Description
A future for physics and astronomy that is diverse and inclusive requires early interventions to ensure underrepresented groups feel confident, encouraged and empowered to study STEM courses at university. Data shows that A level attainment is a barrier to entering competitive universities, even at institutions that make contextual offers, and that students from disadvantaged and certain ethnic minority backgrounds are awarded proportionally fewer top grades. We will present the results of an independent evaluation of the impact of two programmes, Isaac Physics and STEM SMART, on sixth formers aspirations, attainment and success in securing places at top universities.
Using stratified sampling of UCAS applicants to construct demographically matched control groups, results show that Isaac Physics and STEM SMART engage under-represented groups at levels well above the national average (e.g. ~40% women physicists compared with 23% taking A level physics, ~57% of the students are from the lowest 40% deprivation) and positively impact all under-represented groups in all three of their objectives with improvements of on average a grade for highly engaged students.
