Full Time Learners Aged 16-18 Years – Diversity (2023-24 Year-End)

Impact on Diversity and Inclusion

Gender

Ethnicity

Learning difficulty or disability

Deprivation Band

For learners aged 16-18, there continued to be more male learners in 2023/24 than female, with females achieving marginally better rates than their male counterparts. Achievement rates for both male and female learners have improved compared with the previous year.

We continue to support a diverse cohort of learners within the 16-18 ethnicity profile demonstrating our learners as a group, are more diverse that the local population. 37.4% of our learner are from minority groups who make up 11.9% of the local population.

There has been an increase in achievement rates across all ethnicities in 2023/24 with Mixed heritage and White learners evidencing the largest improvement at +6%. Learners of Asian ethnicity continue to succeed above the college average (+2%). There are no significant differences in achievement between ethnic groups.

1,118 (24%) of the 16-18 learners we support have a learning difficulty or disability. This number has increased by 4% in 2023/24. Learners with difficulties and disabilities achieve at a comparable rate to their peers on core programmes. Learners disclosing a Special Educational Needs Disability achieve at a slightly lower rate on maths and English qualifications. The college continues to review its approach to maths and English, for some of our learners with complex Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, to support their progress in these subjects.

51.1% (2,484) of Dudley College full time learners are in the lowest 2 bands of deprivation. There is no significant difference in achievement rates between our most deprived learners and their peers.