York St John University - Levelling Up Impact Report

01 : Foreword

Rt Hon Justine Greening

Founder of the Social Mobility Pledge and Former Secretary of State for Education

New challenges need new solutions. As the country recovers from the pandemic, it is clear that it has shone a stark spotlight on the inequality of opportunity that already existed in this country, with those in the most deprived areas and on the lowest incomes hit the hardest. If we’re really serious about addressing those problems, we need to have new and ambitious goals that will provide concrete solutions and enable us to plot a different course of action.

We have developed 14 Levelling Up Goals to provide a framework for that action. It is the first major piece of work by the Purpose Coalition, a group of the UK’s leading purpose-led policymakers, business leaders and university vice-chancellors. Based on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals which I helped develop as International Development Secretary and which successfully galvanised governments, businesses and civil society to take targeted action, they will help benchmark our progress. The Levelling Up Goals provide the common language on levelling up we need. Focussing on key life stages, from early years to adulthood, they will establish a common approach for organisations that will identify the gaps in access to opportunity as well as the solutions that will remove those barriers. Those solutions across sectors and communities will undoubtedly vary but a common purpose is key.

As anchor institutions at the heart of their communities, universities can play a crucial role in delivering the Goals, with many of them able to deliver on all 14. They clearly provide the academic and technical expertise that comes with a degree but also have a much wider impact. They link into the world of work so that employers can access graduates with up to date skills for their businesses. They work with local partners, including schools and local authorities, to assess the gaps that exist in the local area and to provide place-based

solutions. They contribute to the sustainability of the communities in which they are situated as well as to their health and well-being. Reflecting society’s expectations - heightened by the pandemic - that organisations should have a positive impact on social good, students now also share that expectation of their institutions and believe that their success should be assessed on that basis.

As a member of the Purpose Coalition, York St John University has already demonstrated its own commitment to the levelling up agenda. It was one of the organisations that signed up to the Social Mobility Pledge’s original campaign and we produced an Insight Report for the University in 2020, Every Student Counts, which looked at the work it was already undertaking to tackle inequality of opportunity, particularly in the use of contextualised admissions. Its bold approach in this area means that students who can often face a range of challenges that will impact their performance at school can still be considered for a university place. As a result, that talent pool isn’t wasted and young people are given the chance to fulfil their potential in a way they may not have been able to do through a conventional university application.

As the first university to create an Impact Report based on the Levelling Up Goals framework, York St John continues to set an example of how to be a genuine values-led organisation. Its leadership team under its Vice-Chancellor, Professor Karen Bryan, and its Chief Operating Officer, Rob Hickey, are determined to continue creating chances for those from less advantaged backgrounds, as an integral part of the City of York’s proud heritage of social justice and philanthropy. Moving forward the University’s strategic aims are based around purpose, people and place, and a desire to create more educational opportunities for the communities it serves.

Partnering with the Purpose Coalition, York St John University is part of a new working group made up of Vice-Chancellors and representatives from universities and major law firms who are looking specifically at how the law sector can be levelled up. It also recognises the important role that a university can have on the local economy and is part of a campaign to support local businesses which, in turn, can offer access to job opportunities and career progression to graduates from a range of diverse backgrounds.

People born into disadvantaged circumstances and growing up in areas of limited opportunity already face an uphill struggle to get on in life. Their life chances have now been dealt an even greater blow as a result of the pandemic which has made existing inequalities - including digital exclusion, mental health problems and, crucially, a lack of the jobs needed to enable social mobility - even wider. The Institute for Fiscal Studies believes that the closure of schools and subsequent loss of learning is likely to be followed by lower skills and qualifications for children at school during the pandemic, resulting in permanently lower incomes during their careers. It estimates that over 50 to 60 years, the combined earnings loss would amount to £350bn, including a £100bn loss of government tax revenue.

There is now a national consensus that we need to address this issue urgently and effectively. The Purpose Coalition is helping to set the agenda and, with direct discussions with individual MPs and the submission of evidence to the Education Select Committee and the House of Lords Committee on Levelling Up, shaping the Government’s approach. It is continuing to work closely with FTSE 100 businesses to develop innovative solutions, including new collaborations with higher education institutions.

This report is the first audit of York St John’s work on social mobility set against the Levelling Up Goals, assessing where it is meeting the goals and the areas where it might make even more impact on the University’s own students and its wider communities. York St John has shown that it is willing to continue to set itself new challenges to close the equality gap and to help level up Britain.

01 : Foreword

Professor Karen Bryan Vice Chancellor of York St John University

As we take stock of the wide-ranging impacts of the coronavirus pandemic and prepare for the many changes and challenges that lie ahead, universities have a vital role to play in creating the conditions that enable more people right across society to thrive.

How each university does that will be informed by its locality, history, ethos, and expertise, and this is certainly the case for us at York St John. Our institution was first founded by the church in 1841 with the express aim of increasing access to education for people from a wider range of social backgrounds. We have expanded and evolved since then, but that mission is still integral to who we are and what we do. Put simply, we can say that levelling up has always been in our DNA. Debate about what it means to ‘level up’ the UK is widespread, with many different views on the priorities the government should pursue in moving from slogan to action. At York St John, we are proud to partner with the Purpose Coalition to support their work in this area, because we value and recognise the holistic, whole system approach they are taking to framing and explaining what the focus of levelling up should be. The Purpose Coalition understands the overlapping nature of many of the issues our society must address. From housing to health and education to employment, its collaborative agenda resonates with the multidisciplinary ways we are developing our own teaching and research, and the ‘whole person’ ethos evident in the breadth of support we offer students. We are pleased to showcase the

practical and impactful ways that our work has been helping people to access and then thrive in Higher Education. We are ideally placed to do so: 69% of our students have one or more of the recognised characteristics of people who are underrepresented in English universities; many are the first person in their family to go to university; and around a quarter are from an area regarded as one of the most deprived in the country using the Indices of Multiple Deprivation.

