This small scale research study in its infancy revealed the differences in the experience of Access to HE. BME students and their White counterparts. It immediately became evident that BME students had to contend with negative experiences and barriers from as early as enrolment. This study explores the reason for retention at university level and examines whether BME students at post graduate level doing their placement in FE had similar or different experience being 'on the other side of the fence'.
The initial findings from the data suggest that when students embarked on their educational journey the importance of the BME 'role model' became apparent. However once in the educational setting the academic 'role model' was discussed as being a fundamental asset to their development future goals and aspirations. This research has shown that these 'role models' can enhance the retention and achievement of BME students which are statistically proven to be underachieving or underrepresented in education.
It can be argued that the negative experiences of BME students can create a cycle of educational inequalities which can then leads to the continued underrepresentation of BME teachers in FE and HE. This can have a knock-on effect on the outcomes of BME students in education and their life as a whole.
