This will be targeted under Intervention Strategy 3.

On Course Outcomes – Continuation, Completion and Attainment

Our analysis shows there to be greater risks to equality of opportunity during the ‘on-course’ elements of the student lifecycle in comparison to gaining access to the provision. Due to reasons documented in Annex B we have chosen to focus our Access and Participation Plan on improving continuation and attainment rates for on-course support.

Continuation

Overall continuation rates have been on a positive trajectory for all student groups from 2017-18 through to 2020-21. The updating of the OFS Access and Participation Data Dashboard in July 2024 showed a drop in continuation rates for all students at Colchester Institute. The dip witnessed in 2021-22 (post Covid) was reflected in national rates, and internal data suggests this will be redressed during the 2022/23 and 2023/24 academic years.

The official data sets to quantify the level of improvement expected will not be released until 2025 and 2026 respectively. To safeguard our targets, we propose to set dual targets for targeted groups which will look to reduce the gap in opportunity within the institution, but also ensure continuation rates are in-line with the sector.

Based on our analysis of performance, which can be found in Annex A, we propose to target the following learners:

• Students with a declared disability
• Students entitled to free school meals
• Young learners

Colchester Institute has implemented several initiatives in recent years to improve continuation for its full-time learners. Some of these were included in our 2020-2025 Access and Participation Plan, and some are in addition to those commitments. Internal data shows that positive improvements can be tracked since their implementation, and that the college is on target to have continuation rates for mature learners above the national average for both the 2022-23 and 2023-24 academic years. It is therefore the intention to build on and continue these interventions within this plan, with our intervention strategies built around providing access to additional and enhanced academic and personal support. We will also look to expand these services to apprenticeship students where applicable.

Due to the interconnections between continuation, completion, and attainment we will be targeting all the above groups under Intervention Strategy 1.

Attainment

Attainment rates at both Colchester Institute and nationally dropped significantly in 2021-22 for most student groups. This appears to be a delayed impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the relinquishing of pandemic related no-detriment policies across the sector.

Rates at Colchester Institute bounced back in 2022-23, although not quite to pre-pandemic levels. Nationally attainment rates continued to drop from a peak which reached its apex during the Covid period, and more specifically the 2020-21 academic year.

There is an expectation that rates will increase nationally over the lifetime of the plan, and therefore to safeguard our targets we propose to reduce the gap in opportunity within the institution, but also ensure attainment rates become more in line with the sector.

Based on our analysis of performance, which can be found in Annex A, we propose to target the following learners:

• Young learners

Due to the interconnections between continuation, completion, and attainment we will be targeting the above group under Intervention Strategy 1.

Progression

Due to the size and shape of its provision there is limited data regarding progression for Colchester Institute in the Access and Participation Data Dashboard. What data is available shows that progression rates for mature learners have been increasing from 2018-19 to 2021-22, a trend that is opposite to the sector. It also shows that the drop-in progression rates seen nationally in 2020- 21 was not replicated at Colchester Institute.

The impact of the Covid-pandemic is visible when reviewing data for 2021-22 both at institution and national level, especially for young learners.

Progression rates for mature learners rose to being 7.4 percentage points above the national average in 2021-22, however a significant gap in progression rates has developed for young learners, both internally and nationally.

Based on our analysis of performance, which can be found in Annex A, we propose to target the following learners:

• Young learners
• Students with a declared disability

We will be targeting all the above groups under Intervention Strategy 2.

How we will support sector wide risks

Supporting schools to raise pre-16 attainment.

We are working to raise the attainment levels of those who have not achieved good passes at level 2 by the age of 16. The work of our outreach teams supports pre-16 attainment through, among other things, hosting visits to the campus of pre-16 pupils to raise aspirations, careers fayres in schools and parent information sessions covering attainment requirements for post 16 pathways.

Colchester Institute offers an extensive breadth of provision that raises English and maths attainment for learners who did not achieve Grade 4 passes, pre-16. We offer vocational study programmes and apprenticeships at multiple levels (entry level to level 7) that meet a wide range of student interests, local skills needs and in areas most likely to lead to positive progression and employment according to market intelligence.