Working with these students every day has helped us learn what works in raising aspirations, building networks, and releasing potential. It has shown us time and again, that with the right support and the conditions to succeed, students who are underrepresented in Higher Education are very often the most resilient, determined, tenacious and creative. We take pride in our responsibility to work with those students to build on the strengths in their experiences. By listening, learning from evidence, and taking a positive approach to success and wellbeing across our pedagogy - our team helps thousands of people each year to develop skills and confidence for the workplace, and for life.

In this report you will read about a selection of the initiatives that have helped us to do that. They cover a broad spectrum of contributions. Our contextual offer scheme for applicants, described by the Office for Students as the ‘most radical’ in the country, ensures that background, alongside educational attainment, is fairly and consistently

considered when offering our university places. Our expertise in teacher education and the early years, helps to give people the best start in life, supplying the workforce for vital public services. Our work with employers and employability experts, provides a comprehensive package of support to smooth the transition from learning to earning. There are many more examples of how levelling up is embedded across everything we do. We also recognise that the role of universities in this agenda stretches far beyond our primary business of teaching and research. As the Purpose Coalition regularly highlightsuniversities are anchor institutions in our communities. It is incumbent on us to work with our partners and the public to understand and address common challenges. In this report you will read about our refreshed 2026 Strategy, which outlines our approach to doing this.

It emphasises our commitment to issues of equality, the environment, and health and wellbeing, and acknowledges that we must lead by example.

Universities must work together and in partnership to shape our story. We know we have much to do, but institutions such as York St John are determined to play a big part in the change we need to see. Despite the difficult environment we are operating in, momentum is growing across society on issues of inequality and social justice that have for too long been at the margins of mainstream debate. We want to be part of a new conversation, to help maintain that momentum. Through its levellingup goals, the Purpose Coalition provides a well-considered framework to help us do that. We are proud to be promoting the goals and ready to turn our shared aspirations into reality.

02 : Introduction

Levelling up in the context of COVID-19

In the UK, a lack of social mobility has been a persistent problem and, even before COVID-19, it was still too often the case that how well a person did in life depended on where they started. The Social Mobility Pledge’s own research had indicated that young people in the UK were finding it harder to progress in the workplace than their parents or grandparents had. It also asked workers aged 18 to 64 how easy it was to get on in life in the UK, regardless of background, and a quarter rated it ‘hard’ or ‘very hard’¹.

for his government. He included not only education and increased productivity as solutions, but improved infrastructure and giving people the chance to own their own home.

That ambition is now being more widely reflected across government, industry and civil society as the profound impact of the pandemic across locations, ages and education levels has become clear. COVID has spotlighted many of the inequalities that already existed but its effects have undoubtedly made the task of levelling up the country a much more difficult one. A report by the think tank, Centre for Cities, estimates that the government’s plan for levelling up the country has become four times harder because of the damage the pandemic has inflicted on the employment market².

In his 2020 Spending Review, the Chancellor of the Exchequer confirmed that unemployment rose by 300,000 in 2020 and that the fall in output would be the largest for over 300 years. While it is not expected to recover to pre-COVID levels until late 2022, the economic damage is likely to be lasting³. The Office for Budget Responsibility provided a reference scenario in which the UK economy would contract by 35%, with unemployment peaking at 10% as a result of COVID. Some sectors such as finance will emerge relatively unscathed with a contraction of just -5%, while others like retail and hospitality will contract by -50% and -85% respectively₄

That difference in impact across sectors has already resulted in a difference in impact on people. Fifteen percent of workers in shut-down sectors are from a black and minority ethnic background compared to 12% of all workers, 57% are women compared to a workforce that is 48% female and those who are low paid are more likely to work in shut-down sectors, as well as less likely to be able to work from home. Young people are particularly impacted with one in three young people under 25 employed in the three sectors most affected by the pandemic - travel, hospitality and retail. While employment levels for

Justine Greening first used the phrase “levelled up Britain” in 2015 to set out her view that equality of opportunity should be achieved not by taking opportunity away from those who already have it, but by giving the same access to opportunities to people and communities without them. Elected on a manifesto which vowed to ‘level up every part of the UK’, in his first speech as Prime Minister in 2019 Boris Johnson identified the need to ‘unleash the potential of the whole country’ and close the opportunity gap as one of the biggest challenges ¹www.socialmobilitypledge.org/news/2019/2/2/class-diversity-at-work-worse-now-than-decades-agonbsp ²www.centreforcities.org/publication/cities-outlook-2021/ ³UK Government. Spending Review Speech. [Online] November 2020. https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/spending-review-2020-speech.. ₄Office for Budget Responsibility. Coronavirus analysis. [Online]

those aged 25-64 have fallen by 0.5%, employment levels amongst 16-24 year olds have fallen by 7%₅

ONS figures reviewing the labour market in February 2021 showed that three fifths of the fall in number of employees came from the under-25s₆. Other studies have shown that young people from poorer households and young people from the North of England were more likely to have lost work during the pandemic. Unemployment rates in the North were much higher than the rest of England already and rose faster during the pandemic by 0.2%₇

Across every level of education, the impact of the pandemic has been severe, with the digital divide emerging as a key barrier from primary school through to university. An Institute for Fiscal Studies report assessed that the cost of lost learning could translate to as much as £350bn in lost earnings, with an estimation that pupils stand to lose an average of £40,000 in lifetime earnings, with children from disadvantaged backgrounds most affected₈. The impact on the health and wellbeing of our children is immense and the threat of a lost generation is very real.

Against this challenging background, there is now wide recognition that an organisation’s social impact is a crucial part of its governance. The Government has introduced a social mobility agenda into each of its departments and has included the Social Mobility Commission at the centre of government, acknowledging the need for levelling up to be at the heart of its plans. It recognises that social mobility does not just extend to jobs and education but also, for example, to sustainable homes, health and infrastructure.

Businesses, universities and other organisations are also moving towards delivering a more authentic socially responsible agenda, away from purely corporate governance. Polling carried out by the Social Mobility Pledge reflects what has become much clearer as a result of the pandemic: the public now expect higher standards of social impact from the organisations that they work for or do business with. The majority also believe that their performance on improving social mobility should form part of how their success is measured. That requires a clear and wide-ranging set of objectives which can form the basis of an organisation’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria and shape their focus.

