# Access and Student Success Strategy

**Source**: https://www.leeds.ac.uk/student-success/doc/access-student-success-strategy
**Parent**: https://www.leeds.ac.uk/undergraduate-teachers-advisors

Our vision: The University of Leeds – where all students can thrive and succeed. Find out more about our Access and Student Success Strategy 2025 to 2030 and the progress we are making.

You can [download the Access and Student Success Strategy for 2025 to 2030 as an accessible PDF (513.65 KB)](https://www.leeds.ac.uk/download/downloads/id/3543/access-and-student-success-strategy.pdf) or view a summary on this page.

## Access and Student Success Strategy 2025 to 2030

### Strategy objectives

Over the next five years, we will:

1. **Develop lifelong learning provision** to enable access and skills development at all stages of the educational journey.
2. **Strengthen existing programmes** to enable access and retain diverse communities of students.
3. **Build strong and supportive relationships** to enhance belonging, improve outcomes, and equip students for success at university and beyond.
4. **Proactively engage and support students** to achieve academic success.

### Strategy priorities

There are 12 priorities from the strategy:

1. Implement and enhance our [lifelong learning provision](https://www.leeds.ac.uk/lifelong-learning) to enable access and skills development at all stages of the educational journey.
2. Optimise the recruitment pipeline to reduce barriers and widen access from under-represented groups.
3. Develop and enhance learning networks with communities, businesses and industry to enable access to learning opportunities at the university.
4. Leverage and improve support, expertise and collaboration to support students in decision making and enable them to embark on a course and career of their choice.
5. Embed implementation of [Curriculum Redefined](https://www.leeds.ac.uk/curriculum-redefined) outputs, such as inclusive pedagogies, to drive student success.
6. Maximise our networks to provide local and global opportunities for our students to develop skills for post-graduation.
7. Deliver the Student Opportunities and Futures framework, including implementation of surfacing skills and experiential learning frameworks, across taught and doctoral programmes.
8. Grow a culture of wellbeing, belonging and mattering across our communities to empower our students.
9. Integrate interventions focused on career readiness into student experience to ensure all can access it.
10. Review, pilot and implement models for academic personal tutoring, supervision and coaching.
11. Build sustainable models for peer engagement with a focus on mentoring, peer learning and support.
12. Use data to target support where needed to maximise progression and individualise support.

### Strategy enablers

We will do this through:

1. Building an anti-discrimination and global approach.
2. Listening to our students and build a culture of evaluation and research to drive approach.
3. Enhancing ways of working for staff and students using digital technologies.
4. Consistent operationalisation of strategy through governance, efficient and sustainable operations and staff development.

### Impact on the student journey

Our ambition is that in 2030, every Leeds student will be able to say the following three things:

#### “I feel supported and welcomed”

How we will do this:

- **Pre-entry/arrival:** We will be an exemplar of lifelong learning attracting talented and diverse students.
- **University experience (academic/co-curricular):** Leeds fosters a vibrant, inclusive community that celebrates students from diverse backgrounds.
- **Progression (employability/alumni):** Students understand how we will support them in preparing for next steps pre-application and throughout their time at Leeds.

#### “I can succeed and thrive”

How we will do this:

- **Pre-entry/arrival:** Sustained engagement will ensure that prospective students understand the benefit of education at the University of Leeds, prior lived experience is not a barrier and they are prepared for transition to Leeds.
- **University experience (academic/co-curricular):**Our delivery of the student experience ensures that students can transition between years of study successfully fulfilling their definition of success.
- **Progression (employability/alumni):** Our students are able to prepare for their futures by programmes and wraparound support activities which embed employability and help students build a plan for their next steps.

#### “We connect with our community”

- **Pre-entry/arrival:**Our commitment to civic responsibility enhances the social, economic and cultural life of communities.
- **University experience (academic/co-curricular):**Our personalised approach to advising enhances engagement alongside academic development, wellbeing and progression.
- **Progression (employability/alumni):** Our students and alumni access opportunities to enhance employability meeting their needs and circumstances.

## How are we increasing access and success?

Explore research articles, insights and findings that help us improve practice in our [Access and Student Success Evidence Bank](https://evidencebank.leeds.ac.uk/).

