How does this guidance affect the work that partnerships are doing with other disadvantaged groups (for example, travellers, refugees, asylum seekers)?
In the targeting guidance, we identified learners from lower socio-economic groups and disadvantaged socio-economic areas as the principal target group for widening participation. There are many disadvantaged learners who do not fit neatly into any of the broader social categories (for example, travellers, refugees and asylum seekers). While many of these will fall within the target group, many will not. Partnerships will continue to have scope to address other needs but they need to think carefully about whether targeting other learners requires particular and distinctive forms of intervention which will draw resources away from the main target group. Ultimately Aimhigher and other higher education (HE) outreach activity will be judged on its success in narrowing the social class gap in achievement at all levels and, in particular, narrowing the social class gap in HE participation.
