About Us
Welcome to HeppSY!
The Higher Education Progression Partnership South Yorkshire (HeppSY) is part of the Uni Connect Programme, funded by the Office for Students.
HeppSY is a partnership with Sheffield Hallam University, the University of Sheffield, and South Yorkshire colleges and target schools.
We believe everyone should be able to make informed and inspired choices about their future, whoever they are, wherever they’re from. From college and university taster days to real-life projects with national companies, we give those who aren’t sure if college or university is for them a new perspective on higher education.
The aims of phase three, which are informed by the previous two phases, are to:
- Contribute to reducing the gap in higher education participation between the most and least represented groups.
- Equip young and adult learners from underrepresented groups to make an informed choice about their options in relation to the full range of routes into and through higher education and to minimise the barriers they may face when choosing the option that will unlock their potential.
- Support a strategic local infrastructure of universities, colleges and other partners that can cut through competitive barriers, offer an efficient and low-burden route for schools and colleges to engage, and address outreach ‘cold spots’ for underrepresented groups.
- Contribute to a stronger evidence base around ‘what works’ in higher education outreach and strengthen evaluation practice across the sector.
From 2022-23 Uni Connect partnerships will support collaborative approaches by universities and other higher education providers to support young people from underrepresented groups in four priority areas:
- Targeted outreach: This aims to help young people from targeted local areas make well-informed decisions about their future education.
- Strategic outreach: This aims to support strategic activity and engagement to address local outreach gaps.
- Attainment raising: This aims to improve the academic attainment and progress of pupils and support their progression into higher education.
- Signposting: This aims to offer an efficient and low-burden route for schools and colleges to engage with higher education outreach and enable schools to engage with attainment-raising activity.
Establishing a Progression Framework
Higher education outreach is most effective when delivered as a progressive, sustained programme of activity and through engagement over time. For phase three of the programme HeppSY has revised its progression framework and sets out a clear statement of the specific changes that are expected for an individual learner over time as a result of the activities undertaken as part of HeppSY targeted outreach.
Download our Progression Framework
The creation of the HeppHUB
The HeppHUB provides free online resources for teachers and advisers as well as appropriate signposting to higher education related outreach activity within the Sheffield City Region. The HeppHUB builds on the successful partnership between Sheffield Hallam University and the University of Sheffield, which already provides impartial advice, support and online resources.
Visit the HeppHUB here: https://www.hepp.ac.uk/
Safeguarding
HeppSY are committed to safeguarding participants, staff and visitors in all its outreach activities with young people. Safeguarding is a priority for the team, and we aim to provide effective arrangements to ensure all learners are safe on University premises and where activity is delivered within their usual learning environment.
