Barnfield College has successfully improved the achievement of students on their Access to Higher Education Diplomas by introducing a pre-Access programme for learners who were not quite ready to start an Access to HE course.
Initial Diagnostics
Barnfield College run an initial diagnostics assessment for learners applying to study Access to Higher Education courses and found that these helped them identify a number of learners who require extra support to prepare them for the intense study at Level 3 requited to successfully achieve an Access to HE Diploma.
They found that these learners typically fall into one or more of three categories:
- They are looking to return to study and have not studied for some time
- They lack the English and maths skills need to be able to succeed at Level 3
- They originate from other countries and often hold qualifications (typically nursing) but need to gain credentials that are recognised in the UK
Implementing a pre-Access Programme
Barnfield College identified our suite of Level 2 “Preparing for Further Study in…” qualifications as ideal for allowing for learners to develop vocational skills while also preparing them for the reality of returning to study.
The “Preparing for Further Study in…” qualifications have been specifically designed by Gateway Qualifications to provide structured, graded, sector-specific qualifications to support leaners who aspire to enter higher education but who do not yet meet the requirements for Access to Higher Education courses, or are not ready to work at Level 3.
Running a pre-Access course is the best way for the college to successfully manage their challenge. By taking a pre-Access course, learners have the opportunity to broaden their skills, knowledge and understanding of a particular sector, cover Level 2 learning that will prepare them for progression to Access to HE courses at Level 3, and build up the study skills that they will need to succeed in the next phase of their academic life.
Learner progression is important to Barnfield College, so by choosing both pre-Access and Access to HE qualifications from Gateway Qualifications, they are able to prepare learners to take the next step in their education as smoothly as possible.