Margaret Greenfields - Humber Outreach Programme

“Good Practice in Supporting Roma in Access
             to Higher Education”
                a presentation for
 National Inclusion Week/Roma Inclusion Week
                      2020
                30th September 2020

          Margaret Greenfields
 Professor of Social Policy and Community Engagement
       margaret.greenfields@bucks.ac.uk
                  @MGreenfields
                  @BucksNewUni

Presentation Format

• Setting the Scene
• Project Activities
• Key Findings (to date)
• Good Practice in Supporting Roma students
  in(to) Higher Education
   ▪ Network Development
   ▪ Universities and the ‘GRTSB into Higher
     Education Pledge’
• Where Next?

Setting the Scene
• Increased interest in Gypsy, Traveller and Roma communities
  experience in and engagement with education (including HE) in recent
  years in recognition of social justice imperative and social mobility
  concerns.
• Women and Equalities Committee Report (2019) and work by NGOs
  have re-emphasised the educational exclusion of GTR communities
  and challenges within compulsory school context – linked to
  employment exclusion - previously identified by the EHRC (2009) and
  other researchers (e.g. Greenfields, 2006; 2008; Levinson, 2007;
  2009; 2013; Derrington & Kendall, 2008; Foster & Norton, 2012;
  Bhopal and Myers, 2008; 2009)
• Major problems disaggregating data to explore situation of Roma
  compared to Romany Gypsy communities – nb: largely undertaken on
  school-by-school basis where known Roma population/via NGOs and
  community activists working with GTR pupils.
• Categories held by DfE only identity “Travellers of Irish Heritage” and
  “Gypsy/Roma” via School Census (nb similar for HESA/UCAS
  datasets)

School to HE pipeline

• GTR people have the lowest levels of educational
  attainment of any ethnic group in school, achieving poorer
  outcomes in reading, writing and maths at Key Stage 2 and
  at GCSE, (KS4) (2019 5 A*-C GCSEs: Gypsy Roma 13%,
  Irish Travellers 19%) v. 64% of ‘mainstream’ pupils.
• GTR children are also more likely to be absent from formal
  education, to have ceased attendance by the age of 16 and
  to be excluded from school (Traveller Movement, 2019;
  WEC, 2019; DfE, 2020; Tidman, 2020).
• Only 3-4 per cent of the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller
  population aged 18-30 years accessed higher education
  compared with 43 per cent of 18-30 year-olds in the
  general population (Mulcahy et al. 2017; Greenfields, 2019)

Project Activities 2019-2020

• Roundtable event – BNU/APPG GRT affairs September 2019 – report –
  December 2019 https://bucks.repository.guildhe.ac.uk/17932/
• December 2019 – launch of ‘network survey’ as follow up to GRTSB into
  HE roundtable event [email/tweet to participate/ join network]
• January 2020 – recruitment of Romany Gypsy research assistant at
  Bucks New University to support outreach/engagement activities and
  project development – until July 2020 – now translated into MA Education
  student/Research Assistant GTR Engagement Project/Mentoring
  (September 2020 ->).
• February 2020 – collaborative/jointe research development event/seminar
  with Coventry University – CDare – Dr. Rosa Cisneros – exploring GTR
  experiences in higher education and motivations (SPF - financed by UK
  Research & Innovation)
• March 2020 – launch of wider short survey to GTRSB students/graduates
  – using questions/themes piloted during Coventry event (runs until
  December 2020) contact us to participate

Project Activities (2)

• March 2020 – steering group – GRTSB into HE project
  convened – NGOs, NEON, OfS representation; Universities
   ▪   Working on enhancing good practice
   ▪   Development of resources
   ▪   Pledge related activities/dissemination
   ▪   Network development
   ▪   Sharing of good practice via Jiscmail
• March-October 2020 – activities as above + individual
  projects/activities e.g. KCL/TM – mentors for GTR school-
  pupils during Covid lock-down; reports by NEON (Atherton,
  2020)
• Nb: postponed from April - Social Policy Association
  funded event – (GTR and BAME students into policy
  careers) now anticipated to take place 12/2020 subject to
  speaker availability.

