Çï¿ûÊÓƵ

Study here

Contextual Admissions for undergraduate applicants

A diverse student body is important to us, and we aim to select students with the greatest potential to succeed on degree courses, regardless of their background and circumstances.

Access Greenwich

In some circumstances we may decide that it would be appropriate to offer you an alternative pathway to Greenwich, which would involve completing our Access Greenwich course before progressing to one of our extended degrees.

What is Access Greenwich?

A four-week access course designed to introduce you to a range of independent, digital and academic skills to support your success at university. Content includes:

  • Reflective practice including the use of reflective frameworks to guide learning and development throughout your degree.
  • Approaches to research including familiarisation with library services and how to access and critically examine physical and digital resources.
  • Academic integrity
  • Reading and note taking techniques
  • Academic writing
  • Navigating digital technologies to support learning
  • Familiarisation with the academic and pastoral support services available at Greenwich and how to access and utilise these services throughout your studies.

The programme is designed for students who would like to progress to one of our extended degrees and places are available by invitation only.

What is the tuition fee for Access Greenwich?

The course is free for all students who have been invited to take part.

When and where will Access Greenwich take place?

From Tuesday 27August until Friday 20 September in 2024, with teaching split between our Greenwich Maritime campus and online delivery.

The course will take place across four days a week and will require an approximate commitment of 20 hours a week with 10-15 hours of timetabled teaching and up to a further 10 hours of independent study.

A full timetable, including meeting instructions for the first day, will be shared with students who have accepted their place on the programme no later than 5pm on Friday 23August.

How do I pass the Access Greenwich course?

You will need to attend at least 80% of all taught sessions and pass a coursework-style assessment, which you will have the opportunity to work on throughout the course and to produce with support from your tutors.

What support can I receive to complete this course?

  • A dedicated team of experienced academic and digital skills tutors to guide you through the course.
  • Access to Stockwell Street library on our Greenwich Maritime campus, including computer and Internet access for the duration of the course.
  • Lunch will be provided for each day on campus.
  • A contribution to travel expenses of up to £30 per week for students from POLAR 4 Quintile 1 or 2 () or IMD 2019 Quintile 1 or 2 () postcodes. If are not from one of these postcodes and would face financial barriers to travelling to campus, please get in touch on aoc@gre.ac.uk for a confidential discussion about your circumstances and we will consider whether there are ways we may be able to assist you.

How do I accept a place on Access Greenwich?

If you have been invited to take part in Access Greenwich starting in August 2024, please email aoc@gre.ac.uk by 10am on Friday 23 August to confirm your place. You will receive a reply with information about the first day and your course timetable.

What is contextual data?

Contextual data is the information we take into consideration alongside what is already on your UCAS application that may have impacted your studies, for example, if you have spent time in care. We do this because we understand that sometimes your personal circumstance can impact the grades you achieve and access to other experiences, like extra-curricular activities or work experience.

Why we use contextual data

We want to ensure there are more opportunities for students from underrepresented backgrounds to attend university. Looking at a range of contextual data alongside the information already on your UCAS application gives us a better indication of your potential to excel in your chosen degree and helps us to ensure that all applicants have fair opportunities throughout our admissions process.

What does this mean for me?

If you meet the criteria below and we wish to make you an offer, you will receive a contextual offer up to 16 UCAS points lower than the entry requirements found on our course pages.

Any pre-requisite conditions would still need to be met as per our published entry requirements including GCSE requirements. You would still need to successfully complete any additional selection requirements such as an interview or portfolio.

Am I eligible?

Applicants domiciled in the UK may be eligible for a contextual offer if they meet one of the following criteria:

  • Live in a POLAR4* Q1 Postcode
  • Have spent any time in Care under a Local Authority

We will automatically receive the relevant information, such as your postcode, from your UCAS application. Please see below for further information for Care Leavers. Contextual offers will only apply to students completing a tariffable Level 3 qualification as defined by UCAS. Please note, this excludes applications made via clearing.

Contextual offers will only be made to applicants applying via UCAS using our institution code G70 and where the standard entry requirements are 64 UCAS points or higher.

Further information on POLAR4 Quintile 1

*POLAR – Participation of Local Areas: This measure classifies areas based on how likely young people are to participate in Higher Education across the UK. POLAR4 Q1 is used to show the lowest rate of participation.

Further information on the POLAR measure can be found here: www.officeforstudents.org.uk/data-and-analysis/polar-participation-of-local-areas/

To find out if your postcode is associated with POLAR4 Quintile 1, you can use the following postcode lookup: www.officeforstudents.org.uk/data-and-analysis/postcode-search/

Further information for Care Leavers

In order to qualify, you must be under the age of 25 at the start of your undergraduate degree and are being supported by your local authority.  It is essential that you indicate that you have spent time in care when you complete your UCAS or Direct Entry application form and you will need to email us and attach a letter from your local authority, which confirms you are a care leaver, to: contextualadmissions@greenwich.ac.uk

This will help us to identify and contact you to support you with our contextual admissions service and your journey into Higher Education.

Do also take a look at our care leaver and care experienced students webpage to find out lots more about the support that is available to you whilst you are studying at the Çï¿ûÊÓƵ.

FAQs

What happens if I have already been given a conditional offer?

If you contact us at contextualadmissions@greenwich.ac.uk and attach the evidence requested, we may be able to make you a renewed offer at a lower tariff.

What happens if my application has already been rejected?

E-mail us at contextualadmissions@greenwich.ac.uk to inform us that your application has been rejected and we will review your application.

Travel reimbursements

If you’re eligible for a contextual offer, you can apply for up to £50 to reimburse you for travel costs when you attend an offer holder event. See our terms and conditions to find out more.