Andrew Rawson

Andrew heads, coordinates and drives Action on Access, a provider of coordination and support for furthering access, widening participation and increasing student retention, success and progression through higher education across the UK since 2001.

He works with various charities - noticeably in this context with Buttle UK since 2005 - to improve university and college provision of access and support to care leavers and care experienced students. Andrew was instrumental in writing and driving the ‘Buttle Quality Mark for Care Leavers in Higher Education’, and co-writing and editing a Guide for universities in 2010 for universities and colleges, and working with them deliver it. He wrote ‘The Care Experienced University in 2016’, demonstrating the achievements, impact and legacy of the Quality Mark on the higher education experiences of care leavers and care experienced students, and pointing to the ways in which universities should work post-2016 to ensure aspiration, access and success in higher education.

Andrew contributes policy and practical advice as critical friend to through the NNECL National Strategy Group, also promoting NNECL to his many contacts in HE and beyond.

As an HE Consultant he has worked on many diverse projects in higher and further education. For Action on Access Andrew writes, compiles and manages the Action on Access monthly published eBulletin and Action on Access WP Jiscmail list both of which reach around 1,500 role-related subscribers across all university and college Widening Participation and related departments and many other organisations working in student access, participation and success.