Successful Students: Exploring the factors that encourage and enable students from a widening participation background to stay the course

Abstract

One of the major issues that universities face in the UK is to ensure that all students have an equal chance of success, independent of their social or financial background. While the ‘attainment gap’ at Brunel University London experienced by students from disadvantaged backgrounds is less than at many similar institutions, it is unacceptable that a student’s chance of success can be determined by factors such as ethnicity and parental income. This is an important study as it looked not only at the issues faced by students from a widening participation background but, more importantly, at those factors that had a positive impact on their studies and that contributed to students’ success. This gives a rich and rounded picture of why some students succeed and others do not. It leads to a series of very practical recommendations. While this research was carried out in the context of Brunel University London, many of the findings and recommendations will be applicable to other universities. I am pleased that the University was able to support this research, and thank Anne Chappell, Ellen McHugh and Emma Wainwright for their dedication and hard work and for the insight that they have given to a subject that is of vital importance to both Brunel and the UK Higher Education sector.