ab s t rac tThe current 'widening participation' and 'key skills' agendas in higher education present the challenge of developing curriculum models that can accommodate a more heterogeneous student body. Drawing primarily on the South African experience, and similar findings from Australia, this article examines various forms of provision in terms of intended target group, assumptions, goals and curriculum context. A distinction is made between separate, semi-integrated and integrated approaches and associated models. On the grounds of both educationally relevant theory and actual practice, it is argued that 'separate' provision of the 'academic support' type has a limited impact, and that a mix of semi-integrated and integrated models of curriculum provision offers better prospects for helping a wide spectrum of students to succeed at university. Some implications for teaching and curriculum development are illustrated with reference to the Arts and Humanities.ke ywo r d s academic literacy, academic support, curriculum design, skills development, widening participation i n t r o d u c t i o n A C E N T R A L challenge facing higher education in the UK and internationally is the 'widening participation' agenda. In Britain, the participation rate of young adults is currently about 33 percent, compared with 12 percent in the 1980s; and the present Labour Government aspires to a target of 50 percent by the end of the decade (Hodgson and Spours, 2000). With increased enrolment by mature and part-time students and those from ethnic minorities, the [ 8 5 ]

An evaluation of the experiences of the hidden curriculum of Black and minority ethnic undergraduate health and social care students at a London university. Black and minority ethnic (BME) students are less likely to achieve a first or upper-class second degree than White students. This evaluation investigated the experiences of BME Health and Social Care students at a London university of the hidden curriculum, thematically analysed through a critical race lens. Four overarching themes were identified, (1) super-visible ethnicity, (2) the negative depiction of BME lived experiences, (3) self-depreciation and self-confidence and (4) separation. Recommendations at an institution-level are made in the areas of staff diversity, language support, student registration experiences and canteen costs. Recommendations at a course-level are made in the areas of co-creation of the curriculum, student belonging, academic and literacy skill development. The recommendations are underpinned by a critical pedagogy, including culturally sensitive teaching strategies and the development of meaningful staff-student partnerships. The recommendations made may be applicable to other Higher Education Institutions with a diverse student cohort where the attainment gap is prevalent.

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As Keenan (2014) reports, peer-led learning schemes are gaining momentum globally, bringing benefits to both ‘peer leaders’ and their mentees. Such schemes can also be vehicles for student engagement and supporting successful transition. In its Peer-Assisted Student Success (PASS) scheme, London Metropolitan University has developed a course-embedded model in which trained ‘Success Coaches’ provide academic and personal guidance to first-years on all undergraduate degree programmes via in-class groups and one-to-one support. Another distinctive feature is its adoption of a coaching philosophy in the role of student mentoring. This case study explores the experiences and benefits accrued by both first-year students and Success Coaches from this coaching style, drawing on rich data collected via focus groups using images as a form of ‘arts-based inquiry’. Themes emerging from the data illuminate the nature of the peer relationship. The paper also considers implications, for peer-mentor training, of incorporating a coaching approach.

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