SCAPP Updates - May/June 2025
SCAPP Conference 2025!
We were thrilled to welcome over 180 delegates to GCU last month for the SCAPP Conference 2025! It was a vibrant and full day of presentations, poster sessions, networking, and more.
Your feedback shows that it was a valuable opportunity to explore what works in widening access and participation—sparking new ideas, strengthening existing connections, and building new ones.
A big thank you to the 69 people who completed our evaluation survey – your reflections have given us plenty of food for thought to consider over the summer as we look at how best to use it to shape future event plans.
Conference Padlet
All presentations and posters are now available to view on this conference Padlet as well as delegates’ key takeaways/pledges.
Conference Photo Story
View selected images from our conference in this short video here.
New Chair Appointed
SCAPP’s Steering Group is delighted to advise that it has appointed a new chair: Laura Cattell.
Laura is currently Deputy Director for UK Outreach and Widening Participation at the University of Edinburgh. In this role she leads on undergraduate recruitment and widening participation strategies and manages an operational team of outreach, events and transition staff.
Prior to working at Edinburgh she worked in widening participation at universities in Liverpool and London. She started her widening access career running summer schools and primary school outreach programmes in southeast London.
She will be taking over from Kenny Anderson in August who has been Acting Chair since spring 2023.
SCAPP Networking, Learning and Events Roundup
New Practitioner Network (NPN)
Our “Breaking Barriers, Fostering Belonging” session ran in-person in Glasgow on Wed 18th June in-person at the Byres Community Hub in Glasgow. Many thanks got to our guest speaker, Lorraine Moore, Director of the Hub for Success.
Our next session is in-person, in Edinburgh, on the16th of September focusing on support for displaced students.
Registration for the network remains open throughout the year for any practitioners with less than 3 years’ experience. Sign up today to benefit from the networking and development opportunities that our NPN can offer.
Evaluation Matters Community of Practice
12 groups are progressing with their work as members of SCAPP’s second Evaluation Matters CoP to develop their knowledge and skills to effectively evaluate WP projects. Our fifth meeting welcomes guest speaker, Dr Emily Flaherty, online, on the 30th of June.
Mentoring for Access Professionals (MAPs) 
Most partnerships are coming to an end with their aims achieved, thanks to the excellent efforts of our participants. The interim survey feedback was extremely positive and the exit poll will be shared with participants in July. Feel free to get in touch with Jill if you have any queries about the MAPS programme: Jill.chrsitie@stir.ac.uk.
Connect with Coffee
We enjoyed reviewing all 69 responses to the conference evaluation form at our Connect with Coffee session on 18 June. Thanks to those who joined the SCAPP Team to discuss these. We were delighted that the feedback was overwhelmingly positive with most delegates feeling they benefited from attending. Suggestions for improvement included: more time being needed in future for elements like the keynote Q&A session, networking, poster discussions and for presentation sessions too. The SCAPP Team will take these points into consideration when planning future events.
Connect with Coffee will return in September 2025. Please email scapp@stir.ac.uk with any suggestions of themes/topics you would like to discuss at these.
SCAPP Insight Webinars
Thank you to everyone who was able to join our Insight Webinars last week. We’re especially grateful to colleagues from the Open University and the University of Edinburgh for generously sharing their time and expertise to deliver these.
Recordings of both sessions will be available on the Members page of the SCAPP website in July.
Today (Thurs 26 June) is the last day to complete the evaluation forms for these sessions:
Widening access to teacher education: how can we use Open University modules and qualifications collaboratively to widen access to teacher education in Scotland – Tues 17 June
Evaluation Form
Accent bias and linguistic discrimination: A student-staff approach – Thurs 19 June
Evaluation Form
SCAPP Insight Webinars will return in autumn 2025.
SCAPP Opportunities
DAPP Accreditation Scheme – Applications for participants and peer reviewers are now OPEN!
You can apply to become a Peer Reviewer via the DAPP Peer Reviewer Application Form. Applications received before the 14th July 2025 will be considered for the 2025 DAPP cohort.
If you want sector-wide, independently verified recognition for you expertise and experience, apply to participate via the Participant Application Form by 22nd August 2025 to be considered for this year’s scheme.
A second, live, online information session is scheduled for 12 noon – 1pm on Wed 9th July. Email Jill.chrsitie@stir.ac.uk to sign up for this event. Alternatively, a recording of our recent DAPP Information Session is available here. You can watch our facilitators and coordinator explain everything in depth for potential Peer Reviewers, Participants and Supporters.
SCAPP Reminders
SCAPP LinkedIn
Are you following our LinkedIn page? Join our growing community!
SCAPP Articulation Chat Thread
This has been set up as a pilot this academic year to connect colleagues across Scotland working in or interested in articulation. Find out more and sign up here.
Suggestions for the SCAPP Team
Share your ideas for additions and improvements to SCAPP’s programmes and opportunities anonymously here.
