Cosmos Connects: Trauma, Trust and Turning Evidence into Action

Sarah Dirrane 5 Jun 2025

New this month for Cosmos Connects – a short video intro from me. Take a look before diving in...

Trauma-Informed Practice in Education: Learning from Personal Experiences – Episode 6 Now Available

In the latest episode, I engaged in a profound discussion about trauma-informed practices in education, with guests Helen Lord, Head of GM Higher Uni Connect, and Gemma Kay, Director of Aspire to HE Uni Connect.

We talk openly about how trauma shapes student journeys and share personal experiences that have shaped our own.

👉 Watch on YouTube

👉 Listen on Spotify

Coming soon: Episode 7 with Dr Hannah Merry (Higher Horizons) We dig into bridging the gap between research and delivery, and how practitioners can use evaluation to improve – not just prove – their work.

Beyond Guesswork – Reflective Blog

We wrapped up the first set of Beyond Guesswork workshops, where I deep dived into the research of our student segmentation and the 4 key identified segments.

Event Highlights

Close to 100 attendees across x3 online workshops
Evidence-backed insights from 35,000 students
Practical strategies to better target access interventions and student support

👉 Read My Blog

MIND THE GAP

We attended the recent screening for ‘Mind The Gap’. Hosted at Leeds Trinity University, this is a research-driven film project that focuses on the awarding gap and social injustice.

Read Daniel’s blog from this brilliant event and sign up for their next online screening on Wednesday 18 June 2025, 6:30 – 9:00pm

👉 Read Blog

👉 Sign Up

IN OTHER NEWS…

Surrey Widening Access Conference

I will be leading a workshop at the University of Surrey‘s Widening Participation Conference, a free collaborative event focused on supporting young people from underrepresented backgrounds to access higher education.

My session, ‘Supporting Travellers into Higher Education’, will explore barriers GRTSB students face when considering university – and, crucially, how we can genuinely support them to succeed – whilst exploring practical takeaways.

📅 Date: Wednesday 11 June

📍 Location: University of Surrey

🕙 Time: 10:00 – 15:30

👉 Find out more and sign up

NEON Symposium: What FE Students Wish You Knew

I will be speaking at this year’s NEON Symposium alongside the fabulous Louisa Dobson, Inspiring Choices (Uni Connect).

We will be sharing insights from our national study of 35,000 FE students – and how Louisa’s team used that data to adapt their outreach approach both regionally and for a rural land-based college in North Yorkshire. It’s a session rooted in both student voice and regional context.

📅 Date: Thursday 19th – Friday 20th June

📍 Location: University of Salford

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