www.gov.scot Open in urlscan Pro
2600:9000:20c3:4c00:1d:bd19:1e40:93a1  Public Scan

Form analysis
2 forms found in the DOM

GET /search/

<form action="/search/" role="search" class="ds_site-search__form" method="GET">
  <label class="ds_label  visually-hidden" for="site-search">Search</label>
  <div id="autocomplete-status" class="visually-hidden"></div>
  <div class="ds_input__wrapper  ds_input__wrapper--has-icon">
    <input type="hidden" name="cat" value="sitesearch">
    <input aria-autocomplete="list" aria-expanded="false" aria-owns="autocomplete-suggestions-large" autocomplete="off" class="ds_input  ds_site-search__input  js-autocomplete-input" haspopup="true" id="site-search" name="q" placeholder="Search"
      required="" type="search" value="" data-form="searchinput-site-search">
    <button type="submit" class="ds_button  ds_button--icon-only  js-site-search-button" data-button="button-search">
      <span class="visually-hidden">Search</span>
      <svg class="ds_icon" aria-hidden="true" role="img">
        <use href="/webfiles/1707319155244/assets/images/icons/icons.stack.svg#search"></use>
      </svg>
    </button>
    <div id="autocomplete-suggestions-large" class="ds_autocomplete__suggestions">
      <ol class="ds_autocomplete__suggestions-list" role="listbox" aria-labelledby="site-search-label"></ol>
    </div>
  </div>
</form>

<form id="feedbackForm">
  <input id="page-category" type="hidden" value="publicationpage">
  <fieldset id="feedbacktype">
    <legend>Was this helpful?</legend>
    <div class="ds_field-group">
      <div class="ds_radio  ds_radio--small">
        <input type="radio" class="ds_radio__input" id="needsmetyes" name="feedbacktype" value="yes" data-form="radio-feedbacktype-needsmetyes">
        <label class="ds_radio__label" for="needsmetyes">Yes</label>
        <div class="ds_reveal-content">
          <div class="ds_question">
            <label class="ds_label" for="comments-yes">Your comments</label><br>
            <textarea rows="5" maxlength="250" class="ds_input" id="comments-yes" data-form="textarea-comments-yes"></textarea>
            <p>Your feedback helps us to improve this website. Do not give any personal information because we cannot reply to you directly.</p>
          </div>
          <button type="submit" class="ds_button  ds_no-margin" data-button="button-send-feedback">Send feedback</button>
        </div>
      </div>
      <div class="ds_radio  ds_radio--small">
        <input type="radio" class="ds_radio__input" id="needsmetno" name="feedbacktype" value="no" data-form="radio-feedbacktype-needsmetno">
        <label class="ds_radio__label" for="needsmetno">No</label>
        <div class="ds_reveal-content">
          <div class="ds_question">
            <label class="ds_label" for="reason-no">Choose a reason for your feedback</label>
            <div class="ds_select-wrapper">
              <select id="reason-no" class="ds_select js-has-tracking-event" data-form="select-reason-no">
                <option value="" selected="" disabled="" data-form="select-reason-no-null">Please select a reason</option>
                <option data-form="select-reason-no-it-wasnt-detailed-enough">It wasn't detailed enough</option>
                <option data-form="select-reason-no-its-hard-to-understand">It's hard to understand</option>
                <option data-form="select-reason-no-its-incorrect">It's incorrect</option>
                <option data-form="select-reason-no-it-needs-updating">It needs updating</option>
                <option data-form="select-reason-no-theres-a-broken-link">There's a broken link</option>
                <option data-form="select-reason-no-it-wasnt-what-i-was-looking-for">It wasn't what I was looking for</option>
                <option data-form="select-reason-no-other">Other</option>
              </select>
              <span class="ds_select-arrow" aria-hidden="true"></span>
            </div>
          </div>
          <div class="ds_question">
            <label class="ds_label" for="comments-no">Your comments</label><br>
            <textarea rows="5" maxlength="250" class="ds_input" id="comments-no" data-form="textarea-comments-no"></textarea>
            <p>Your feedback helps us to improve this website. Do not give any personal information because we cannot reply to you directly.</p>
          </div>
          <button type="submit" class="ds_button  ds_no-margin" data-button="button-send-feedback">Send feedback</button>
        </div>
      </div>
      <div class="ds_radio  ds_radio--small">
        <input type="radio" class="ds_radio__input" id="needsmetyesbut" name="feedbacktype" value="yesbut" data-form="radio-feedbacktype-needsmetyesbut">
        <label class="ds_radio__label" for="needsmetyesbut">Yes, but</label>
        <div class="ds_reveal-content">
          <div class="ds_question">
            <label class="ds_label" for="reason-yesbut">Choose a reason for your feedback</label>
            <div class="ds_select-wrapper">
              <select id="reason-yesbut" class="ds_select js-has-tracking-event" data-form="select-reason-yesbut">
                <option value="" selected="" disabled="" data-form="select-reason-yesbut-null">Please select a reason</option>
                <option data-form="select-reason-yesbut-it-needs-updating">It needs updating</option>
                <option data-form="select-reason-yesbut-theres-a-spelling-mistake">There's a spelling mistake</option>
                <option data-form="select-reason-yesbut-its-hard-to-understand">It's hard to understand</option>
                <option data-form="select-reason-yesbut-theres-a-broken-link">There's a broken link</option>
                <option data-form="select-reason-yesbut-other">Other</option>
              </select>
              <span class="ds_select-arrow" aria-hidden="true"></span>
            </div>
          </div>
          <div class="ds_question">
            <label class="ds_label" for="comments-yesbut">Your comments</label><br>
            <textarea rows="5" maxlength="250" class="ds_input" id="comments-yesbut" data-form="textarea-comments-yesbut"></textarea>
            <p>Your feedback helps us to improve this website. Do not give any personal information because we cannot reply to you directly.</p>
          </div>
          <button type="submit" class="ds_button  ds_no-margin" data-button="button-send-feedback">Send feedback</button>
        </div>
      </div>
    </div>
  </fieldset>
</form>