Other Sector News - May/June 2025
Service Children’s Progression Alliance
SCiP Alliance has launched new research into the higher education experiences of Service children and the state and future of support for this unique cohort. This first-of-its-kind, UK-wide research includes excellent engagement from stakeholders in Scotland and many examples of strong practice, as well as identifying needs and systemic barriers. The research being unveiled plays a pivotal role in shaping the Thriving Lives Project which includes a toolkit for Universities, helping higher education providers ensure equitable access despite the distinct needs of this group.
Additionally, SCiP Alliance are supporting a consultation is part of a project generously funded by Greenwich Hospital which aims to enhance the Alliance’s approach to community listening and action, ensuring our work is informed by an up-to-date understanding of the community’s needs and priorities. They are keen to see the thoughts and needs of Scotland represented in the findings. So, please share your views by taking part and/or sharing the consultation with your networks – deadline 26th of June. They are also looking for some individuals to attend a focus group to explore emerging themes from the consultation questionnaire in more depth. You can sign up at the end of the survey or get in touch directly with myself to book a space – rachel.lad@winchester.ac.uk.
The College Development Network
It’s your last chance to enter the CDN College Awards 2025 – a national celebration of talent and innovation. Entries close on 26th June 2025. The CDN are also preparing to launch Elevate LT, a funded pilot programme to boost teaching practice across the sector, and also spotlight their Leadership Pathways for colleagues at every stage of their leadership journey. CDN’s Management and Leadership Programmes are designed to support you at every stage of your leadership journey. View their Leadership Programmes here.
On 17 June, CDN and Who Cares? Scotland hosted a short webinar to introduce the updated Care Experience and Corporate Parenting in Colleges online course. The refreshed module centred the voices of Care Experienced people and supported college staff in better understanding their role as Corporate Parents — helping to create inclusive, supportive environments where students could thrive. The module will be available via your college’s VLE. If your college would like access, please contact: e-learning@cdn.ac.uk
The Choose College campaign returns in July, and they continue to explore creativity and curiosity with the Ideation: Illuminations series – .Previous series are now available on CDN LearnOnline – and Write On! day.
Building an App for WP Practitioners – Call for Collaborators
The Project
The University of Glasgow has recently been awarded funding from the Robertson Trust to build an open source app that’s geared towards helping WP practitioners run their programmes at scale.
The basic aim is twofold: to try to take away a lot of the common, labour-intensive work that comes with running large-scale WP programmes; and, in doing so, to build a unified, sectoral approach to data – what we all collect, how we collect it, and how we store it.
The hope is that this will save practitioners / teams time that could be better spent focusing on the distinctive aspects of their programmes, or the parts that add the most value for students. On the data side, if we can work towards a future where we’re all using the same system to record the same kinds of data, then there could be loads of potential benefits.
Who & How
The practical aspects of the project will be led by me, Martin Irwin. I’ve been working at the University of Glasgow for 8 years, and for the last 5 years I’ve been helping to run about 10 WP programmes by developing & running a common infrastructure – handling bulk processes, data collection, and long-term data storage & retrieval in a custom database.
I’m not trying to bring about a monoculture where every programme starts to the look the same. Throughout my time in this role, my overriding approach has been to let programmes be as they are and to build systems around them. I’ll be approaching this project in the same way. It might not always be possible, but that will definitely be my aim.
How to get involved
To determine how to support WP practitioners, I first need to speak to WP practitioners! So, if you would like to share your thoughts on the project & its aims, then please get in touch.
Similarly, if you want to get involved in writing the code or inputting into the design, then I would be delighted to hear from you as well.
No matter how you want to get involved, please complete this short form, then I’ll be in touch over the course of the next few months. Or, if you prefer, you can reach me via email at martin.irwin@glasgow.ac.uk.
FREE Open University Course for anyone working with trauma-experienced children, young people and caregivers
A new, free, short, introductory online course has been launched by the OU and the Scottish Throughcare and Aftercare Forum (Staf).
The course Foundations of trauma-informed, relationship-based practice is suitable for anyone working with, supporting or caring for children or young people who may have experienced trauma, as well as their families or caregivers. It is also suitable for people who have experienced trauma themselves.
The 4-hour course is available to study now, on the OU’s OpenLearn Create site.
SCQF
The SCQF Partnership, has welcomed a commitment by the Scottish Government to establish a Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) system.
The Partnership has long called for a coherent Scotland-wide approach to recognising previous educational achievements, skills and experience, enabling more people to access shorter routes into further learning and employment.
The commitment was one of many aimed at addressing Scotland’s skills gaps in the Scottish Government’s recently published Programme for Government. The SCQF Partnership will support the Scottish Government to deliver on their pledge.
A national RPL system will allow individuals to have their skills, knowledge and experience – gained through work, volunteering, or non-formal learning – formally recognised, enabling faster reskilling, easier progression, and greater workforce mobility.
This commitment comes at a time when businesses across Scotland are facing skills shortages in key industries, including health and social care, construction, and engineering.
Skills Development Scotland (SDS)
Profile sharing now live
Created in response to educator feedback, learners can now share a view-only version of their profile with educators, parents and carers, careers advisers, or anyone they wish to share their progress with. It’s simple, secure, and gives you a clearer picture of each pupil’s goals, skills, and achievements, which helps you to support them.