For business but also for universities, the shift in consumer expectations towards making a positive impact has also increased and so too should the need to build a business strategy around meaningful purpose. In research carried out by the US Trust as part of the Bank of America Private Bank, 93% of millennials believed that social or environmental impact is important in investment decisions. There is growing pressure from the public and investors for corporate Britain to play its part in solving global challenges, including climate change. That means encouraging as many companies as possible to make a public commitment to reaching net zero emissions.

That is the right thing for the country but it is also the smart approach for businesses. There is increasing evidence across markets and sectors of the intrinsic role that having a clear purpose has in underpinning long-term commercial success. Deutsche Bank evaluated 56 academic studies on environmental, social and governance criteria. Organisations with the highest ESG ratings were found to have a lower cost of debt and equity. 89% of the studies analysed showed that companies with the highest ESG ratings outperformed the market in the medium (3-5 years) and long (5-10 years) term.

The Levelling Up Goals have been designed to provide the framework by which purpose-led organisations can address the long-standing issue of poor social mobility more effectively and help communities across the country to recover from the impact of the pandemic.

03 : The Journey to the Levelling Up Goals

In 2015, as Secretary of State for International Development, Justine Greening MP led the UK delegation to the United Nations (UN). Along with 184 international partners, she helped to establish the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In 2017, the SDGs were made more ‘actionable’ by a UN resolution adopted by the General Assembly which identified specific targets for each goal, along with indicators used to measure progress towards each target. These 17 interlinked, global goals were designed to be ‘a blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all’₉. They marked a shift from the previously established Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), following the Millennium Summit of the United Nations in 2000. In contrast to the MDGS, the SDGs were nationally-owned, country-led and targeted wealthy, developed nations as well as developing countries.

The SDGs emphasised the interdependent environmental, social and economic aspects of development by centralising the role of sustainability. As Secretary for State, Justine recognised how useful a common set of accessible but ambitious objectives could be in galvanising action to effect change. Since then the COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated many of the problems relating to social inequality in the UK. The recovery is a chance for the United Kingdom to address these issues and level up but that requires updated and specific goals in order to outline, inspire and measure progress.

The Purpose Coalition, of which York St John University has been a key member, aims to improve social mobility in the UK and has responded to this challenge with the launch of their own Levelling Up Goals in February 2021.

These new Goals build on the foundations laid by the UN’s SDGs by outlining 14 clear goals, and draw on expertise provided by academia and businesses which has been applied to the unique challenges facing the UK in levelling up. They focus on key life stages and highlight the main issues that need to be resolved in order to create a level playing field for all in this country. The Levelling Up Goals are intended to guide how the urgent ambition to level up the UK can actually be achieved. The impact of the work carried out to do this can, and should, be measurable.

Sub-goals with quantifiable targets and measurements against which progress can be charted within the 14 goals are being developed in partnership with Purpose Coalition universities including York St John University and the University of Bradford. This will create a more transparent and mensurable framework with which to monitor and subsequently address problems of social mobility and inequality. The Levelling Up Goals are designed to look at the outcomes of CSR strategies and

that organisations operate.

organisations

doing outstanding

and making important contributions to

still

this

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“IF BRITAIN IS TO ACHIEVE LEVELLING UP, I BELIEVE THAT WE NEED A GALVANIZING SET OF GOALS THAT CAN UNITE PARLIAMENT, BUSINESS, COMMUNITIES, AND CIVIL SOCIETY TO WORK IN PARTNERSHIP FOR THE COMMON GOOD OF OUR COUNTRY. " (Justine Greening)

Crucially, these Goals are a shared framework. Justine and the wider Purpose Coalition believe that with a common understanding and objectives, there can be action that drives change on the ground. Distinct entities, including universities, businesses, policymakers, communities and NGOs, can work together, with the shared Goals being a uniting and motivating foundation for progress. As the problems which cause social inequality in the UK are interlinked, it seems that the response to these problems must also be collaborative. The Purpose Coalition has encouraged businesses and universities to share their own best practice with other organisations so they are not only demonstrating their own commitment, but creating a shift towards purpose-led organisations. The Goals can encourage an extension of this co-operative exchange of information which can be used to help level up Britain.

04 : York St John University

and the role of universities in levelling up and the levelling up goals

It has been reported that with current levels of inequality and intergenerational earnings mobility, it could take at least five generations – or 150 years – for the child of a poor family to reach the average income across OECD countries. There are different rates in different countries – for example it can take just two to three generations to reach that average income in the Nordic countries but nine or more in some emerging economies. In the UK, levels of social mobility have been stagnant for some time and there has been a failure to keep up with other developed countries in addressing the issue.

The Levelling Up Goals provide an ambitious and strategic approach to address that challenge, setting out for the first time the gaps that need to be removed to successfully facilitate levelling up across the country. They will offer a common framework within which organisations can collate information on what they are doing and how that is making a difference across all key life stages, using a common language.

That ambition should also apply to the higher education sector where universities often serve as anchor institutions in their region. Many already have a principle focus on widening access and participation. Reaching into communities that are often furthest away from a level playing field, they can be the gateway to opportunity – the chance for an individual to make something of their life, no matter where they were born or what their background. If that option is not available, it is likely that much of the talent pool that undoubtedly exists in those communities would be wasted, making poor social and economic sense.

However, a focus on the widening access and participation agenda offers just one perspective of higher education as a driver of levelling up, when the influence of universities actually extends to many other areas. It is often accompanied by innovative thinking on how they might have a wider impact on communities, for example on employability and connections to employers and industry or, with £11billion spent by the sector annually, improved procurement practices to deliver better social value.

It should also be recognised that the task of some higher education institutions to provide opportunities for graduates to access higher paid jobs is harder than for others, though it is often those institutions that have been the most innovative and developed the best practice. Some institutions are allowed to coast when in fact better outcomes should be demanded of them, whilst others are seen as less successful when in fact they are the universities that overwhelmingly change life outcomes for the better, and at scale, for disadvantaged people and communities.