We have high academic ambitions for all learners and strive to offer an accessible and inclusive programme of maths and English learning, building on previous teaching and learning to enable students to continue to improve their grades whilst in tertiary education. As GCSE remains the most recognised L2 literacy and numeracy qualification offering students a wider choice when applying for employment or further study, the majority of 16-18 study programme learners have the opportunity to continue GCSE (33% study GCSE Maths and 31% GCSE English 2023-24) with the ambition to at least raise a grade each year of study. Approximately 200 young students pursue other courses to improve their literacy and/or numeracy, for example, Functional Skills.

National employer surveys indicate that communication and problem solving skills are essential skills, and the world economic forum identifies literacy and numeracy as key skills. These are the focus of the GCSE curriculum, together with the development of resilience. Study of GCSE also contributes to developing the skills priorities of basic English, Maths and soft skills identified as a need in local skills and improvement plan.

The 16-19 GCSE disadvantage grade gap widened in 2020 and 2021 and has continued to widen 2023-2024. Colchester Institute is committed to addressing social disadvantage through continuing to offer students who have yet to achieve a grade 4 in GCSE English and Maths, opportunities to progress and improve life chances. Post Covid, Colchester Institute has continued to demonstrate continuous improvement in GCSE Maths and English progress. 2022-2023 saw the college achieve 1.7% higher than the national average for students raising their maths grades from 3 to a

4. Since 2021 over 6,000 learners have had the chance to demonstrate progress in GCSE and achievement has consistently remained higher than the national average.

GCSE Maths Entrants

 GCSE English Entrants

Through providing opportunities for significant numbers of students to improve their GCSE grades, we are assisting in addressing the impact of poor pre-16 attainment in England.

How we will expand and promote diverse and flexible pathways and provision

Significant work has taken place in recent years to ensure our provision is accessible through offering a diverse collection of qualification types and attendance patterns. As of September 2024, our curriculum only included one full-time, three-year degree programme, that was not also available as a different qualification type or via different modes of attendance.

In the past few years, we have widened our apprenticeship offerings introduced Degree Apprenticeships in Business & Management and Engineering, whilst we are scheduled to launch Degree Apprenticeships in Construction Management and Teacher Training in 2024/25. We have re-positioned to offer level 4 and 5 qualifications with progression opportunities rather than standard BA or BSc programmes and have recently developed a new Certificate of Higher Education in Construction Skills in collaboration with our awarding partner the University of East Anglia. The course, which was designed in collaboration with regional and national employers from the sector, is envisioned to be our first step in offering specialised, flexible and transferable micro- credentials for the Construction industry.

Our undergraduate programmes have a long tradition of offering intensified course delivery hours, designed with the intention of limiting the number of days that students are required to be on campus and providing individual flexibility to students to organise and prioritise their own self- directed study, part-time employment and other personal responsibilities.

Despite actions already taken we continue to be committed to diversifying our provision of higher education qualifications to cater for the diverse needs of our students and the sectors we serve.

Over the life of our access and participation plan we intend to continue to increase the number of higher-level technical qualifications (which could include some which are formally recognised as HTQs), micro qualifications, level 4 and 5 programmes and degree apprenticeships that we offer. We also commit to review the timetabling of such sessions to ensure they are offered at times best suited to our student community.

How we will improve the mental health of our students

Colchester Institute has a well-established wellbeing and safeguarding support network, designed to support both 16-19 students, adult learners and those studying on undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. This includes trained professionals including counsellors.

As a further education college, which does not offer any residential accommodation to students, we have recognised that there is a gap in our out of hours wellbeing support. As a result, we have implemented a Student Assistance Programme for all students on our undergraduate and postgraduate programmes that provides 24/7 access to wellbeing, mental health and safeguarding support. The programme also provides all students with access to additional 1-1 in-person or remote counselling services. It is our intention to continue with this approach during the lifetime of this Access and Participation Plan.

As a further education college working with both children and vulnerable adults, we have a range of statutory duties, including those under ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ and all staff employed by the college are required to undertake compulsory training on; Equality, Diversity and Inclusion; Prevent; Safeguarding; Responding to Sexual Harassment and Violence and online safety.

