This session is part of the HESPA Showcasing Good Practice Week 2026. The aim of this week is to provide a space for our members to share with each other the work they have done which they feel has been a particular success (or which they feel they learnt something valuable from), and to celebrate and promote the hard work of planners in the HE sector.
Synopsis:
The Understanding Successful Applicant Withdrawals project has been an innovative project bringing together complex data from a range of sources to develop a comprehensive understanding of a critical period of the student lifecycle. Withdrawals of successful applicants all the way from UCAS ‘Decline my place’ at Confirmation through to during their first year of study can now be analysed in a single place. The complex data has been visualised in an easy-to-understand way with segmentation by key characteristics. The project has facilitated improvements in student number planning, applicant and student support, Confirmation and Clearing, management of accommodation and financial forecasting.
The session will cover the full process we went through, from determining the time-period the project would focus on, establishing all the different ‘types’ of withdrawal possible during this period and where and in which systems the data associated with them is held, brining all the data together, and then visualising and presenting it to senior leaders and integrating into the planning process.
Speakers:
Niall Booth, Head of Strategic Insight and Analysis
Karen Payne, Strategic Insight and Analysis Manager
Aurora Broom, Senior Strategic Insight Analyst
Maria Watson-Hyde, Strategic Insight Analyst
from the University of York
Tagged : Free Event, Data Evaluation and Visualisation
Type : Meeting
