A new term and a new set of challenges face us, specifically how to make sure that the latest cohort of new entrants is best supported to be as successful as possible.
In the last year we’ve created a focus on student attainment, looking at how we might improve individual module results, considering why we award relatively fewer good degrees compared with others and why there is a gap in attainment between white and BME students.
In the last week, UCAS released early data on student admissions for the 2914 cycle.
One statistic that really stands out was the huge rise in students who gained AAB+ equivalence through BTEC  qualifications.

This was then reported in the Telegraph as universities dumbing down– with no explanation of why a BTEC should be considered in this way compared with A-levels.
Million+ weighed into the conversation (during the week when they sponsored a fringe event at Labour conference and then said very little about it) by claiming that this increase in students applying to university through vocational routes suggested that Labour’s claims of students being left behind were unfounded. Let’s deal with that first- the young people the Labour party is talking about are NOT the ones gaining good higher nationals that will equip them for higher education- they are talking about the other 55% who don’t go to university.

But for us, what does this mean? Remembering back to our Learning and Teaching Conference in the summer, when Winston Morgan was talking about BME attainment and Liz Thomas about the need for inclusive pedagogies, then we might need to gain a better understanding of what qualifications our students are arriving with

If you are teaching a first year class, all of whom attained over 300 points through traditional A-levels, then there might be one way to approach that class. If, however, the majority of the class have entered through a more vocational qualification, them maybe the teaching style and assessment needs to be adapted. Or maybe a proper academic skills development programme is needed.

The first step in this would be knowing exactly what qualifications individuals are starting their courses with, and also an overall snapshot of the educational background of a cohort.

If we could set free the relevant data, and most importantly, be prepared to act upon it, we might be able to make some small but significant changes that could really drive student success.