There needs to be a new approach to higher education and levelling up which strategically assesses how universities are delivering across each of the 14 Levelling Up Goals, the best practice that already exists and the expectations they need to meet. The Goals’ framework will make it much easier to evaluate that and, as a result,

compare it in a consistent way across organisations. This will also help meet society’s expectations, particularly following the pandemic, that they should be working towards the public good. Students reflect that sentiment and expect their institutions to pursue policies of procurement and sustainability, for example, that deliver positive social value.

York St John University has acknowledged the important part that it can play as a higher education institution in the levelling up agenda. It demonstrated best practice on widening access and participation through its work on contextualised admissions which was the focus of the previous Insight Report and which would meet Goal 5 - Open recruitment.

This approach is all the more effective because it is part of a bigger effort by the University to embed levelling up into its wider long term strategy. In 2021 York St John launched a bold and ambitious refreshed strategy with a focus on social justice and honouring and building on its founding mission from 1841. This audit examines how it is doing that in more detail and identifies more clearly where it is focusing its efforts and how effectively it achieves its strategic aims.

There is a real opportunity for universities to be part of the solution to the levelling up agenda in this country. York St John University has already embarked on that journey and, as part of the Purpose Coalition, will be working towards more transparent and measurable outcomes.

Many organisations have strong commitments to traditional Corporate Social Responsibility and the ESG agenda. We have already seen through York St John University’s previous work with the Social Mobility Pledge that the University has a strong social conscience and that it is committed to working towards levelling up Britain through social mobility. This section of the report will map several of York St John University’s specific initiatives against the Levelling Up Goals, to track where progress is being made and where efforts could be redirected or better targeted.

It is important to note that it would be difficult for any single organisation to work effectively towards all of the Levelling Up Goals. As more organisations adopt the goals, it could be more efficient for individual organisations to focus on particular areas

where they can make a real impact, rather than making a superficial impact across many goals.

But universities could be the exception to this trend. Because their activity is inherently place based, rather than sector specific, the higher education sector is uniquely positioned to make tangible differences across many of the goals.

Below is a list of the Levelling Up Goals, their definitions, and our team’s assessment of how York St John University is currently meeting them. These have been assessed through a document review process that takes account of previous commitments, future strategies, implementation of statutory requirements, and the University’s research; we then map the amount of activity done by York St John across each of the Levelling Up Goals. We can then progress to measuring specific impact across these activities.

of York St John’s activities in the context of Levelling Up Goals

05 : Assessment

Overview

1

school years2Strong foundations in Early Years

3

destinations

Right advice and experiences4 Open recruitment5

Close the early years development gap by delivering the best possible start for every child

Over 100 YSJ early years teacher graduates start work in schools across the country each year.

Every child successfully achieving their potential in attainment and development

20% of research submitted in the field of business and management studies has considerable or recognised impact in terms of reach and significance.

Every young person and adult to have the choice of a high quality route in education, employment, or training

Works to encourage progression into higher education.

Access to the right advice and experiences at the right time to unlock opportunity through a person’s life

Provides ongoing touchpoints with people of many ages - from school age to mature student age - about the benefits of higher education.

Careers and professions open to people of all backgrounds through transparent, accessible, and open recruitment practices

Clear and detailed contextualised admissions system.

The University also runs three distinctive degree programmes covering areas such as Early Years and Education and Inclusion.

From 2021, YSJ will run Teacher Training courses with a foundation year, which will open up teacher training opportunities to a wider, more diverse audience.

Large numbers of primary and secondary teachers are trained each year. Immersive summer schools provide university experience to students unfamiliar with higher education. Robust partnerships or programmes with local schools to boost learning.

Coordinates and houses North Yorkshire UniConnect, Future HY, which offers advice, activities and information on the benefits of higher education.

Offers a variety of courses at foundation, undergraduate, postgraduate, and degree apprenticeship level.

Has a strong record on post-university jobs.

Employment placements for all students across every degree.

Large numbers of students fall into

one or more groups underrepresented in higher education.

A proactive careers advice and guidance team with an embedded approach to employability and focus on outcomes.

Staff recruitment process includes blind shortlisting and disabled interview guarantee as well unconscious bias training.

A mature entry offer scheme gives those who have been out of education for at least 3 years the opportunity to study a range of courses. The scheme recognises nontraditional entry requirements and experience.

Fair career progression6 Widening access to savings & credit 7

Good health and well-being8

Closing the digital divide10Extending enterprise9

Opportunities for career advancement for all based on ability and potential, not connections

YSJ is involved with the Levelling Up Law project to ensure fair career progression in the legal sector.

Support is given to students looking for placements through LaunchPad Online where they can access opportunities if they do not have contacts of their own.

Widening access to responsible credit and closing the savings gap

Targeted bursary scheme and Student Support Fund.

Improving mental and physical health at all ages to boost overall well-being to allow people to fulfil their potential

Commitment to becoming a leading expert on mental health with large impact on the field.

Extending private enterprise and entrepreneurship to all people and communities

20% of research in the business and management studies field has considerable or recognised impact in terms of reach and significance.

Online platform to help students manage their money.

Dedicated well-being team and community mental health clinic.

Programmes providing support and opportunities for students to set up their own business.

Closing the digital divide in technology access, skills, opportunities, and infrastructure

IT equipment such as laptops provided to all students. Digital training team supports students and staff across all disciplines.

Guarantor scheme for students.

Dedicated recreation and well-being team.

An active Students Union that supports dozens of health and wellbeing orientated student societies.

Number of campaigns promoting mental and physical health and wellness.

Mental health support continues post-graduation.

Combatting digital poverty is a key aim of the Hardship Fund.

Technology used in university is accessible.

Building homes & sustainable communities 12Infrastructure for opportunity11 Achieve equality, through diversity & inclusion 14Harness the energy transition 13

Developing the physical infrastructure that connects people and places to opportunity

Creative Centre will be an anchor for the creative industries in York.

A programme of events and community activities that provide open access to education.

A vibrant city centre campus with 30 buildings across 5 hectares and over 40,000 square metres of lecture theatres, seminar rooms, laboratories, offices and other student facilities.

A leading sports park across 24 hectares including three 3G football and rugby pitches, indoor and outdoor tennis courts, an indoor sports barn and a range of fitness and conditioning facilities.

