Author
Graeme Atherton
Professor Graeme Atherton is the Vice Principal of Ruskin College Oxford and Head of the Ruskin Institute for Social Equity (RISE).
14 pieces
Newest first, since November 2018
· Comment
The widening access narrative must return to speaking about places
Young people in coastal and rural areas are missing out on higher education. Graeme Atherton calls for access work to reconnect with geography
· Comment
How will Labour define opportunity?
The next government’s approach to widening access will be key to the future of higher education itself, says Graeme Atherton
· Analysis
A postcode lottery for university access
Progress in widening access varies widely across England’s local areas, and the major political parties aren’t paying attention. Graeme Atherton asks what the levelling up agenda means, if not this
· Comment
Service children are going under the radar in access and participation work
Children from military families have worse progression rates into higher education. Presenting a new report from NEON, Graeme Atherton argues that they should be a target group for access work
· Comment
The cost of living crisis meets levelling up
Ahead of the Autumn Statement Graeme Atherton surveys the state of the levelling up agenda
· Comment
Defunding BTECs could set the widening access agenda back by decades
Graeme Atherton argues that the sector would be wise to lobby the government to keep BTECs as a route to higher education, or risk winding the clock back on decades of progress on widening access.
· Comment
Securing great outcomes for students means focusing on students, not courses
Government should abandon the rhetoric of “low value” courses and focus on helping the students who are least likely to progress, says Graeme Atherton.
· Comment
We need a fairer system for admitting students to university
As we approach an A level results day like no other, Graeme Atherton argues that we should look for a fairer admissions system that better supports students.
· Comment
Regional WP is no longer enough – we need national collaboration
The launch of the new Uni4me portal for online outreach is only one of the ways we need national collaboration on widening participation, argues Graeme Atherton.
· Comment
How we communicate student finance needs a rethink
Information about student finance can be hard to find. Graeme Atherton introduces a report on how we fix that
· Comment
Pole-axed – time for a new measure for widening access
We can do better than POLAR. Graeme Atherton introduces the idea of a national widening access cohort.
· Analysis
The coming demographic spike will differ by region
Graeme Atherton argues that the coming demographic spike will have a differential effect across the English regions.
· Comment
We need an admissions system that works for students, not universities
Graeme Atherton from NEON argues that it’s time for change when it comes to university admissions
· Comment
What does access to higher education look like around the world?
Graeme Atherton of the National Education Opportunities Network (NEON) takes stock of what widening access to higher education looks like around the world on the first annual World Access to Higher Education Day.