Project Activities (3)

• April 2020 – ongoing - Follow up to survey (above) – one to one
  interviews – GTRSB community member graduates/ + academic staff
  on support/training needs to enable engagement/best practice in
  supporting GTRSB students
• June 2020 – Bucks New University celebration of GRT History Month –
  art exhibition + talk with Roma dancer/academic Dr. Rosa Cisneros –
  and Romany Gypsy artist Dr Daniel Baker (in discussion with VC
  Professor Nick Braisby)
  https://www.travellerstimes.org.uk/news/2020/07/bucks-new-university-
  hopes-broader-recognition-gypsy-roma-and-traveller-communities
• August 2020 - Bucks New University – participation in Roma
  Holocaust Memorial event (VC/MG)
  https://bucks.ac.uk/news/2020/july/supporting-roma-holocaust-
  memorial-day
• September 2020 – collective nomination for Times Higher Award
  “Widening Participation and Access” project of the year - “the Higher
  Education Oscars” (Universities, NGOs in partnership)

Forthcoming Activities
• October 2020 – NEON conference – panel on GTRSB into HE good
  practice engagement (community members/NGOs/HEIs)
  https://www.educationopportunities.co.uk/events/neon-symposium-
  2020/
• November 2020 – outcome of Times Higher award nomination
  https://evessio.s3.amazonaws.com/customer/3897c7b1-0c71-459a-
  8ee7-fd8251fd666e/event/5c3928ea-fc32-4e76-ba12-
  eac8e01ca262/media/General_Content/79d6016c-
  node_01_MIC0R7A92N2BARO_bucks-new-u.pdf
• Westminster Policy Forum Conference on “Addressing racial
  discrimination/ improving experience of ethnic minority students in HE”
  (Sherrie Smith)
• Outreach work with universities, professional associations etc to
  develop awareness/inclusion in curricula of Roma and GT/SB
  communities (ongoing)
• Training event – date to be arranged – NEON/other partners –
  Spring 2020 – best practice in supporting universities in working with
  Roma and other GT/SB communities.

Survey / Interview Key Findings (to date)

Pilot study – ongoing – Barriers to HE engagement
Workshops/Focus groups/Survey (21 respondents to date) + 8 interviews
(community members) + 2 staff focus groups
• Low educational attainment of potential students/language barriers/no guidance
   on HE/careers
• Lack of cultural capital - knowledge of HE system/rigid processes amongst
   some HEIs which fail to take account of prior experiential learning “thrown in
   the deep end”
• Perceived lack of relevance of university curricula to GTR cultures and career
   preferences (changing rapidly amongst some communities with advent of
   increasing role models)
• Fear of discrimination and prejudice (universities seen as ‘not for GTR people’
   – ‘Imposter syndrome’)
• Gendered expectations/caring roles/lack of family support to enter HE e.g.
   parents with poor literacy skills/no knowledge of HE opportunities
• Concerns over debt
• Lack of support/respect within universities/invisibility in curricula and within
   academia generally (few role models)

Survey / Interview Key Findings (to date - 2)

• Motivations/Support for entering HE
• Family encouragement and support
• Self-motivation
• Inspirational teachers/lecturers who recognised the
  ability of the individual
• Role Models from community
• Nb: increasing upward trend in becoming
  students/graduates over last few years – although
  potentially an artefact of recruitment processes –
  younger, more literate, IT savvy respondents in
  ‘networks’ or engaged with NGOs.
• Nb: respondents most commonly had studied education,
  creative arts or sociology.

What would help motivate/support GTR students into HE?

• Survey/Interview; Focus Group and Workshops findings
•   High degree of agreement in findings (nb – marked similarities to Forster and
    Gallagher, 2020; Atherton/NEON, 2020 who surveyed universities rather than
    community members on awareness of GTR communities/Access and Participaton
    Plans)
•   Uniquely we’ve asked about specific ‘asks’ for Universities to create a ‘welcoming
    environment’ (with responses on cultural knowledge overlapping quite highly with
    staff requests for training)
     ▪ Being represented within HE/inclusion in curricula
     ▪ Training for staff and other students on communities needs/specificities/anti-
       racism/inclusion
     ▪ Peer Support and Mentoring + access to role models
     ▪ Tailored support on engaging with HE – finances, IT skills, ‘cultural capital’ issues,
       learning development, etc.
     ▪ Financial help
     ▪ Support/awareness of challenges around mobility/digital exclusion/access to IT on sites
       etc.
     ▪ Applying/academic processes- e.g. interviews, enrolment, APEL: etc – particularly
       mature students