A London hub providing a range of teaching, learning and collaboration facilities in the heart of the city.

Creating affordable quality homes so people can live in safe and sustainable communities

Direct provision of student accommodation. Accommodation guarantee scheme for first year students.

Ensure that the energy transition is fair and creates opportunities across the UK

Large reduction in absolute carbon emissions. Zero waste goes to landfill. Goal to achieve sector leading environmental sustainability and biodiversity.

Create a level playing field on opportunity for all, to fully unleash Britain’s potential for the first time

Vast majority of students fall into one or more groups underrepresented in higher education.

High continuation rates for black and minority ethnic students.

Race Equality Taskforce established to boost the number of black and minority ethnic students.

100% of energy comes from renewable sources and in 2021 YSJ launched a new Government funded solar energy project to make the campus even more sustainable.

Proactive efforts to reduce gender pay gap.

Broad range of scholarship and bursary schemes.

Key Strengths

We have identified York St John’s key relative strengths in the ‘S’ of ‘ESG’ as follows. These have been identified in the wider context, in comparison, thus making York St John a standout University in these areas.

Goal 3 : Positive Destination

With a wide range of courses at multiple levels, both academic and vocational, as well as programmes designed to boost entries into higher education, York St John immediately offers a positive destination in education for people aged 18 and over. Additionally, 97% of graduates move on to employment or further study within 6 months of graduating, with nearly three quarters landing graduate jobs.

Goal 4 : Right Advice

York St John offers a comprehensive range of programmes designed to advise people about courses they are interested in as well as higher education in general, helping to encourage people to see higher education as a viable option. Furthermore, all degree programmes contain an element of work placement to provide experiences necessary to unlock opportunity.

Key Activity Strengths

Goal 5 : Open Recruitment

York St John offers a comprehensive contextual admissions system which takes into account wider factors that applicants may have had to overcome. This allows a more holistic view of ability and potential, resulting in more opportunities for students who may have previously been denied a place by using a purely grades based system.

Wider Activity Mapping

Status Activity

Strong foundations in Early Years

Has the organisation helped to close the early years development gap by delivering the best possible start for every child?

Over 100 YSJ early years teacher graduates start work in schools across the country each year.

The University also runs distinctive degree programmes in Children, Young People and Families.

Successful school years2

Has the organisation helped to allow every child to successfully achieve their potential in attainment and development?

100+ primary and 200+ secondary teachers trained each year, with a Good OFSTED rating.

Roots to Success programme works with pupils in Years 9-11 to engage with pupils over an extended period of time to raise aspirations about higher education. Other schemes focus on target groups such as care leavers, carers, and children on military personnel.

York St John University’s second and third-year students support the YEAL (York: English as an Additional Language) programme, which works with English-as-asecond-language pupils in local schools.

York St John University is the lead for the Yorkshire and North East branch of the Service Children Progression Alliance, which aims to improve outcomes, education, and progression for military service children. [SMP Report]

York St John University has submitted multiple pieces of research to the Research Excellence Framework in the field of ‘education’, with 80% of it having considerable impact in terms of reach and significance. [REF 2014].

Does the organisation support young people and adults to have the choice of a high-quality route in education, employment, or training?

97% of York St John University graduates go on to employment or further study within six months of leaving university, with 73% landing graduate level jobs. [SMP Report]

Offers a variety of courses at foundation, undergraduate, postgraduate, and degree apprenticeship level. Currently expanding both foundation and apprenticeship routes to broaden the offer and provide opportunities for a range of students.

Coordinates and houses the North Yorkshire chapter for UniConnect, offering activities, advice and information on the benefits and realities of going to university or college. Has provided intensive support to over 1,000 learners across eight of the most deprived wards in the area, spanning years 9 to 13.

As a higher education provider utilising contextual admissions, York St John University offers people aged 18 and over the opportunity to enter into higher education, supports career skills development, and is a provider for degree apprenticeships. [SMP Report]

Status Activity

York St John operates an aspiration raising project called Roots to Success which works with pupils at local primary and secondary schools in York. Around 300 Year 6 – Year 11 pupils are chosen each year, with the aim being to introduce these children to the possibility of higher education. A higher percentage of Roots to Success children continue their education post-16 compared to all Year 11 students in York.

As part of their 2026 Strategy, York St John has set the goal of securing professional and managerial employment for 70% of every cohort of graduates. [YSJ 2026]

The University offers a sector-leading scholarship programme meaning that undergraduate students receive between 25% and 50% off postgraduate study fees, offering the chance to further enhance employment prospects.

Right advice and experiences4

Does the organisation provide access to the right advice and experiences at the right time to unlock opportunity through a person’s life?

York St John University offers a supportive approach throughout the University which is built around an in-depth understanding of challenges faced by people from disadvantaged backgrounds. [SMP Report]

York St John University runs regular mature learner information sessions to allow prospective mature applicants to find out more about their courses, student finance, and higher education. These sessions are held every two months and provide insights on what studying at the university is like. [SMP Report]

York St John runs a number of open days and facilitates visits from schools as well sending staff into schools less able to visit a campus in order to share information about higher education, student finance, and student life. [SMP Report]

York St John also runs summer schools with a similar contextualised selection process to that as used in its admissions process. [SMP Report]

Any applicant who ticks the ‘in care’ box on their UCAS form is contacted about the support for care leavers that York St John offers, which includes a designated member of staff, advice on the transition to higher education, and one-to-one ongoing mentoring and pastoral support. Care leavers are also given £500 each year to spend on the cost of studying as well as memberships of the Students’ Union societies. [APP Plan]

Year 10 and Year 12 Summer schools that provide an immersive university experience to groups of students from backgrounds unfamiliar with higher education.

In addition to mandatory work placements across all degree programmes, a range of student internships and funding opportunities are available to access for volunteering and international work placements.

Confidence and technique building programmes including interview and assessment centre practice, CV support and access to employers on campus.

Activity

Are careers and professions open to people of all backgrounds through transparent, accessible, and open recruitment practices?

