Contents
Presenters
Lauren Regan – Digital Literacies Coordinator, LEaD
Shannon Precilla – Senior Student Success Officer
Workshop
We will discuss the ‘Progression Pathways’ programme pilot, that provides students with engaging and motivating activities that encourage a sense of belonging and provides them with the support required to encourage continuation and high attainment, to tackle the BAME attainment gap with a focus on Black & Black mixed heritage students.
‘Progression pathways’ is a project that supports City St. George’s Access and Participation Plans with the goal to “reduce completion gaps between our Black students and their white peers” (City, University of London, 2024). The workshop will highlight sector research (Office for Students, 2021) and City St George’s own data. “Causes of the attainment gap are complex, multifaceted and not fully understood” (McDuff et.al, 2018), however, some research suggests that creating initiatives that support students feelings of sense of belonging and community can help to close the gap. This workshop is relevant to all staff across the institution to gain a better understanding of the attainment gap and know how to create equity for all students.
Staff will hear from students who participated in the programme and learn about the impact that targeted support can have on creating a sense of community and belonging, whilst also providing a supportive environment for them to access the services available to support them.
Learning Objectives
- Identify key factors contributing to the BAME attainment gap, with a particular focus on the experiences of Black students at City St. George’s.
- Reflect on and discuss the lived experiences of students who participated in the pilot programme, gaining insight into the importance of community and belonging in academic success.
- Analyse the structural and cultural barriers Black students may face in accessing and progressing through higher education.
Throughout the workshop, you will participate in activities that will encourage you to consider the barriers and obstacles some of our Black students face when navigating their way to university. You will then have an opportunity to explore how we as an institution may be contributing to the existence of the attainment gap and what we can do to close it (Causeway Education, 2022). Staff will leave with some tangible skills in relation to engaging with students in a more meaningful way.
References
McDuff, N. et al. (2018) ‘Closing the attainment gap for students from black and minority ethnic backgrounds through institutional change’, Widening Participation and Lifelong Learning, 20(1), pp. 79–101. doi:10.5456/wpll.20.1.79.
Causeway Education (2022) Attainment raising: A toolkit. Available at: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/media/f9242db8-8329-4c45-92ed-b4007e841d4e/attainment-raising-a-toolkit-final-interaction.pdf (Accessed: 27 February 2025).
City, University of London (2024) City, University of London access and participation plan … Available at: https://www.city.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/849536/City,-University-of-London_APP_2025-26_V1_10001478-Final-Version-OfS-Approved.pdf (Accessed: 27 February 2025).
Office for Students (2021) ‘Attainment gap between white and black university students “remains too high”, watchdog says’. Office for Students, 12 March. Available at: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/news-blog-and-events/press-and-media/attainment-gap-between-white-and-black-university-students-remains-too-high-watchdog-says/ (Accessed: 27 February 2025).
