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Updated young participation area classification (POLAR2)

POLAR2 is an updated classification of small areas that forms part of our continuing programme to analyse young participation rates in higher education (HE).

The first version of the POLAR small area classification was based on young participation rates from the late 1990s. The new classification is based on the participation rates of young people from 2000 to 2004. We provide the new classification here ahead of a full report on the new results for two reasons:

  • to give access to the new data without delay for those who use young participation area classifications to inform targeting and analysis of widening participation activities
  • to enable transparency in the use of this classification in our area-based funding allocations and the low participation area measure in the institutional Performance Indicators.

Summary of the POLAR2 methodology

POLAR2 is based on the HE participation rates of people who were aged 18 between 2000 and 2004 and entered a HE course in a UK higher education institution or GB further education college, aged 18 or 19, between academic years 2000-01 and 2005-06.

It draws on data provided by the Higher Education Statistics Agency, the Learning and Skills Council, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service, the other UK funding bodies and HM Revenue & Customs. The method used to obtain the participation rates is broadly similar to that described in HEFCE 2005/03. Notable changes include:

  • the national cohort estimates are now consistent with school-year aligned Office for National Statistics (ONS) population estimates
  • a broadening of the definition of entrants to include part-time modes of study and a wider range of qualification aims
  • improved methods for dealing with unrepresentative postcodes for both the population and entrant counts
  • moving to the 2001 Census geographical framework (the previous work used the 1991 Census geography).

A detailed description of the revised methodology, a discussion of the new results and full local and regional participation statistics will be published at a later date.

The POLAR2 classification

The POLAR2 classification is formed by ranking 2001 Census Area Statistics wards by their young participation rates for the combined 2000 to 2004 cohorts. This gives five quintile groups of areas ordered from '1' (those wards with the lowest participation) to '5' (those wards with the highest participation), each representing 20 per cent of UK young cohort.

The classification is presented in two alternative ways. The first is a look-up between 2001 Census Area Statistics wards and the young participation quintile category. The second provides a direct look-up from unit postcode to the ward-level young participation quintile category. It also identifies and categorises those postcodes that are not used in the classification (marked with an additional quintile category of '.'). This postcode-based look-up uses the August 2007 National Statistics Postcode Directory and is presented here with the permission of the ONS.

Quintiles based on the proportion of HE-qualified adults

The widening participation widening access funding method also uses a classification of areas that is based on the proportion of HE-qualified adults in an area. In this case 2001 Census Area Statistics wards are ranked by the proportion of people aged 16-74 reported as holding a HE qualification in the 2001 Census (Key Statistics Table 13). Like POLAR2, this classification is reported as five quintiles - each representing 20 per cent of the adult population - from '1' (those areas with the lowest proportions of HE-qualified adults) to '5' (those areas with the highest proportions of HE-qualified adults). Although not part of the new young participation results, this classification is included in these files to support its use in the funding allocations. Census output is Crown copyright and is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of HMSO and the Queen's Printer for Scotland (Source: 2001 Census; Key Statistics).

POLAR2 classification files

The data are presented in comma-separated variable format. The files contain header records describing the specification of the data they contain.

POLAR2 and the HE-qualified adult classification of 2001 Census Area Statistics wards (Zipped CSV 37K)

Look-up between unit postcode and the POLAR2 and the HE-qualified adult classification of 2001 Census Area Statistics wards (Zipped CSV 6Mb)

Contact details

For further information contact Mark Corver, tel 0117 931 7127, e-mail m.corver@hefce.ac.uk.

Analytical Services Group
Higher Education Funding Council for England
Northavon House
Coldharbour Lane
BRISTOL
BS16 1QD

Copyright notes

The copyright for the POLAR2 classification of areas is held by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). This classification may be used or reproduced provided that the source is acknowledged and the classification, wholly or in part, is not used for commercial gain. Use of the classification for commercial gain requires the prior written permission of HEFCE.

The HE qualification level classification of areas is based on 2001 Census data. Census output is Crown copyright and is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of HMSO and the Queen's Printer for Scotland (Source: 2001 Census; Key Statistics).

Unit postcodes are the copyright of Royal Mail. The postcode files are based on the ONS National Statistics Postcode Directory and are reproduced with the permission of the ONS.

Last updated 15 January 2008