York St John University operates a ‘contextual admissions’ system, which takes consideration of the wider background factors that university applicants may have had to overcome during their school years. Since this scheme was introduced, there has been a 5% increase in enrolled new entrants who live in a deprived area, a 5% increase in mature students, and more students who are care leavers, the first in their family to go to university, or who have a registered disability. The system uses a mixture of conditional, unconditional and reduced points offers. It uses background information to understand candidates’ unique circumstances. Designed by listening to feedback and research with current and potential-future students, the offer scheme is clearly communicated and transparent, built around an understanding of the challenges. Contextualised offer schemes are recognised as best practice in universities as a way to increase opportunities for everyone.

The University has a proactive careers advice and guidance team with an embedded approach to employability and focus on outcomes. Individual discussions take place with all students, with a range of opportunities available, including:

•Access to employers on campus; •Live business case studies addressing real world problems; •Assessment Centre practice opportunities; •A mentoring scheme linking students with local business people; •The Grad2Director and Grad2Freelancer programmes providing support to students who are interested setting up their own business; •A range of student internships; •Students as researchers scheme; •A range of internal and external graduate internships; •Funding opportunities to be able to access volunteering and international work placements; and •Bursaries to undertake study abroad opportunities.

The majority of students at York St John University come from a ‘widening participation’ indicator, such as being the first in their family to go to university, or having previously been in care, and many of the university’s new entrants are represented in more than one measure of disadvantage.

69% of students fall into one or more groups underrepresented in Higher Education.

24% of students come from the UK’s most deprived areas (using the IMD) and 28% come from areas where access to HE is low.

23% of students are the first in their family to enter HE.

17% of students have a known disability.

The University has a staff recruitment process that includes blind shortlisting and guaranteed interviews for disabled applicants. Unintended bias and fair recruitment training is also mandatory for all those involved in staff recruitment.

Status Activity

Widening access to savings & credit

Does the organisation help widen access to responsible credit and close the savings gap?

A targeted bursary scheme that supports students from disadvantaged backgrounds with financial support. In 2020-21, this totals £600,000.

A wide-reaching Student Support Fund with rapid processing and turnaround. In a typical year, £200,000 is made available to students that are in financial distress. In 2020-21 this has risen to over £500,000, and has been used to support those in third party accommodation or with problems in paying simple living expenses.

Students have access to Blackbullion: an online platform that helps students manage their money.

The Tenancy Guarantor scheme that provides assurance to landlords on behalf of students who are unable to secure their own guarantor.

Loans available to commuter students to support travel costs.

Good health and well-being8

Does the organisation improve mental and physical health at all ages to boost overall well-being to allow people to fulfil their potential?

York St John University has submitted multiple pieces of research to the Research Excellence Framework in the field of ‘allied health professions, dentistry, nursing, and pharmacy’, 80% of which has very considerable impact in terms of reach and significance. [REF 2014]

Mental health is a strategic priority for York St John, and an area in which they hope to have leading expertise and impact through partnerships, new research, and enhanced support. [YSJ 2026]

A dedicated recreation and wellbeing team, York St John Active, that runs mental and physical wellbeing campaigns, and provides health and fitness classes to students and staff.

Over £15m invested in a new recreation facility that supports student and community led activities across a range of sports and levels.

New sports facilities provide over 35,000 hours of student use and 50,000 hours of community use each year, indoors and outdoors.

the company offer opportunities for career advancement for all based on ability and potential, not connections?

Pledge for 30 Campaign challenged participants to make a healthy behaviour change for 30 days and provided a pledge pack to support.

Walk for Wellness campaign, which encouraged staff members to walk during the pandemic with a challenge incentive.

A physical community Mental Health clinic run by academics and students.

An active Students Union that supports dozens of health and wellbeing orientated student societies.

Access to online mental health support post-graduation.

Does the organisation work to extend private enterprise and entrepreneurship to all people and communities?

York St John University has submitted a number of pieces of research to the Research Excellence Framework in the field of ‘business and management studies’, 20% of which has recognised or considerable impact in terms of reach and significance, including work on CSR and entrepreneurial intentions of students.

Grad2Director and Grad2Freelancer Programmes provide support and opportunities for students to set up their own businesses.

Is the organisation working to close the digital divide in technology access, skills, opportunities, and infrastructure?

York St John University offers one-to-one training for the software and systems that are used by students day-to-day, and training sessions can easily be booked online.

Dedicated digital training team supports students across every discipline, including access to Microsoft accredited micro-credentials.

Tackling digital poverty is a key element of the student hardship fund.

The University makes technology used in university accessible, with training days to properly prepare students.

Laptop and dongle loans are available to all students.

Is the organisation developing the physical infrastructure that connects people and places to opportunity?

A new Creative Centre will be a base for the Yorkshire Institute of Technology and a beating heart for the creative industries in York.

London campus provides a ‘touchdown’ space for students in the capital and a base for research, placements and job opportunities.

Status Activity

Modern, city-centre facilities have over 25 conference rooms, 3 lecture theatres and 8 performance spaces which are purpose built to meet the demands of contemporary events, including a team of event professionals to assist with planning.

12

homes

Is the organisation helping people live in quality, affordable homes so people can live in safe and sustainable communities?

Care leaver students are offered year-round accommodation that has been tailored to their individual needs, and where they are not able to secure private sector accommodation in their second and third years, they are offered University-owned or managed housing as an alternative. York St John is also setting up an additional fund to support care leaver students with these moves. [APP Plan]

The University provides first year accommodation to over 1,800 students, and typically students from more deprived backgrounds are more likely to use it.

Student accommodation strategy based on the provision of a mix of low cost, good quality accommodation.

Affordable overnight accommodation is also made available to commuter students.

Harness the energy transition 13

Is the organisation ensuring that the energy transition is fair and creates opportunities across the UK?

Since 2005, York St John has:

•Reduced absolute carbon emissions by c. 50% and relative emissions (per student) even further despite growing in size;

•Achieved zero waste to landfill;

•Created new habitats through tree and meadow planting, ponds, hibernation and nesting boxes;

•Adopting sector-leading sustainable construction standards; •Switched its vehicle fleet to electric vehicles;

•Been the first University to sign a power purchase agreement with wind energy generators.

