Member
Suzy Davies South Wales West
WAQ77443 (e) Tabled on 20/11/2018

Will the Cabinet Secretary confirm what the initial targets of the Seren network were, and whether they are individual hub targets or a collective target?

Answered by Cabinet Secretary for Education | Answered on 27/11/2018

The Seren Network is focused on supporting the academically brightest A level students to achieve higher grades and attainment and progress to the UK’s leading universities. The initial targets for the collective Seren Network were;

 

  1. To support and prepare young people from Wales who have the aspiration and ability to pursue courses of higher education at institutions or on specific courses which are judged and recognised as being leaders in their field. 
  2. As a result, to increase the proportion of young people from Wales who succeed in their applications to academic courses at leading Universities in the UK and internationally, and to high tariff / highly competitive courses wherever these are based.
  3. To raise aspirations and address barriers which may otherwise prevent academically able young people from feeling they can consider making applications to leading universities or high tariff courses – wherever they may be based.
  4. To build the capacity of institutions across Wales – by bringing them together in geographically defined Hubs – to effectively support young people who have the potential to successfully gain entry to leading universities or high tariff courses.
  5. Create the critical mass necessary to cost-effectively develop and operate a vibrant programme of activities relevant to the goals of the Seren Network.

The Seren Network consists of 11 geographically hubs. Three pilot hubs were launched in 2015, all 11 hubs were fully operational for the 2017/18 academic year. From September 2018 national eligibility criteria, coupled with a national minimum offer has been implemented. Recently Oxbridge universities have reported an increase of applications and offers to young people from Wales, in the New Year we will be carrying out an evaluation to consider the impact of the Seren Network, following this National targets will be set in partnership with the 11 hubs.