The current reforms to school-level education in the UK will have a major impact on higher education according to a report published today (Friday) by Universities UK.

The report will be launched at a Universities UK conference today looking at the major 14-19 reforms and their likely impact on the higher education system. The report considers the reforms taking place to school-level education throughout the UK. In England these include changes to existing qualifications at GCSE and A-level and the introduction of major new qualifications, including the diploma and extended project. Wales has the Learning Pathways 14–19 reforms, which include the Welsh Baccalaureate. Scotland is bringing in the Curriculum for Excellence and in Northern Ireland the reforms are contained in the Entitlement Framework 14-19.

The Universities UK report is intended to help the higher education sector consider these proposed changes and how it can best engage with, and adapt to, the reforms in the future.

The report finds that:

• In England, virtually all young people entering higher education in 2010 will have been assessed in different ways from previous cohorts, whether they are entering higher education with A-levels or with another qualification
• Changes to the 14–19 curriculum and qualifications will mean a review of university admissions policies and entry requirements for all programmes
• There is a need for universities to be clear about their admissions policies, so that young people taking the new qualifications can make appropriate choices
• Advice and guidance to students at all stages about careers, opportunities and progression routes needs to be better and will be critical to the success of the reforms
• Due to the projected decline in the number of young people in the 18-20 age group, the number of suitably qualified young people who could potentially enter higher education will decline over the next 10 years
• Potentially, diplomas could increase demand for programmes in higher education that have been in decline throughout the past 10 years (engineering, physical sciences)
• The drive to encourage more young people to study Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects while at school does seem to be showing some signs of success. Entries for A-level mathematics have risen, as have applications for STEM subjects in higher education over the past two years

Diana Warwick, Chief Executive, Universities UK, said: “The current reforms represent some of the biggest changes to school-level education for over 40 years. These reforms are wide-ranging and could have a major impact on higher education in the UK. 

“Universities support the programme of curriculum reform and are committed to assisting with the development of proposals. This commitment implies that they will, where necessary, challenge proposals to ensure that they are fit for purpose.

“The reforms do have the potential to provide students with the skills and attributes that higher education institutions have said they would like to see from an improved secondary education system, but achieving this will require the continued involvement and support of the higher education sector.

“The aim of Universities UK’s report is to help higher education institutions get to grips with the details of these reform and assess their likely impact on areas such as admissions, widening participation, teaching and learning.”

Notes

1. The report - The impact of the 14–19 curriculum reforms on higher education - is available to download from the Universities UK website by clicking here.
2. Universities UK and Guild HE are holding a one-day conference today (Friday, 19 June) on the “14-19 Curriculum Reforms: Implications for Higher Education” at Woburn House Conference Centre, London WC1 9HQ. Speakers include: Professor Deian Hopkin, Joint Chair of the DCSF HE Engagement Board; Anthony McClaran, Chief Executive, UCAS; and Delyth Chambers, Adviser to DCSF, Higher Education Programme. For further information, visit: http://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/Events/Pages/14-19CurriculumReformsImplicationsforHE.aspx
3. Universities UK’s research into prospective demographic changes (Size & Shape project) published last year revealed  that the number of 18 to 20-year-olds - who make up over 70 per cent of entrants to full-time undergraduate programmes - is projected to fall sharply from 2009 to 2019 before rising again during the following decade up to 2027. For more information on this work, click here