-----Original Message-----
From: aimhigher [mailto:aimhigher@harrisoncowley.com] 
Sent: 11 August 2005 11:37
To: aimhigher
Subject: Aimhigher Practitioner Bulletin - August 2005

Welcome to the August edition of the Aimhigher practitioner bulletin, designed to provide all those working for Aimhigher with relevant programme news and details of national resources.

If you have comments or suggestions on the content of the practitioner bulletin or website, or any other communications enquiries, please contact the National Communications Resource Team (NCRT) on 0117 929 7096 or email aimhigher@harrisoncowley.com.

Consultation on Aimhigher post-2006 
Over 230 responses to the consultation discussion paper were received and are currently being analysed – a summary report will be circulated to partnerships following the National Partnership Board meeting in September. The response to the Aimhigher consultation and decisions about the distribution of Aimhigher partnership funding will be announced in the autumn. Bill Rammell, the Minister for Higher Education, is taking a close interest in Aimhigher and wants the opportunity to consider responses to the Aimhigher consultation before any decisions are made.

For more information about the consultation process, including details of indicative funding allocations, click on the link below.
http://www.aimhigher.ac.uk/practitioner/resource_material/about_aimhigher/future_of_aimhigher.cfm

New school funding arrangements from 2006-07 
On 21 July, Jacqui Smith, Minister for Schools and 14-19 Learning, announced the government's decisions on the new school funding arrangements to be introduced from April 2006. The response to Aimhigher funding within the Schools Consultation is expected in the autumn. Further information, including a copy of the consultation report, can be obtained via the Teachernet website:
http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/management/schoolfunding/2006-07_funding_arrangements/ 

Monitoring update
Following a number of queries from previous Excellence Challenge co-ordinators, HEFCE can confirm that there is only one monitoring form for all Aimhigher funding. That is the monitoring report for 1 August 2004 to 31 July 2005 which Area Steering Groups (ASGs) and Regional Partnership Boards will submit to HEFCE by 30 September 2005. ASGs are very likely to ask LEA-based co-ordinators (the previous Excellence Challenge co-ordinators and their successors) to contribute by providing information about activities funded by money routed through the Standards Fund. However, while the form asks about all Aimhigher activities and targets, there is no requirement to account for the expenditure of funding distributed via the Standards Fund to LEAs, or for funds distributed by the DfES to EAZs. Click on the link below to download a copy of the monitoring form template. 
http://www.aimhigher.ac.uk/practitioner/resource_material/monitoring___evaluation/monitoring.cfm

Annual operating plans – clarification
In February 2005, partnerships received confirmation of their Aimhigher funding for August 2005 to July 2006. At this time, HEFCE advised that some partnerships may need to adjust activity from their original plans to take account of the changes to the levels of funding, and these changes should be reflected in the monitoring reports in September 2006. HEFCE would like to make clear that this supersedes the need for partnerships to submit separate annual operating plans.

Student Finance advertising campaign
A five-week television advertising campaign targeting 16-19 year olds and their parents will start in October to communicate the new student finance arrangements from 2006. The adverts, which are currently being finalised, were developed following qualitative research with potential students and their parents. The TV adverts will be supported by ongoing radio and print advertising and a schedule will be made available on the practitioner website as soon as it is available. 

A new student finance information website – www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance – will go live from mid-September, supported by online advertising.

For more information about the advertising campaign and the changes to student finance, click on the link below.
http://www.aimhigher.ac.uk/practitioner/resource_material/national_campaigns/student_finance.cfm 

Evaluation update
Updates on Strands 3 and 4 of the national evaluation programme for Aimhigher, relating to area studies and the survey of educational providers, are now available. Click on the link below for more details.
http://www.aimhigher.ac.uk/practitioner/resource_material/monitoring___evaluation/evaluation.cfm 

Aimhigher & the LSC
Action on Access has published a report entitled ‘Aimhigher and the Learning & Skills Council: Approaches to joint working’. The report offers an overview of the Aimhigher initiative from the perspective of national, regional and local LSC staff and illustrates a range of joint working arrangements. Click on the link below to download a copy. 
http://www.actiononaccess.org/resource/aoadocs/ahandlsc.pdf 

Portable Roadshow Guide
Following the success of the Aimhigher roadshow format, a number of regions have asked for guidance on putting together their own portable roadshow events to supplement the 2005/06 tour. In response, the DfES has compiled a 'do it yourself' guide to running a portable roadshow event in a classroom. It includes details on what to include for Year 9s and Year 12s and information on the Aimhigher resources available to help practitioners plan and follow up roadshow events. Click on the link below to download a copy of the guide.
http://www.aimhigher.ac.uk/practitioner/events/roadshow/roadshow_resources/portable_roadshow_guide.cfm

National Projects – funding update
Due to the number of bids in development and the level of remaining funding available, it has been decided to close the bidding process for the Aimhigher national rolling programme. Bids that have already been submitted, or proposals from partnerships who have already expressed an interest in bidding, will still be considered by the panel.

Co-ordinators of partnerships that HEFCE is aware are working on proposals have been notified separately of this situation. If you have not received such a notification and believe you should have done, or if you have any other related questions, please contact Matt Edwards at HEFCE on m.edwards@hefce.ac.uk. 

To date 12 projects have been funded through the initial bidding round and rolling programme. Click on the link below for more information.
http://www.aimhigher.ac.uk/practitioner/resource_material/about_aimhigher/national_projects.cfm

Forthcoming events
Just a reminder that a number of Action on Access events are coming up next month, including ‘Changing the HE Curriculum for the 21st Century’ on 6 September, ‘Embedding good practice in diploma design’ on 22 September and ‘Progression for learners in the workplace’ on 28 September. Click on the link below for more information. 
http://www.actiononaccess.org/events/events.html 

The media training course taking place in London on 27 September is now full but will be repeated later in the year if there is sufficient interest. To reserve a place, please contact the NCRT on 0117 929 7096 or email aimhigher@harrisoncowley.com.