Professional practice webinars
If you missed the recent Profiling Achievements webinars, a recording is now available featuring educators and career practitioners who shared how they are integrating profiling into their practice. Look out for more webinars coming in the new academic year.
Young People’s Career Ambitions
Explore the latest research from almost 3,000 recent school leavers from Scotland. Young people shared their key career influencers, post-school preferences; future aspirations and expectations, as well as potential barriers.
·#ChooseCollege 2025 will launch on Monday 14 July, shining a spotlight on Scotland’s colleges.
Scottish Funding Council (SFC)
SFC has published its Higher Education Student & Qualifiers report. In 2023-24, over 22,405 students entered an HNC/HND, 51,285 a first degree and 50,665 a taught postgraduate. Over 44,180 students were distance learning and 1,330 were Associate Students.
The latest edition of the Tertiary Quality Steering Group (TQSG) update bulletin is now available on the SFC website. It provides details of the Group’s meeting on 21 May where presentations were given on SFC’s evolving use of data and its new approach to evaluation. There are also updates on SFC’s relationship with Education Scotland, the publication of refreshed guidance on quality, and ongoing discussions to finalise guidance around Tertiary Quality Enhancement Review activities.The bulletin can be found under the ‘Tertiary Quality Steering Group’ heading on the TQEF page on the SFC website.
They have also announced the membership of the National Schools Programme Strategic Advisory Group (SAG). The Group’s establishment is an outcome from one of the key structural recommendations of the National Schools Programme Review and its role will be to oversee and monitor the implementation of the Review.
Working Group focusing on improving support for Estranged Students – update
The second meeting of the group happened on the 24th April 2025 on TEAMS. We were delighted to have more college representation and would like to thank the CDN network for helping us to advertise the group. We were also joined by Kate Polson, CEO of The Rock Trust which is a homeless charity working with young people. Kate is going to be a very useful addition to the group. The group now has members from 25 different institutions and organisations which is great.
We had some good news in the form of notice of a change to the wording of the estranged question on the UCAS form and would like to thank Ellie Rowley of UCAS for her work on this. The question will now specify that estrangement relates to being estranged from BOTH parents instead of the previous wording which was a little vague and could have meant estrangement from only parent. This change should help us to properly ascertain the numbers of estranged students applying to university in Scotland. We are also hoping to have some college numbers for the next meeting relating to how many estranged students are currently in our colleges. Finding the true size of the cohort is something that can really help us to push this work forward.
We have decided to split some of the group into three task forces to try to take the work forward in a more targeted way and pulling on the experience of the group members. The focus of the task forces will be housing, finance and policy (including admissions and evidence). However group members can also chose not to be involved in a task force and still can contribute to the wider group.
The scale of the task is dawning on us. Whilst Standalone had paid members of staff to focus on this work, we are trying to fit this in around our substantive roles. It is hard. However we do feel a strong commitment to doing whatever we can to improve things for estranged students, no matter how small.
We will have a table at the SCAPP conference at the coffee break so please do come along and have a chat. It will also be a chance for some of the group to see each other in real life so we are looking forward to that.
If you would like any more information about this work, please contact Alison Train from LEAPS. (alison.train@ed.ac.uk)
UCAS
UCAS launched its new corporate strategy – its ‘Next Chapter‘. The strategy also reaffirms UCAS’ commitment to serving the four nations, being institution and route agnostic, championing the student, and promoting fairness and transparency.
UCAS Discovery Events are happening across the UK to help students decide on their next steps.
You may also wish to listen to UCAS Parents’ Podcast – Careers of the future (35min)
Key resources for the 2026 cycle:
Applying To University With Individual Needs | UCAS
Personal statement for 2026 entry: Classroom resources | Undergraduate | UCAS
Students Eligible for Free School Meals
UCAS dates and deadlines for the 2026 cycle | Undergraduate | UCAS
The Annual Teacher and Adviser Conference 2025 round-up | Undergraduate, Conservatoires | UCAS
For enquiries about the UCAS Fair Access Programme, please email access@ucas.ac.uk.
The Sutton Trust
Applications for their flagship digital programme, Sutton Trust Online, are now open and close on 26th August at midday. Find out more here.
It was also recently announced that they will be working with Universities UK and UCAS to improve transparency and consistency in how universities use contextual admissions to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds to build on existing good practice, and deliver lasting, sector-wide change.
The Robertson Trust
Details of the latest awards to be made Twelve projects with potential to lead to big change that lasts on poverty and trauma in Scotland will share just over £2.3 million as part of our latest Programme Awards.
This latest round includes a diverse mix of initiatives – from research into equitable childcare to testing new ways to widen access to higher education.
View the full list of Programme awards here.
To find out more about all our available funds, please click here
The Scottish Government
The Programme for Government 2025-26 has been published, including commitments to set out future school reform priorities by June 2025, to establish Qualifications Scotland to replace SQA and to rationalise Senior Phase qualifications to offer clearer learner pathways and more flexible modular courses. Skills for Success goals (p12-14) include reviewing and improving school-age and adult career support and information.