'Walking tall': a critical assessment of new ways of involving student mothers in higher education

This research aimed to examine undergraduate courses run by Birkbeck and the Open University (OU) targeted at student parents. These courses were delivered in Children’s Centres which were located in areas of multiple deprivation, including exceptionally low higher education participation. They were designed specifically to help overcome some of the ‘barriers’ faced by low-income and disadvantaged parents when accessing higher education in order to widen participation. The study sought to assess these courses and to explore their perceived impact on the women’s lives and the lives of their families, especially in relation to their children’s educational trajectories. It addressed these aims from three perspectives, those of: the participants; the staff responsible for organising and teaching the courses; and the Children’s Centre staff