Partnership between further and higher education is emphasised in government policy, as set out in the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper in October 2025. The aim is for a collaborative system where further and higher education providers work together to meet the skills and wider economic needs of their area and drive regional growth.

The Further Education (FE) Strategy sits underneath St Mary’s Partnership Strategy 2025-30 and addresses the specific aim to develop and strengthen partnerships with further education colleges that expand the university’s impact in local communities and connect further and higher education.

The guiding principles of our FE activity will be St Mary’s Values: Excellence, Generosity of Spirit, Inclusiveness and Respect. These will guide our approach to partnership selection, development and management, working in an equitable and inclusive way with partners to meet the needs of our collective student and staff communities. Based on mutually shared values with our partners, we will develop long-standing relationships and strong academic partnerships that contribute positively to St Mary’s reputation and position, support the delivery of our regulatory APP commitments related to outreach and access, drive its Catholic and educational mission, and support its financial sustainability.

FE partnerships benefit the university and student and staff community in several ways, including:

Diversifying the university’s offering through provision of flexible programmes delivered in ways that meet local needs
Enriching students' education and learning by building a diverse and inclusive student community
Enabling the university to meet its civic mission by providing alternative routes into higher education for students with non-traditional qualifications
Supporting delivery of regulatory APP commitments related to working collaboratively with FE providers, raising attainment and improving HE progression rates for students from under-represented groups
Strengthening the university’s financial position through diversifying income
Creating more opportunities for civic engagement and positive impacts through teaching, research and enterprise.

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