The University procures 100% of their electricity from renewables, nuclear or sustainable gas, with a major proportion directly from renewable energy generators.

By 2026, aiming to achieve sector leading environmental sustainability and biodiversity including; a) sourcing 50% of all electricity from carbon free sources (direct from source); b) Reducing carbon emissions by a further 33%; c) focusing on biodiversity enhancement and new habitat creation.

Status Activity

Is the organisation working to create a level playing field on opportunity for all, to fully unleash Britain’s potential for the first time?

York St John University has a Race Equality Taskforce, which has set the goal of achieving a black and minority ethnic student cohort of 10%. Its strategy to achieve this includes working with primary schools across West and South Yorkshire as well as welcoming parents onto campus for official visits. York St John also sponsors the Yorkshire Asian Young Achievers Awards, recognising the efforts of young people of South Asian heritage living and working in Yorkshire. [SMP Report]

Continuation rates for black and minority ethnic students at York St John University are consistently high (96.3%), and well above the sector rate (88.1%). York St John University’s black and minority ethnic continuation rate is actually now higher than the continuation rate for their white students (91.7%). [APP Plan]

York St John University has seen a faster growth rate of disabled students than the higher education sector as whole, particularly in providing access to higher education for students with mental health issues. Continuation rates are also higher than the sector average, with no gap between disabled and nondisabled students. Currently 17% of students have a known disability.

The University has a focused and proactive approach to reduce the gender pay gap, including the introduction of flexible and agile working and the appointment of pay gap champions. Members of the Aurora Women’s Leadership Development programme and aspiring to the Athena Swan benchmark, an international framework which is used to support and transform gender equality in HE. The goal is a 0% gender pay gap, with a 5% staging post by 2026.

The Sanctuary Scholarship supports asylum seeking students with a full fee waiver and a small bursary each year to help travel and study costs.

Estranged Student Bursary Scheme offers additional financial support to estranged supports and advice is offered.

Care leavers and estranged students are guaranteed accommodation all year round.

Scholarship for Gypsy, Romani and Traveller students created in 2019.

Dedicated university contacts for different groups (care leavers, trans students, study parents, commuting students) to chat, offer general advice and to help connect them with other people in their position.

Output and Outcomes

This section will consider how the aforementioned activities and their inputs, both financial and in terms of manpower, result in associated outputs and subsequent outcomes.

The listed outputs have been noted from available data; while given the absence of current universal measurement for social impact in the company, outcomes have been implied.

As the availability of data increases, with increased adoption of impact tracking and measurement, both outcomes will be more readily reported against. This will be highly effective for benchmarking the impact of any social impact project York St John progresses with.

Strong foundations in Early Years 1

Has the organisation helped to close the early years development gap by delivering the best possible start for every child?

Activity Output Outcome (Implied)

These are the measurable things e.g. no of people participating

Over 100 YSJ early years teacher graduates start work in Schools across the country each year.

The University also runs distinctive degree programmes in Children, Young People and Families.

100 early years teacher graduates.

These are the more intangible benefits n/a

Successful school years2

Has the organisation helped to allow every child to successfully achieve their potential in attainment and development?

Activity Output Outcome (Implied)

These are the measurable things e.g. no of people participating

80% of research submitted in the field of education has considerable impact in terms of reach and significance.

Large number of primary and secondary teachers are trained each year.

Immersive summer schools providing university experience to students unfamiliar with higher education.

Robust partnerships/programmes with local schools to boost learning.

Positive destinations Post 16+ 3

Over 100 primary teachers trained each year, with an Ofsted ‘Good’ rating.

Over 200 secondary teachers trained each year, with an Ofsted ‘Good’ rating.

These are the more intangible benefits

Education best practice further developed.

Students more familiar with higher education.

English as a second language students more able to engage with schooling.

Does the organisation support young people and adults to have the choice of a high-quality route in education, employment, or training?

Activity Output Outcome (Implied)

These are the measurable things e.g. no of people participating

Works to encourage progression into higher education.

Coordinates and houses North Yorkshire UniConnect.

Offers a variety of courses at foundation, undergraduate, postgraduate, and degree apprenticeship level.

Has a strong record on postuniversity jobs.

97% of York St John graduates go on to employment or further study.

73% of York St John graduates land graduate level jobs.

300 Year 6 - Year 11 pupils per year introduced to higher education.

1,000 learners across the most deprived wards in York given Intensive support.

69% of pupils fall into one or more groups underrepresented in higher education

Target of 70% of every cohort of graduates in professional and managerial employment.

These are the more intangible benefits

Higher percentage of Roots to Success children continuing education post-16 compared to other Y11 students in York.

Learners in deprived areas are supported to achieve their potential.

People are able to get into higher education according to their ability, not their background.

Right advice and experiences4

Does the organisation provide access to the right advice and experiences at the right time to unlock opportunity through a person’s life?

Activity Output Outcome (Implied)

These are the measurable things e.g. no of people participating

Provides ongoing touchpoints with people of many ages - from school age to mature student age - about the benefits of higher education.

Employment placements for all students across every degree.

A proactive careers advice and guidance team with an embedded approach to employability and focus on outcomes.

Learner information sessions every two months.

Number of open days and school visits.

£500 a year to care leavers for the cost of studying.

These are the more intangible benefits

People from disadvantaged backgrounds are supported into higher education.

More people have experience of higher education.

Care leavers are more able to study.

Open recruitment5

Are careers and professions open to people of all backgrounds through transparent, accessible, and open recruitment practices?

Activity Output Outcome (Implied)

These are the measurable things e.g. no of people participating

Clear and detailed contextualised admissions system.

Large numbers of students fall into one or more groups underrepresented in higher education.

Staff recruitment process includes blind shortlisting and disabled interview guarantee as well unconscious bias training.

5% increase in enrolled new students who live in a deprived area.

5% increase in mature students.

More students who are care leavers, first in family, or registered disabled.

Many new entrants are represented in more than one measure of disadvantage.

These are the more intangible benefits

The university has a more representative student body.

Lecturers hired on the basis of ability, not interviewer biases.

More people from previously underrepresented groups able to experience higher education.