### Access

[Video transcript: Introductory video – Access](https://www.leeds.ac.uk/student-success/doc/video-transcript-introductory-video-access)

#### Access case studies

- [Learning Champions: Authentic outreach improving access to higher education](https://www.leeds.ac.uk/directory-record/22902/learning-champions-authentic-outreach-improving-access-to-higher-education)
- [From self-doubt to success: how Jumpstart transforms the lives of mature students](https://www.leeds.ac.uk/directory-record/22879/from-self-doubt-to-success-how-jumpstart-transforms-the-lives-of-mature-students)
- [Dedicated CPD for art teachers: Art Teachers Connect](https://www.leeds.ac.uk/directory-record/22733/dedicated-cpd-for-art-teachers-arts-teachers-connect)
- [Mentoring for secondary students from Black heritage backgrounds](https://www.leeds.ac.uk/directory-record/22732/mentoring-for-secondary-students-from-black-heritage-backgrounds)
- [The future is Leeds: how sustained outreach encourages applications](https://www.leeds.ac.uk/directory-record/19854/the-future-is-leeds-how-sustained-outreach-encourages-applications)
- [Celebrating 20 years of Access to Leeds](https://www.leeds.ac.uk/directory-record/22734/celebrating-20-years-of-access-to-leeds)
- [Boosting school participation in engineering](https://www.leeds.ac.uk/directory-record/22880/boosting-school-participation-in-engineering).
- [How Study Skills are Bridging the UK Readiness Gap](https://www.leeds.ac.uk/directory-record/23746/from-sixth-form-to-seminar-how-study-skills-are-bridging-the-university-readiness-gap)

### Progression between years

[Video transcript: Progression between years](https://www.leeds.ac.uk/student-success/doc/video-transcript-progression-years)

#### Progression between years case studies

- [From Potential to Progress: How Student Development Coaches Help Leeds Students Thrive](https://www.leeds.ac.uk/directory-record/23742/from-potential-to-progress-how-student-development-coaches-help-leeds-students-thrive)
- [Increasing inclusivity in student accommodation](https://www.leeds.ac.uk/directory-record/22830/increasing-inclusivity-in-student-accommodation)
- [Raising the bar for Academic Personal Tutoring](https://www.leeds.ac.uk/student-success/dir-record/profiles/21123/raising-the-bar-for-academic-personal-tutoring)
- [Building a supportive learning community through data-driven human interventions](https://www.leeds.ac.uk/directory_record/20297/building_a_supportive_learning_community_through_data-driven_human_interventions)
- [Supporting students throughout their Leeds journey](https://www.leeds.ac.uk/student-success/dir-record/profiles/19855/supporting-students-throughout-their-leeds-journey)
- [Targeted support for mature students](https://www.leeds.ac.uk/directory-record/20699/targeted-support-for-mature-students)
- [The Middle Ground Network for Younger Mature Students](https://www.leeds.ac.uk/directory-record/22731/the-middle-ground-network-for-younger-mature-students).

### Progression beyond HE

[Video transcript: Progression beyond HE](https://www.leeds.ac.uk/student-success/doc/video-transcript-progression-beyond)

#### Progression beyond HE case studies

- [Creating global citizens through the Turing Scheme](https://www.leeds.ac.uk/student-success/dir-record/profiles/22839/creating-global-citizens-through-the-turing-scheme)
- [Supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs](https://www.leeds.ac.uk/directory-record/22736/supporting-the-next-generation-of-entrepreneurs)
- [Demystifying careers in the creative and culture industries](https://www.leeds.ac.uk/directory-record/22737/demystifying-careers-in-the-creative-and-culture-industries)
- [Increasing diversity in postgraduate research](https://www.leeds.ac.uk/directory-record/19852/increasing-diversity-in-postgraduate-research)
- [Tailoring career support for underrepresented students](https://www.leeds.ac.uk/directory-record/22814/tailoring-career-support-for-underrepresented-students)
- [Constructing a pathway to favoured futures: students supported to build connections at Leeds](https://www.leeds.ac.uk/directory-record/22815/constructing-a-pathway-to-favoured-futures-students-supported-to-build-connections-at-leeds).

### Enablers

[Video transcript: Introductory video – Enablers](https://www.leeds.ac.uk/transcripts/doc/video-transcript-introductory-video-enablers)

#### Enablers case studies

- [Putting Black women’s progress in the spotlight](https://www.leeds.ac.uk/directory_record/19906/putting_black_women_s_progress_in_the_spotlight)
- [Using listening rooms to inform policymaking and drive systematic change](https://www.leeds.ac.uk/directory-record/22738/using-listening-rooms-to-inform-policymaking-and-drive-systematic-change)
- [Reverse mentoring: A different perspective for staff and students](https://www.leeds.ac.uk/directory-record/22739/reverse-mentoring-a-different-perspective-for-staff-and-students).