-----Original Message-----
From: aimhigher [mailto:aimhigher@harrisoncowley.com] 
Sent: 08 July 2005 12:22
To: aimhigher
Subject: Aimhigher Practitioner Bulletin - July 2005

Welcome to the July 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 
The deadline for receipt of comments on the consultation discussion paper has now passed and the outcomes will be reported in late autumn. 

HEFCE will be able to inform partnerships about indicative funding allocations in mid-July. This information will be circulated by email to area/regional leads and will also be available on the practitioner website. Final allocations will be announced in the autumn.
http://www.aimhigher.ac.uk/practitioner/resource_material/about_aimhigher/future_of_aimhigher.cfm 

Consultation on school funding
Results of the DfES consultation on school funding are expected later this month – a link will be provided from the practitioner website as soon as they are available.

Evaluation of Aimhigher: Excellence Challenge
Key findings from the evaluation of Aimhigher: Excellence Challenge are now available on the practitioner website, along with a list of the available reports and links to PDF versions of each. Click on the link below for more information.
http://www.aimhigher.ac.uk/practitioner/resource_material/monitoring___evaluation/evaluation/evaluation_of_aimhigher__excellence_challenge.cfm 

Student Finance advertising campaign
The DfES is currently finalising plans for a new £3.5m student finance TV and radio campaign due to launch in October. More information, including an advertising schedule, will be available on the practitioner website in August. 

Evaluation update
Updates on Strands 1, 3 and 4 of the national evaluation programme for Aimhigher are now available. Click on the link below for more details.
http://www.aimhigher.ac.uk/practitioner/resource_material/monitoring___evaluation/evaluation.cfm 

Aimhigher information booklets
The information booklets produced by the DfES are currently being updated and any orders received after 1 August will be held until the new stock is available (expected mid-August). Click on the link below for details of the information booklets available.
http://www.aimhigher.ac.uk/practitioner/resource_material/promotional_materials/information_booklets.cfm 

Greater Manchester’s Aimhigher Festival
A number of projects that have run throughout the year will be reaching a climax as the year ends, and to celebrate higher education fairs, music and drama performances, exhibitions, balloon launches, fashion shows and workshops are being held at various locations across Greater Manchester from 23 June until 15 July as part of the Aimhigher Festival. Highlights include visits from Secretary of State for Education, Ruth Kelly and the renowned poet, Lemn Sissay. Click on the link below for more information.
http://www.aimhighergreatermanchester.com/

Healthcare update
Updated information about each of the nine regional healthcare projects is now available on the practitioner website. Click on the link below for more information.
http://www.aimhigher.ac.uk/practitioner/resource_material/about_aimhigher/healthcare_strand.cfm 

Media training – 27 September 2005
The NCRT is running a one-day media training course for Aimhigher practitioners on Tuesday 27 September. The course - which will cover key skills including press release writing and handling media interviews - will be held at the Brunei Gallery in central London. 

In order to make the course as interactive as possible, a maximum of 15 participants can take part, and priority has been given to those practitioners who registered their interest following publication of the April bulletin. However, there are still places available and, if there is sufficient demand, the course will be repeated at a later date, so please contact the NCRT on 0117 929 7096 or email aimhigher@harrisoncowley.com if you are interested in attending. 

Research section launched
A new section containing details of HEFCE's WP research programme has been added to the practitioner website. Click on the link below for more information. The NCRT hopes to develop this section further so please contact a member of the team (details above) if you have any suggestions for other useful research that could be included, particularly any reports produced by partnerships on impacts of Aimhigher work or how to reach key audiences.
http://www.aimhigher.ac.uk/sites/practitioner/resource_material/wp_research.cfm 

Action on Access maintains a searchable, web-based database of Widening Participation research. Click on the link below to view the latest reports.
http://www.sussex.ac.uk/Units/socpsy/rwp/index.htm

Aimhigher roadshow 2005-06 – deadline for booking in venues
Practitioners are reminded that details of the schools and colleges they would like the roadshow to visit must be submitted to Sharon Bange at Geronimo Communications by 15 July in order for the necessary arrangements to be made. Sharon can be contacted on 020 7299 8781 or by email to sharon.bange@geronimocommunications.com. For information on the dates assigned to your area, please click on the link below.
http://www.aimhigher.ac.uk/practitioner/events/roadshow.cfm 

Foundation Degrees – request for case studies
The soon-to-be launched Foundation Degrees online media centre is designed to help publicise Foundation Degrees, both nationally and locally. From this site, institutions and partners can access key collateral - such as case studies, Foundation Degrees news and the Foundation Degrees logo - which can be used for their own marketing purposes.  

In addition, the DfES Foundation Degrees team would like to invite practitioners that are involved with Foundation Degree courses to share their news (such as new courses or graduations), case studies (such as employer involvement or inspirational student stories) and success stories (such as students winning awards, overcoming difficulties to complete their course or achieving a promotion / great new job as a result of their studies). Please send details of relevant activities by email to aimhigher@harrisoncowley.com.
 
The DfES Foundation Degrees team, along with Foundation Degree Forward, will work with practitioners to publicise this material in national, sector and regional publications. Watch out for further information and details of how you can access the site in the near future. More information on Foundation Degree Forward can be found at www.fdf.ac.uk.