About SPA
Objectives
The first two years of the Programme included the following objectives:
1. To review current admissions practices and assessment methods, and commission research where appropriate to improve the evidence base for good practice. Using existing professional networks, work with practitioners to build consensus and identify and disseminate advice and guidance on, and examples of, what constitutes good practice.
We have achieved this through visits to over 70 universities and colleges across the UK and identified a huge amount of good practice in admissions and related areas. We have talked with teachers, advisers and associations of schools and colleges to find out what is good in admissions and some of their concerns. We have met with many groups, governments, HE funders, and other organisations in different parts of the UK to discuss good practice and professionalism and have spoken at conferences to teachers, advisers, admissions practitioners and HE managers about how this good practice can be taken forward.
2. To audit the use of admissions tests, and consider issues relating to their rationale, purpose and validity from HE perspectives and issues to do with the costs, manageability and impact on the 16-19 curriculum for schools and colleges from pre-HE perspectives with regards to good practice.
We have identified about 57 different admissions tests that meet our definition and have produced an authoritative report for the House of Commons Select Committee on the tests and their implications.
3. To assess the current data and statistics available from a range of sources to support good practice and professional decision making in the HE marketing, recruitment, widening participation and admissions processes.
All SPA visits include a question on the use of data, encouraging HEIs to think about the data they currently use and other data which could support recruitment processes and activities and aid admissions decision-making. SPA also works with the Admissions Data and Statistics Officer at UCAS investigating the use of UCAS data by Admissions Offices and others in HEIs to identify what data is available.
4. To create and develop a SPA website and an information and communication strategy to disseminate good practice and information and build links.
Many pages are now available to stakeholders on this website covering a variety of good practice and professionalism issues which starts to form an authoritative source of advice and guidance on higher education admissions. More pages are under development. Our communications and dissemination strategy includes organising SPA conferences in the different administrations of the UK as well as attending national conferences such as those organised by UCAS, Neil Stewart Associates, 1994 Group, and the Guardian HE summit. Other events around the UK include conferences organised by the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust, Learning for All conference in Scotland, the HE Advisory Team for the Welsh Baccalaureate, the UCAS Northern Ireland Standing Group and many others.
5. To inform the future development of, and feed aspects of good practice into, the content of the UCAS programme of Continuing Professional Development (CPD), which is for academic staff, admissions tutors and administrative and support staff involved in admissions, student recruitment and widening participation.
At each visit to an HEI the SPA team ensures that they are aware of the UCAS CPD programme and all it can offer, either through the Unit-based Programme or the Development Sessions and opportunities for UCAS CPD are communicated back to colleagues in the Professional Development Team, and SPA pick up issues arising from the work of the CPD staff. There are also regular meetings between SPA staff and UCAS CPD colleagues to discuss developments in the sector which give rise to new training needs. Training and development for all admissions staff internally at HEIs is also discussed.
6. To identify and raise issues with regard to the impact of initiatives implemented by the separate administrations of the UK on cross border applications relating to fairness and good practice in admissions.
SPA has taken a UK-wide approach, establishing links in all parts of the UK to understand the priorities and needs of governments, funders, education bodies and other organisations. Issues are still being explored, including: the impact of the different tuition fee policies on potential applicants, raising awareness of the variety of qualifications available in the different parts of the UK, understanding the policy emphasis and priorities in each administration with regard to qualifications, widening participation or access and other areas.
7. To work with the Delivery Partnership established by UUK and GuildHE giving the HE sector the lead in taking forward the changes to the HE applications process arising from the recommendations in the Governments’ response to the consultation ‘Improving the Higher Education Applications Process’ published in May 2006. The Director of SPA is a member of the Delivery Partnership.
SPA has been involved with the background and discussions on all the areas under consideration including the consultation with regard to a gathered field for the initial decision making on applicants and focussed on different methods and dates that might be implemented. SPA‘s biggest contributions however have been with regard to good practice in feedback to unsuccessful applicants and in encouraging the development of Entry Profiles (EPs). The Delivery Partnership’s Entry Profile Working Group (EPWG), is chaired by the Director of SPA, and is working with UCAS and HEIs to progress Entry Profiles. The aim is to have 100% Entry Profiles for courses in the UCAS scheme by September 2009.
8. To audit the current practice and procedures with regard to criminal conviction checks that the HE sector undertakes during the admissions process with regard to admitting applicants to those courses requiring checks e.g. Medicine, Nursing, Teaching, Social Work as well as other full time programmes where an applicant indicates a criminal conviction, including UK, EU and international applicants. From the analysis of the evidence collected produce good practice guidelines for practitioners.
This is work in progress that was a direct request from the HE sector. Workshops on this area will be available at the SPA conferences. More information is available from Leslie Currie, Senior Project Officer at SPA.
The SPA Programme takes account of both equal opportunities legislation and the drive to widen participation and access.
More details are available in the SPA Annual Review Report
SPA takes no responsibility for the content of external websites
back to About SPA main pageReviewed: July 2009