What are the outcomes of students who do a foundation year?

Are they better than students with a similar grade profile who didn't take a foundation year?

Does anyone know? :beard:

It would be really interesting to find out :h:

(edited 4 years ago)

Reply 1

PQ

Clearing and Applications Advisor

21

Original post by Puddles the Monkey

Are they better than students with a similar grade profile who didn't take a foundation year?

Does anyone know? :beard:

It would be really interesting to find out :h:

There's no public stats that I know of. It would probably be possible to ask HESA to produce something but they'd charge for it. You'd have to define "outcome" - does it mean degree completion rate, degree classifications, graduate destinations etc etc?

Reply 2

Puddles the Monkey

OP

21

Original post by PQ

There's no public stats that I know of. It would probably be possible to ask HESA to produce something but they'd charge for it. You'd have to define "outcome" - does it mean degree completion rate, degree classifications, graduate destinations etc etc?

Ah thank you :biggrin:

Degree classifications would be the best place to start I reckon... :beard:

Reply 3

PQ

Clearing and Applications Advisor

21

Original post by Puddles the Monkey

Ah thank you :biggrin:

Degree classifications would be the best place to start I reckon... :beard:

I'd look at completion first. Anecdotally a lot of foundation year students don't even progress into the degree course never mind finish it...

It might be worth FOIing some big foundation year universities for the stats on completion and degree classification for foundation year v year 1 entry students...

Reply 4

Puddles the Monkey

OP

21

Original post by PQ

I'd look at completion first. Anecdotally a lot of foundation year students don't even progress into the degree course never mind finish it...

It might be worth FOIing some big foundation year universities for the stats on completion and degree classification for foundation year v year 1 entry students...

Is that because a lot of them use it as a way to get to a different uni?

I'd be interested to know about degree classifications because that's what foundation years are supposed to help with, but completion rates are the first stage of that :s-smilie:

Reply 5

PQ

Clearing and Applications Advisor

21

Original post by Puddles the Monkey

Is that because a lot of them use it as a way to get to a different uni?

I'd be interested to know about degree classifications because that's what foundation years are supposed to help with, but completion rates are the first stage of that :s-smilie:

It's because a lot of them are used by people desperate to go to university who don't do much research. And then they're seen as cash cows by universities who franchise them out to FE colleges or teach them in house with massive staff student ratios (I know of a RG university engineering foundation year with an SSR ranging between 31 and 50 over the last 5 years - I doubt that's atypical) and very limited oversight.