Black Student Experience Project
Project Lead: Jamie Ormes
Starting the project
The attainment gap between white students and black students, particularly white male students and black male students, has been acknowledged in numerous research papers and articles along with recommendations to eradicate the gap. Considering the lifecycle of students through different phases of education, we are investigating any causal link between secondary school experiences and the outcomes of graduates.
In the first instance, we looked to better understand whether the existing literature, which is generally London-centric, can be extrapolated to black students attending state schools in the ThinkHigher region. This involved consideration of the nationally existing evidence and analysis of qualitative data from local black students in key stages 4 and 5.
In the initial consultative stages of understanding how we can support black students within the Warwickshire and Hinckley region with attainment, access, participation and progression, ThinkHigher commissioned Dr Jason Arday to provide an interim report to:
In the first instance, we looked to better understand whether the existing literature, which is generally London-centric, can be extrapolated to black students attending state schools in the ThinkHigher region. This involved consideration of the nationally existing evidence and analysis of qualitative data from local black students in key stages 4 and 5.
In the initial consultative stages of understanding how we can support black students within the Warwickshire and Hinckley region with attainment, access, participation and progression, ThinkHigher commissioned Dr Jason Arday to provide an interim report to:
- Frame the historical context of educational inequality by drawing on governmental interventions to acknowledge the disparities regarding black students.
- Complete a review of the literature and social commentaries that have framed this discourse over the last 50 years within a UK context and the generational effect on black students.
- Discern the interview data drawing pertinent links back to the literature on black educational experiences.
- Draw the findings together in an attempt to evidence and proffer that a secondary funded phase of this research is required in attempting to establish a boarder and more richly defined contextual picture regarding this phenomenon. This section will be pivotal with regards to providing a strong rationale, recommendations and to develop a second funded phase of the study.
Launching the report