Text Content

 * Skip to main content
 * Accessibility help


INFORMATION

We use cookies to collect anonymous data to help us improve your site browsing
experience.

Click 'Accept all cookies' to agree to all cookies that collect anonymous data.
To only allow the cookies that make the site work, click 'Use essential cookies
only.' Visit 'Set cookie preferences' to control specific cookies.

Accept all cookies Use essential cookies only Set cookie preferences

Your cookie preferences have been saved. You can change your cookie settings at
any time.

Menu Menu
 * About
 * Topics
 * News
 * Publications
 * Statistics and research
 * Consultations
 * Blogs

Search

Search

 * About
 * Topics
 * News
 * Publications
 * Statistics and research
 * Consultations
 * Blogs

 1. Home
 2. Publications

Publication - Independent report


HIGHER EDUCATION - RENEWING THE ALLIANCE FOR FAIR ACCESS: ANNUAL REPORT 2024

Published 30 January 2024
Directorate Lifelong Learning and Skills Directorate
Part of Education, Equality and rights
ISBN 9781835219065

The sixth annual report of the Commissioner for Fair Access concludes that much
has already been achieved in delivering fair access to higher education in
Scotland, but Professor John H. McKendrick considers how the framework for
promoting fair access can be strengthened.

Supporting documents

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Choose section Choose section
 * An Introduction to Fair Access in Scotland
 * Foreword
 * Executive Summary
 * 1. Fair Access and Scotland's National Purpose
 * 2. Fair Access in Scotland: A Qualified Celebration
 * 3. Back to Basics: The Nature of Fair Access
 * 4. 2023: A Year of Review for Renewal
 * 5. Pressing Issues: Renewing the Alliance for Fair Access
 * 6. My priorities in 2024
 * Annex 1. List of Recommendations
 * Footnotes


AN INTRODUCTION TO FAIR ACCESS IN SCOTLAND

1. What is fair access? Fair access is the name given to work to help people
from disadvantaged backgrounds access higher education in Scotland.

