Achieving "transparency, consistency and fairness" in English higher education admissions: progress since Schwartz?

In 2004 the Schwartz Review advised English HEIs that their admissions systems should: be transparent; select students who are able to complete their courses based upon achievements and potential; use assessment methods which are reliable and valid; minimise barriers to applicants; be professional, and be underpinned by appropriate institutional structures and processes. These five principles were only expressed as recommendations, reflecting the reluctance of policymakers to interfere with individual HEIs’ admissions policies. In this paper we analyse the results of a research project which reviewed the progress which English HEIs had made in implementing the Schwartz recommendations and assess whether a more interventionist stance is required to achieve ‘fair admissions’.