Fair career progression6

Does the company offer opportunities for career advancement for all based on ability and potential, not connections?

Output

7

Widening access to savings & credit

Outcome (Implied)

Does the organisation help widen access to responsible credit and close the savings gap?

Activity

Activity Output

These are the measurable things e.g. no of people participating

Targeted bursary scheme and Student Support Fund.

Online platform to help students manage their money.

Guarantor scheme for students.

£600,000 in bursary money given to those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

£200,000 given through Student Support Fund (£500,000 in 2020-21).

Provision of an online money management platform.

Outcome (Implied)

These are the more intangible benefits

Students are able to live in accommodation even if a guarantor is not available.

Students struggle less with money. Students are more financially aware.

Good health and well-being8

Does the organisation improve mental and physical health at all ages to boost overall well-being to allow people to fulfil their potential?

Activity Output Outcome (Implied)

These are the measurable things e.g. no of people participating

Commitment to becoming a leading expert on mental health with large impact on the field.

Dedicated wellbeing team and community mental health clinic.

Dedicated recreation and wellbeing team.

An active Students Union that supports dozens of health and wellbeing orientated student societies.

Number of campaigns promoting mental and physical health and wellness. Mental health support continues post-graduation.

Impact-focussed research produced.

£15m investment in recreation facility.

These are the more intangible benefits

Best practice in the field of allied health professionals is developed. Healthy lifestyles and wellbeing promoted and accessible to staff and students.

Students, staff, and graduates are supported with their mental health.

Extending enterprise9

Does the organisation work to extending private enterprise and entrepreneurship to all people and communities?

Activity Output

These are the measurable things e.g. no of people participating

Outcome (Implied)

These are the more intangible benefits

20% of research in the business and management studies field has considerable or recognised impact in terms of reach and significance.

Programmes providing support and opportunities for students to set up their own business.

Impact-focussed research produced.

Best practice in business and management is developed.

More students becoming business owners.

Activity

Is the organisation working to close the digital divide in technology access, skills, opportunities, and infrastructure?

IT equipment such as laptops provided to all students.

Digital training team.

Digital poverty is a key aim of the Hardship Fund. Technology used in university is accessible.

Closing the digital divide10 Infrastructure for opportunity11

Activity

Creative Centre will be anchor for the creative industries in York.

Modern, purpose built citycentre facilities in York and in London.

A programme of events and community activities that provide open access to education.

These are the measurable things e.g. no of people participating

Provision of laptops.

Outcome (Implied)

These are the more intangible benefits

Students are less likely to be in digital poverty.

Students are more likely to have knowledge of technology.

Is the organisation developing the physical infrastructure that connects people and places to opportunity?

Output Output

These are the measurable things e.g. no of people participating

£17.2 invested in creation of Creative Centre.

Building of London Campus.

£1.6m investment in new sports facilities.

Outcome (Implied)

These are the more intangible benefits

Creative centre acts as industry anchor.

More and stronger links between York St John University and industry.

Students have access to a footprint in London.

Building homes & sustainable communities 12

Is the organisation helping people live in quality, affordable homes so people can live in safe and sustainable communities?

Output

These are the measurable things e.g. no of people participating

Outcome (Implied)

These are the more intangible benefits

Provision of student accommodation.

Over 1,800 students in accommodation across 1,200 purpose built accommodation units. 74% of spaces are in the top categories for quality.

Students able to live in high-quality accommodation near to campus.

Easier for commuter students to access early or late lectures.

Harness the energy transition 13

Is the organisation ensuring that the energy transition is fair and creates opportunities across the UK?

Activity

Activity Output

These are the measurable things e.g. no of people participating

Large reduction in absolute carbon emissions.

Zero waste goes to landfill.

Goal to achieve sector leading environmental sustainability and biodiversity.

50% reduction in absolute carbon emissions.

Zero waste goes to landfill. 100% of electricity comes from renewables, nuclear, or sustainable gas.

£800k invested in carbon free electricity generation in 2021.

Outcome (Implied)

These are the more intangible benefits

More biodiverse community.

Less carbon emissions. Contribution to climate change reduced.

Achieve equality, through diversity & inclusion 14

Is the organisation working to create a level playing field on opportunity for all, to fully unleash Britain’s potential for the first time?

Activity Output Outcome (Implied)

These are the measurable things e.g. no of people participating

Vast majority of students fall into one or more groups underrepresented in higher education.

High continuation rates for black and minority ethnic students.

Race Equality Taskforce established to boost the number of black and minority ethnic students.

Proactive efforts to reduce gender pay gap.

Broad range of scholarship and bursary schemes.

17% of students have a known disability

High continuation rates for black and minority ethnic students.

These are the more intangible benefits

More representative and inclusive university.

Women paid more equally to men.

All ethnicities are able to achieve according to their potential.

Conclusion

Developing the commitment of its 2020 Insight Report, Every Student Counts, to deliver opportunity for its students and its community by breaking down internal and external social mobility barriers, York St John University is now demonstrating its leadership by becoming one of the first universities to publish a Levelling Up Impact report.

It has adopted the Levelling Up Goals as a framework for action which will not only identify the gaps in opportunity but will also measure outcomes and their impact more effectively. Applying this framework confirms that York St John University is working particularly effectively to close the gaps on Goal 5 Open Recruitment through its flagship contextual admission system. It is also addressing Goal 3 Positive destinations post-16 and Goal 4 Right advice and experiences, with the advice and support it offers to local communities on entry into university and the range of courses available, as well as on developing links with employers and broadening the horizons of its students who are more likely to have better outcomes as a result. Goal 14 Achieve equality through diversity and inclusion is also being met through its work on improving student and staff diversity.

York St John University is also working towards Goal 2 Successful school years, Goal 8 Good health and well-being and Goal 9 Extending Enterprise but this work could be extended to better meet the needs of its students and community, given the impact the pandemic has had on education and mental health, especially on the young, and business outcomes.

The University is now in a position to be able to advocate for other universities, and business more widely, to adopt the Levelling Up Goals as a framework for action to address inequality of opportunity by focussing on impact and outcomes, rather than just on input. It can help lead, and shape, the wider goals of a levelling up agenda.