Objectives

Colchester Institute will look to focus on three key objectives for this Access and Participation Plan.

In setting these objectives and targets we will look to recognise the impact of the Covid pandemic on the sector and national data sets by setting two objectives, where appropriate. These will look to address the risks to equality of opportunity between student groups at Colchester Institute and to simultaneously ensure we maintain or improve our performance in relation to national levels.

By undertaking this approach, it is our intention to ensure the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the official datasets does not limit the ambitions of the targets set below.

Our three key objectives are:

• Improvement of on-programme success metrics through enhanced student support
• Improvement of progression rates for young learners on full-time programmes
• Safeguarding of diversity and success of student population as the percentage of apprentices within the student body grows.

Objective 1 – Improvement of on-programme success metrics through enhanced student support

This intervention strategy has been designed to address multiple risks of opportunity within the success (on-course) stage of the student lifecycle. It will look to address continuation, completion, and attainment gaps for the below student groups:

Students with a declared disability

• To reduce the continuation rate gap between full time undergraduate students with and without a declared disability to 0% by 2028-29.
• To increase the continuation rate for full time undergraduate students with a declared disability to the national average by 2028-29.

Students from low-income households

• To reduce the continuation rate gap between full time undergraduate students entitled to Free School Meals (FSMs) and those who are not to 0% by 2028-29.
• To increase the continuation rate for full time undergraduate students entitled to Free School Meals to the national average by 2028-29.

Young Students

• To increase the continuation rate for full time undergraduate young students to the national average by 2028-29.
• Reduce the attainment gap for full time undergraduate young learners to be within 5 percentage points of the national average and within 5 percentage points of mature learners at Colchester Institute by 2028-29.

Objective 2 – Improvement of progression rates of young people on full-time programmes.

This intervention strategy has been designed to address the risk of opportunity at Colchester Institute between young and mature learners. This is the converse to the wider sector position, where progression rates for young learners are higher than for mature learners. It will also look to incorporate an increase in progression rates for students with a declared disability. It will look to focus on:

Young Leaners

• Reduce the progression gap between full-time young and mature learners studying at Colchester Institute to be within 10% (reduction of 9 percentage points across duration of APP) by 2028-29.
• Reduce the progression gap for young students on full time student to be within 5% of the national average (reduction of 11.3 percentage points over duration of APP) by 2028-29.

Students with a declared disability

• Reduce the progression rate gap between students with and without a declared disability who study on a full-time course at Colchester Institute to 0% by 2028-29.
• Reduce the progression rate gap for students with a declared disability to national averages to be within 4 percentage points of the national average by 2028-29.

Objective 3 – Safeguarding of diversity and success of student population as curriculum moves to being pre-dominantly apprenticeship based.

This intervention strategy has been designed to pro-actively acknowledge a potential risk to opportunity before it becomes evident in data metrics.

We will look to recruit apprenticeship learners with a similar diversity of background through promotion and education of the opportunities we offer to local employers.

Intervention strategies and expected outcomes

Intervention Strategy 1: Enhanced on Course Support to Address Disadvantage.

Objectives and targets

This intervention strategy has been designed to address multiple risks of opportunity within the success (on-course) stage of the student lifecycle. It will look to address continuation, completion and attainment gaps for the below student groups:

Students with a declared disability

• To reduce the continuation rate gap between full time undergraduate students with and without a declared disability to 0% by 2028-29.
• To increase the continuation rate for full time undergraduate students with a declared disability to the national average by 2028-29.

Students from low-income households

• To reduce the continuation rate gap between full time undergraduate students entitled to Free School Meals (FSMs) and those who are not to 0% by 2028-29.
• To increase the continuation rate for full time undergraduate students entitled to Free School Meals to the national average by 2028-29.

Young Students

• To increase the continuation rate for full time undergraduate young students to the national average by 2028-29.
• Reduce the attainment gap for full time undergraduate young learners to be within 5 percentage points of the national average and within 5 percentage points of mature learners at Colchester Institute by 2028-29.

