Following the launch of our ’40 Faces’ campaign on 15 April, we wrote to Sue Webber MSP as the Convener of the Scottish Parliament’s Education, Children and Young People’s Committee. The campaign calls on stakeholders to refocus their efforts towards the ambitious access goals set for 2030 by the Commission for Widening Access in the remaining six years in the face of what will undoubtedly be the hardest mile ahead.

Within this letter, we focus on the four key lessons that emerged from talking with our 40 Faces, which are:

• start young on self-belief
• money matters
• join things up
• no wrong path

As part of the campaign, we believe that proactive action needs to be taken to ensure progress towards the 2030 target is not squandered. There needs to be a focus on this target, with action from all stakeholders, including MSPs, Scottish Government, and universities.

Where cost neutral actions can be taken in support of this agenda, like new data metrics, this should
be accelerated. University progress has to be framed within wider holistic progress on attainment and
within funding challenges.

We also ask the Convener whether it would be possible for the Committee to incorporate a short inquiry into widening access and the ways in which we can work together with the Government to meet this 2030 target could be accommodated within the Committee’s work programme.