Understanding areas of educational disadvantage: an examination of outreach target wards in the county of Essex

ABSTRACT

Much outreach work now focuses on the most educationally disadvantaged localities in England, identified by the government-funded National Collaborative Outreach Programme as target wards. This study explores the underlying reasons why these districts return rates of young higher education participation that are not only comparatively low but lower than expected once prior attainment is taken into account. It does so by gathering the perspectives of careers practitioners, teaching professionals and learners from a sample of target wards in the county of Essex in southeast England. Underpinning the insights of these individuals, the study draws on quantitative evidence that highlights some key differences between these districts and other localities across Essex. Attention then turns to identifying current school-based practices and outreach activities considered by those surveyed to have had a positive impact on the progression outcomes of the young people from these neighbourhoods who do go on to university, as well as new initiatives that have the potential to do the same for others. Whilst adopting a case-study approach, the paper concludes by suggesting that the findings should be of wider interest, including for those seeking to address geographical differentials in higher education participation in other parts of the country.

KEYWORDS:

• Widening participation
• target wards
• outreach initiatives

Acknowledgements

Thank you to the contacts at Essex County Council as well as the career guidance practitioners and teaching professionals interviewed for this study. Their time, expertise and insights are greatly appreciated. Thank you also to the school and college students who volunteered to participate in the focus groups and complete the questionnaires that formed such an integral part of this investigation. Finally, as the researcher, I would like to thank members of the Essex Collaborative Outreach Network’s Steer Group for all their support, along with Claudia Carey, the Network’s Project Manager, and Clare Ruffle, the Network’s Officer, for their guidance, kindness and patience.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Neil Raven

Dr Neil Raven runs his own educational consultancy and is an active researcher in the field of widening participation and fair access. He is also visiting lecturer in research methods at a number of UK-based universities and has published a range of articles on aspects of fair access, evaluation planning and professional practice.