CCG is committed to widening participation in higher education to ensure that the student population is from a diverse range of backgrounds. 

As part of the College’s process of continual improvement, we have a dedicated team developing initiatives and projects to deliver targeted activities across the FE student lifecycle, from access and outreach to success and progression. 

We have support in place to ensure that we give both our further and higher education students the best possible chance to succeed at university-level and progress either into employment or further studies.

We have the knowledge and expertise to help explore the range of different higher education options available and offer advice and guidance on:

• Introduction to Higher Education options, including alternative pathways

• Student Finance

• UCAS and personal statement group and 1:1 support

• Interview preparation

• Preparing for Higher Education

• We collaborate with other education providers, including local universities, to provide opportunities for our students to gain insight into higher-level study, including campus visits and subject tasters.

We adopt a catch-all approach to our widening participation work to give all our students the opportunity to benefit from the wide variety of schemes and programmes that we deliver, but we give priority to students where data shows gaps inequality of opportunity in relation to access, success and progression. 

We consider those underrepresented groups of students to share the following characteristics as outlined by the Office for Students:

• Students from areas of lower higher education participation, lower household income and/or lower socioeconomic status groups

• Care experienced

• Mature Students (over 21 at enrolment)

• Black Asian Minority Ethnic (BAME)

• Students with Disabilities

• Carers

• People estranged from their families

• People from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities

• Refugees & Asylum Seekers

• Children of military families

For more information please take a look at the Access and Participation Plan and the Ofs website.