2. What is the national target for fair access? By 2030, students from the 20%
most deprived areas should represent 20% of entrants to higher education.

3. Are we there yet? No. Currently, 16.5% of entrants to higher education are
from the 20% most deprived areas.

4. Are there interim targets to be met before 2030? Yes. A target of 16% was set
for 2021 (and met). The next target is that by 2026, 18% of entrants to higher
education will be from the 20% most deprived areas.

5. Are we headed in the right direction? Perhaps. Although we met the 2021
target and although there were a record number of entrants to higher education
from deprived areas last year, the share of entrants from deprived areas fell
from 16.7% to 16.5% (last year, the increase in the number of entrants was
greater for those living outside deprived areas).

6. What is the scale of the challenge that lies ahead? Significant. Future
entrants have had to manage learning through times of COVID and a cost-of-living
crisis. Scotland's fiscal position also makes it more challenging to resource
fair access work.

7. Is there promising practice? Yes. There is already a wide range of actions
being undertaken to enable fair access to higher education in Scotland. However,
there is scope for more of this type of work to be undertaken.

8. Do we know 'what works'? We think so. The increased numbers of people from
Scotland's most deprived areas who are now accessing higher education would
suggest that something is working. However, we need to strengthen the evidence
base to better understand which (or which combination) of these actions is
making the difference.

9. Who is responsible for achieving fair access? Obviously, universities in
Scotland have the key role to play. However, fair access is an example of an
objective that is 'everybody's business' – we won't achieve fair access unless
schools, colleges, government, the wider 'public sector', third sector
organisations working in this field, and families do what is required to enable
entrants to realise their own potential.

10. Is fair access only about getting people into university? No. Fair access is
also about enabling entrants to thrive in higher education and helping them
achieve positive outcomes after graduation. However, much of the early fair
access work has, understandably, been focused on entry to tackle the
under-representation among entrants.

11. Does this mean that less disadvantaged students will lose out? Not for
Scotland as a whole. In fact, the number of the entrants from the least deprived
areas has increased by 8.4% (690 entrants) since 2013/14. The much higher
increase in the number from the most deprived areas (45.3% since 2013/14, or an
extra 1,745) is narrowing the gap. Entrants from the least deprived areas are
still the largest cohort, with 1.6 times more entrants than the most deprived
areas. Furthermore, the growth in entry among those from the most deprived areas
is not at the expense of those slightly less deprived areas (growth of 32.5%
since 2013/14, or an extra 1,395 entrants from the 20-40% most deprived areas).

12. Should we continue to promote fair access? Yes. Fair access is about
promoting social justice. It is, and should be, viewed as a key aspect of
Scotland's national mission to eradicate poverty.

Foreword


CONTACT

Email: Clara.Pirie@gov.scot


THERE IS A PROBLEM



Thanks for your feedback

Was this helpful?
Yes
Your comments


Your feedback helps us to improve this website. Do not give any personal
information because we cannot reply to you directly.

Send feedback
No
Choose a reason for your feedback
Please select a reason It wasn't detailed enough It's hard to understand It's
incorrect It needs updating There's a broken link It wasn't what I was looking
for Other
Your comments


Your feedback helps us to improve this website. Do not give any personal
information because we cannot reply to you directly.

Send feedback
Yes, but
Choose a reason for your feedback
Please select a reason It needs updating There's a spelling mistake It's hard to
understand There's a broken link Other
Your comments


Your feedback helps us to improve this website. Do not give any personal
information because we cannot reply to you directly.

Send feedback
Back to top


FOLLOW THE SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT

 * Facebook
 * Twitter
 * Flickr
 * YouTube
 * Instagram

 * Accessibility
 * Archive
 * Contact
 * Cookies
 * Crown Copyright
 * Jobs and vacancies
 * Privacy

All content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0, except for
graphic assets and where otherwise stated

© Crown Copyright