Good Practice (1) – Network Development
• Following on from the Roundtable event in 2019 – participants reflected
  on need to network/engage with others – community members, peers
  and HEIs working with GTRSB students.
• Network survey which went out initially in December + continual
  enrolment since now has 66 members from across the country.
• Gaps in coverage in the North of England, South-West, Midlands,
  Wales and Scotland (scope for development via UniConnect networks)
• Intent of networking NGOs, graduates – to act as mentors/role models
  and support for HEIs – and students/potential students from GTSB
  communities.
• Opportunity to exchange information/good practice and development
  ‘clusters of practice’/resources
• Currently developing resources (community led via steering group
  members – ACERT, Sherrie Smith, BNU, FFT and TM)
• + early stages of supporting pilot clusters where marry up HEIs
  interested in WP/Access for GTRSB students with NGOs with deep in-
  reach in local areas. – 3 localities under preliminary development

Good Practice (2) – the ‘GRTSB into HE’ Pledge

• Concept of the ‘pledge’ arose at the 2019 roundtable –
  proposed by BNU Vice Chancellor.
• Explored/tested with community member graduates in
  workshops/focus groups + NGOs and developed with
  support from steering group.
• Currently working to identify universities who are
  interested in signing up to ‘take the GTRSB pledge’.
• Logo under development (community led) which could
  be used in branding for universities signed up to the
  pledge.
• Modelled on similar good practice pledges for estranged
  students/care leavers but tailored by and for GTRSB
  communities.
• Intent to have ‘sign-up’ event January 2021

Elements of the ‘Pledge’

• Requires commitment at highest level – e.g. VC/Principal
  etc to indicate institutional support
• Light touch ‘monitoring’ – complete a survey each year
  to say what done and where might require more support
• No cost to ‘take the pledge’/join the network
• Membership of the network encourages dissemination of
  activities/support from peers/community members/
  sharing of good practice etc.
• Potential to collaborate on designing materials and
  collaboratively developing training etc.
• FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE: co-production
  /collaboration between communities/NGOs and
  Universities and Colleges adapted to local
  circumstances/ populations

Core requirements + additional good practice
              suggestions available (1)

• DATA GATHERING
• Monitoring the number of Gypsy, Roma, Traveller
  students and staff currently at the university (nb: stretch
  target to include Showmen and Boaters per OfS briefing)
• Evaluating year on year trends in these numbers
• INSTITUTIONAL CULTURE
• Designating a key named contact for working with
  GTRSB students to oversee workstreams/ attend regular
  training/EDI meetings
• Encouraging the formation of GRT student and staff
  societies, possibly in local or regional groups of HEIs

Core requirements + additional good practice
              suggestions available (2)

• OUTREACH
• Having a distinct stream of work which focuses on
  GRTSB students within widening participation activities
• Strengthening links to schools/FE colleges or NGOs
  working with local GTRSB communities
• Developing/expanding mentoring opportunities for
  GTRSB graduates/students to work with community
  members who are considering entering HE
• INCLUSION, CELEBRATION & COMMEMORATION
• Foreground GRT inclusion and culture within the
  university (e.g. events such as GRT History Month,
  Roma Holocaust Remembrance Day, visibility in posters,
  curricula inclusion, etc.)

Where Next?

• Ambition to encourage increasing numbers of
  universities and further education colleges to ‘take the
  pledge’ in 2020-21.
• Target of 15 institutions at the virtual signing event –
  January 2021 – and annual increase thereafter
• Enhanced awareness of the ‘Pledge’ amongst
  universities and higher education colleges committed to
  equalities and enhancing opportunities for Gypsy,
  Traveller, Roma, Showmen and Boater students
• Take-up of ‘Stretch targets’ e.g. HESA/UCAS to expand
  categories of student self-identification
• Monitoring progress of ‘the pledge’ to see how
  institutions engage and develop good practice in
  supporting GRTSB students

• Enhanced and developing ‘networks of practice’ between Roma
  students/communities/graduates; NGOs and universities/colleges to
  tailor good practice to local need and communities
• Shared development of a ‘good practice bank’ which can disseminate
  and evidence successful models (e.g. videos, training resources, etc.)
• Increased numbers of visible Roma graduate/student role models
• Measurable increase in Roma students self-identifying and enrolling in
  HE/FE (and other pledge elements)
• Outcomes for Roma in HE comparable to/mappable against other
  communities
• Engage with professional associations (e.g. GRTSWA; BASW; GRTPA
  etc), students and NGOs to encourage universities to ‘take the pledge’
  and collaboratively support/monitor outcomes/ provide input to curricula
  etc.
• Listening to communities and supporting them in developing this model
  through enhancing mutual understanding between stakeholders

QUESTIONS??
Margaret.Greenfields@bucks.ac.uk