National Teachers and Advisers Conference 2018

The 2018 National Teachers and Advisers Conference took place on Wednesday, 9 May 2018 from 9.30am to 3.30pm at The University of Manchester. The conference aimed to equip teachers and advisers with information and advice to prepare future students for entry to higher education.

The one-day conference gave teachers and advisers access to a range of resources, information and advice relevant to progression to higher education. It addressed key topics including qualifications reform, admissions, graduate employability and subject-specific information.

The presentations and resources from our 2018 conferences are available to download below. These are password-protected; all delegates will have been sent a password to access the files.

If you did not attend the conference but would like to receive a copy of the presentations, please email schoolsandcolleges@manchester.ac.uk.

Welcome presentation

Delivered by Dr Simon Merrywest, Director of the Student Experience, The University of Manchester.

Keynote speech

Delivered by Professor Andy Westwood, Vice Dean for Social Responsibility in the Faculty of Humanities and Professor of Government Practice at The University of Manchester.

Break-out sessions and workshops

Manchester Means Business

The session will give an introduction to the Alliance Manchester Business School’s undergraduate degree programmes and graduate prospects.

Studying Engineering at Manchester

The session will focus on the engineering courses offered through the School of Mechanical Aerospace and Civil Engineering, although much of the information will also be relevant to other engineering disciplines. An overview of the different courses available will be given, together with some thoughts on the engineering careers these can lead students into, and information and advice on applying for our programmes.

Earth, Wind and Fire - and why they matter

Earth and Environmental Sciences are often over looked by students who are interested in studying applied sciences at university. This talk is aimed at providing you with an insight into this dynamic subject, including the global impact and reach of what we do and how the understanding of these subjects are vital in the modern world. This talk will also cover information on entry profiles of students and graduate opportunities.

If you would like this presentation to be delivered in future at your school or college then please contact earth.outreach@manchester.ac.uk.

Understanding university admissions processes

This session will provide a behind the scenes insight into how admissions decisions are made. It will outline how admissions decisions are made with practical information on what should be included and/ or how to prepare. This should be a practical, engaging session that includes activities (play the admissions tutor, mark a personal statement or reference) and reflection (current processes in schools and how to improve them). The session should also cover some contextual admissions (and access schemes). Course specific admissions questions can also be raised in the plenary Q&A before the conference close.

Employability Data update – The changing face of graduate destination surveys: DLHE, Graduate Outcomes and LEO

This workshop will highlight key changes taking place to the way in which Universities analyse the destination data of graduates. The DLHE survey traditionally analysed graduate outcomes at six months - The last DLHE survey collection will be published in July 2018. Future graduating cohorts (from 2018 onwards) will be surveyed 15 months from graduation – the new Graduate Outcomes survey will incorporate some key changes. Come along to this workshop to find out more about these changes and how the landscape is changing.

Student Finance

This session will be delivered by Student Finance England and will offer information on Student Finance and Funding for 2018 onwards and give you some top tips for advising your students.

Postgraduate master’s study: the next frontier of Widening Participation?

Work to widen access to undergraduate study among under-represented groups is already embedded practice across the higher education sector, and you will be familiar with many of the schemes that support this, such as the Manchester Access Programme here at the University of Manchester. But what about postgraduate study? Though still an under-researched area, research increasingly shows that significant gaps in participation exist among different socio-economic groups – completing an undergraduate degree does not lead to a level playing field. In this session, you will be able to hear from a member of our Widening Participation team about a project in which the University is currently involved that is aiming to encourage participation in postgraduate taught (master’s courses), and the learning points so far.

Writing an effective UCAS reference – supporting your students’ applications

The UCAS academic reference plays an important role in admissions decisions. With qualification reforms happening across the UK, references are likely to become more important in sharing essential information about your students’ and your school/college.

This interactive session will cover what universities are looking for in academic references and provide best practice in writing & structuring the reference. The session uses examples to show the kind of information that could make a difference to the outcome of your students’ application.

If you have any questions about the conference, please email schoolsandcolleges@manchester.ac.uk or call 0161 275 2212.