Can success on a foundation science course be attributed to factors such as entry qualifications, ethnicity, gender or widening participation?

The Science with a Foundation Year (SFY) programme at the University of Nottingham (UoN) provides students, who don't have the correct direct entry requirements, with the opportunity to gain the equivalent skills and knowledge required for progression on to a variety of science degrees. This study investigates the academic outcomes of students enrolled in the SFY programme at the University of Nottingham, focusing on the influence of entry qualifications, ethnicity (identified as global majority or not), gender, and widening participation (WP) status. Drawing on institutional data from 2017‐2024, the analysis reveals that students with more applied, vocational qualifications (BTEC) ‐ particularly males from global majority (GM) and WP backgrounds ‐ exhibit lower pass and progression rates compared to their peers studying the more academic Level 3 qualifications (A-Levels). However, BTEC female students, especially those meeting WP criteria, demonstrate more favourable outcomes. The journal article critically examines these disparities through the lens of equity and access, questioning the adequacy of traditional sector success metrics, such as student achievement of 'good degrees' (i.e. 2.1 and above), and proposes value-added measures as a more inclusive alternative. Findings suggest that while BTEC students face initial challenges, those who do progress through the SFY achieve degree outcomes comparable to A-Level students, highlighting the transformative potential of foundation programmes.