Risks to equality of opportunity

This intervention strategy will look to address the following risks of equality of opportunity. Students with a declared disability

• There is an 18.7 percentage point gap in continuation rates between full time undergraduate students with and without a declared disability (Source: OFS APDA 21-22).
• There is a 22.91 percentage point gap in continuation rates between full time undergraduate students at Colchester Institute to the national average (Source: OFS APDA 21-22).

Students from low-income households

• There is an 18.9 percentage point gap in continuation rates between full time undergraduate students entitled to Free School Meals (FSMs) and those who are (Source: OFS APDA 21-22).
• There is a 1 percentage point gap in continuation rates between full time undergraduate students entitled to Free School Meals at Colchester Institute to the national average. (Source: OFS APDA 21-22).

Young Students

• There is an 4 percentage point gap in continuation rates for full time undergraduate young learners studying at Colchester Institute to the national average. (Source: OFS APDA 21-22).
• There is an 18-percentage point gap in attainment rates for full time undergraduate young learners to mature learners. (Source: OFS APDA 22-23).
• There is a 17.5 percentage point gap in attainment rates for full time undergraduate learners studying at Colchester Institute to the national (Source: OFS APDA 22- 23).

Related objectives and targets

The impact of this intervention strategy is expected to increase continuation and attainment rates for young learners and those with a declared disability. It is expected that they will also have an impact on interventions strategy 2 and its associated targets related to progression for these learner groups.

Total cost of activities and evaluation for intervention strategy Summary of evidence base and rationale

A full breakdown for our reasoning for this intervention strategy can be found in Annex B.

Evaluation

Intervention Strategy 2: Improvement of Progression Rates of Young People on Full- Time Programmes.

Objectives and targets

This intervention strategy has been designed to address risks of opportunity within the progression (post-course) stage of the student lifecycle. It will look to address progression gaps for the below student groups:

Young Leaners

• Reduce the progression gap between full-time young and mature learners studying at Colchester Institute to be within 10% (reduction of 9 percentage points across duration of APP) by 2028-29.
• Reduce the progression gap for young students on full time student to be within 5% of the national average (reduction of 11.3 percentage points over duration of APP) by 2028-29.

Students with a declared disability

• Reduce the progression rate gap between students with and without a declared disability who study on a full-time course at Colchester Institute to 0% by 2028-29.
• Reduce the progression rate gap for students with a declared disability to national averages to be within 4.0% of the national average by 2028-29.

Risks to equality of opportunity

This intervention strategy will look to address the following risks of equality of opportunity. Young Leaners

• There is a 9 percentage point gap between full-time young and mature learners studying at Colchester Institute. (Source: OFS APDA 21-22).
• There is a 16.3 percentage point gap between young students studying on a full-time undergraduate course compared to the national (Source: OFS APDA 21-22).

Students with a declared disability

• There is a 4 percentage point gap between students with and without a declared disability who study on a full-time course at Colchester Institute. (Source: OFS APDA 21-22).
• There is a 1 percentage point gap between students with a declared disability studying at Colchester Institute to the national average. (Source: OFS APDA 21-22).

Related objectives and targets

The impact of this intervention strategy is expected to increase progression rates for young learners and those with a declared disability. It is expected that they will also have an impact on interventions strategy 1 and its associated targets related to continuation and attainment for these learner groups.

Total cost of activities and evaluation for intervention strategy Summary of evidence base and rationale

A full breakdown for our reasoning for this intervention strategy can be found in Annex B.

Evaluation

Intervention strategy 3: Redesign of Apprenticeship Information Services

Objectives and targets

Risks to equality of opportunity

This is a pro-active intervention to ensure the change in curriculum to becoming increasing employer and apprenticeship focused does not result in the creation of addition risk to opportunity through losing the historically diverse student community.

We will look to set ambitious targets to see us recruit students from underrepresented groups at a rate in-line with our previous full-time cohorts and above national averages.

Related objectives and targets

• To maintain the percentage of apprenticeship learners who declare a diagnosed disability to be above the national average (currently 15.1%)
• To increase the percentage of apprenticeship learners who declare a diagnosed disability to be the same as those on full-time programmes (currently 30.1%)
• To maintain the percentage of mature apprenticeship learners to be above the national average (currently 72.2%).

