Widening participation and access

Our widening participation division, London AccessHE, works to ensure that students from underrepresented learner groups can access, succeed in and progress out of higher education. This is done by adopting a full student lifecycle approach (access — retention — success — progression) to the development and delivery of collaborative projects, events, research and other initiatives, enabling our member higher education institutions (HEIs), advocates network of schools, colleges, local authorities and sector partners to achieve their objectives more efficiently and effectively.  

The overall prosperity of the London region can often hide its growing challenges. London is a city where the very rich and very poor live side-by-side, and everyday London’s inequality gap is widening. Today, 27% of Londoners are living in poverty, with Black and Minority Ethnic Londoners far more likely to be disadvantaged. However, London is a leader in social mobility, with 12 of the top 12 universities ranked for social mobility being in London and with 44% of Londoners on free school meals go on to higher education, compared to an average of 27% elsewhere in England.  

Recent work and priorities:

• Will it pay off? The effect of the cost of living crisis on students’ higher education choices in London
• AccessHE impact report 2022-23
• Stable Homes, Built on Love: Implementation Strategy and Consultation response
• Risks to equality of opportunity facing London HE
• The ABCs of APPs
• Office for Students Consultation on a new approach to regulating equality of opportunity in English higher education: London Higher’s response