First Generation students discussion by

Careers workshops

2025-04-03 12:52:21 UTC

Careers workshops, mentoring, coaching for students. High proportion of students first generation learners.

How A-level blocks still exist, assumption this has disappeared but not.

2025-04-03 12:52:22 UTC

Positive Action

jr24aca — 2025-04-03 12:52:33 UTC

Create networks to get FiF together and create a community

FSM in new APP

2025-04-03 12:52:44 UTC

We have FSM in our new APP and address our existing culture.

What was discussed was prevalent

2025-04-03 12:53:26 UTC

2025-04-03 12:53:44 UTC

peer networks/ peer support

The fish in water vs fish out of water quotation and discussion.

2025-04-03 12:53:58 UTC

Vast number of students are WP

2025-04-03 12:54:32 UTC

Culture is quite different we do lots of mentoring and students help them with transition and bursaries.

intro to uni for families, carers and supporters

2025-04-03 12:54:48 UTC

Lot of students from WP measures

2025-04-03 12:55:59 UTC

We have lots of students asking what school people were at.

2025-04-03 12:56:44 UTC

We don't have first in generation in our APP we don't have targets associated. We capture and measure. Changing the systems.

had not thought about the block system - structural impact of that

2025-04-03 12:57:23 UTC

Important to have a community of people who identify with where you're coming from, cultural as well.

2025-04-03 12:57:25 UTC

Imposter syndrome is massive in causing these young people to feel like they don't belong.

2025-04-03 12:57:50 UTC

Reflection at the end

2025-04-03 12:57:55 UTC

It avoiding the deficient perspective

Support for new students

2025-04-03 12:57:57 UTC

Joint the dots > brilliant club has a nice mentoring model of pairing college students with existing students already studying in their prospective university. To support HE transition.

Gap in understanding and knowledge that lecturers (especially older academics) have with regard to FiF students ("You're in university, you need to understand how we teach").

2025-04-03 12:58:53 UTC

Whole narrative on belonging

2025-04-03 12:58:56 UTC

Sense of belonging and weave in our theory of change. What do we mean? Will students feel becoming more like and upper class mass and will call out on.

Issues related to self-identification of First gen status. Definition relies on students understanding the term but they may not - which can present issues for actioning insights.

2025-04-03 12:59:57 UTC

Mentorship or buddies

jr24aca — 2025-04-03 13:00:04 UTC

Providing people who have been through the experience for new FiF students

Know about FSM staff

2025-04-03 13:00:10 UTC

Know about FSM for staff also look at demographics. Difference for students.

parents from other countries not knowing questions of to ask - compounding challenge of FiF

2025-04-03 13:00:50 UTC

Student Ambassadors

2025-04-03 13:01:12 UTC

Student Ambassadors representation.

Hidden Curriculum

2025-04-03 13:01:38 UTC

FIF not being fully aware of all the available academic and support services despite a jam packed welcome week and having personal tutors. And without parents to highlight this, they may discover this later on i.e. 2nd/3rd year. How to respond when issues arise or how to advocate for themselves too.

representation in staffing bringing their authentic selves

2025-04-03 13:01:40 UTC

Community vs School

jr24aca — 2025-04-03 13:02:49 UTC

I think it is interesting that we are recognising doing outreach in school isn't as effective as being in the community.

awareness of other students who are also FiF

2025-04-03 13:02:53 UTC

Sense of belonging

2025-04-03 13:04:18 UTC

Students from similar quintile feel sense of belonging such as from 1 and 2. Also around ethnicity and age. Sense of belonging is much more difficult. Students to belong might feel they need to assimilate. Different student feel belonging in different ways.

confidence to meet others unlike themselves

2025-04-03 13:04:53 UTC

difference between FiF in post 92 vs russell group - more funding

2025-04-03 13:05:53 UTC

2025-04-03 13:06:11 UTC

The subject block system in schools is quite a barrier

Parent engagement

2025-04-03 13:07:05 UTC

First gen networks to allow peer to peer support

2025-04-03 13:07:23 UTC

Definitions: First Generation in HE vs First in Family in HE? Is there a difference if someone is the first generation in their family but have an older sibling in university?

2025-04-03 13:08:59 UTC

More schools and colleges need to hire advisors from FiF and other WP backgrounds to advise pupils.

2025-04-03 13:09:42 UTC

2025-04-03 13:09:51 UTC

We run a parents, family and friends event every year to try and reach parents. But we're conscious that such events will only reach a small proportion of parents/carers.