Total cost of activities and evaluation for intervention strategy Summary of evidence base and rationale

A full breakdown for our reasoning for this intervention strategy can be found in Annex B.

Evaluation

Whole provider approach

Colchester Institutes higher education provision is delivered through its centralised sub brand University Centre Colchester (UCC). UCC operates within the wider College’s management structure, with strategic leadership for both higher and further education provided by the Principal and Chief Executive.

UCC has distinct staffing and accommodation, but also makes use of the College’s shared services with senior College management involved in its day-to-day curriculum delivery and management.

The guiding principle of both Colchester Institute and University Centre Colchester is widening access and success in education. Looking to address risks to equality of opportunity is rooted in the College’s mission and strategic plan which all staff were involved in redeveloping in 2024.

The management and evaluation of this plan will be largely provided by staff whose roles are dedicated to Higher Education provision, supported by the Principal and Chief Executive and other College leaders.

To ensure a credible whole provider approach we will provide updates and evaluation of progress at meetings across the institution, this includes our UCC Learning and Teaching Committee, UCC Academic Board and Colchester Institute Corporation Board meetings.

In addition, we will provide and updates and progress to the UCC Student Council and provide opportunities for collaborative decision making with our student community.

As an institution we pay due regard to the Equality Act 2010 and all related measures. Equality and diversity training forms an integral part of all staff induction.

Student consultation

We have consulted with a cross-section of current and former University Centre Colchester students regarding their experiences of accessing higher education, both with ourselves and other providers. They have informed views on current services, their impact and visibility to the student community.

Going forward, we will be implementing a new student engagement process for the 2024/25 academic year which includes the creation of a new Student Council. The Student Council will be a formalising of our previous student representative system that will sit within our quality assurances procedures and empower students to have a greater voice on our undergraduate provision. The Student Council will be comprised of student representatives from all course areas and be provided with annual updates on the plan’s objectives, targets, millstones, and intervention strategies. The Student Council will be provided with the opportunity to both collaborate with, and challenge, college management staff regarding the plan’s implementation and success.

Evaluation of the plan

We will be engaging in an ongoing monitoring and evaluation of our intervention strategies and will continuously reflect on and respond to evaluation findings to improve and develop our practices.

Evaluation will be undertaken by the centralised UCC Academic Services team, and all evaluation will be shared with internal stakeholders through the UCC Academic Board, UCC Student Council and Governing Body.

Student involvement will be important in our evaluation plan, and we will work in partnership with our newly established Student Council on the design and implementation of the evaluation of the objectives, interventions and activities listed in this document.

We have built effective evaluation practice into our strategies by establishing a range of evaluation processes to the individual activities that contribute towards the overall objective of each strategy. We can therefore build up an understanding of which activities are having impact, and which are not.

Overall objectives for the plan will be reviewed through the clear and transparent targets set for each intervention strategy, with all targets linked to official national statistics made available by the Office for Students.

Publication Plan of Evaluation Findings

Publication of the results of evaluation activities will be as follows:

• All in-year evaluation activities generated as part of the evaluation strategies will be reported to both the UCC Student Council and to UCC Academic Board, and onward to Governors as appropriate. A Higher Education link governor receives minutes of the Academic Board.
• Annual summary reviews of the intervention strategies and impact on associated targets will be reported to the Student Council and to Academic Board, and hence to Governors as
• Insights gained from evaluation processes, particularly any relating to what interventions are and are not effective will be presented to fellow UK based partners of the University of East Anglia at an annual sharing of good practice conference.

Provision of information to students

Our Access and Participation Plan, fees, financial support, and any associated cost details will be available on the Colchester Institute website.

Students will be provided with information about the college financial support available at the point of application, enrolment and during induction. The information will also be made available on the college website, UCAS, intranet and through internal communications during the academic year.

All students may apply for both the Engagement Fund (previously Hardship Fund) and for support from the Colchester Institute Foundation Trust (CIFT).