Widening participation criteria

[TinyChancer]

I'm very confused by university widening participation criteria. Has anyone got any experience in this area?
DD attends a lower achieving school which would apparently qualify her for the WP entry requirements at Strathclyde and UWS.
The other requirements for WP include 1-4 SIMD, carer, ethnic minority, care experienced, refugee. She doesn't meet this criteria although as I said she does attend a lower performing school.
Glasgow university does not appear to accept lower performing schools as part of its WP criteria. It is not clear if Caledonian do although they don't do the course that interests her. DD would possibly consider Stirling but again it is not clear if attending a low achieving school would come under WP criteria.
DD is about to choose her Highers for S5 and is thinking ahead as to what subjects she'd need and grades. Shedoes not want to move away from home, due to cost and her age (17) when she will be starting university.
I don't understand why the WP criteria varies from university to university? Is it not something that is determined by either governments or by UCAS?
It just seems rather unfair that it is so varied.

It’s “rather unfair” full stop

Have a look at HNCs as access courses to year 2

GCU does have a widening access program but not sure it applies to those meeting only the low achieving school criteria. It might be subject related too.

I think the problem is that although a school can be low achieving overall, kids in high SIMDs can actually do as well as similar kids in other (higher achieving) schools. This was true of my DSes school. Teaching was actually fine particularly at Higher (less disruptions). It wouldn't be fair to give these kids (mine included) a leg up at the expense of other categories of applicants . I suspect GUs current policy is data driven in they've seen that those high SIMD kids in low achieving schools who scrape in on a reduced offer do worse at uni.

It is tough if everyone does comparatively poorer in your DDs school. Maybe a uni who looks more holistically at applications (Strathy) and personal statement and references emphasising extenuating circumstances (concrete examples)

If your school is low performing it may be a Sutton Trust School. Worth googling to see. My son's school is and you can apply for their summer schools at lots of unis.

OP, perhaps Glasgow will change its WP criteria for your DDs cohort as they won't have the grade inflation of previous years.

HNC/HND route is a good option. Neighbour who didn't get uni place in locally did this and then only moved away for 2 years to complete his degree.

I don't know about sutton trust and I doubt DD will be eligible as she's not the first in her family to go to HE, she's not care experienced etc.
The school is listed as a focus west school but I've never seen that mentioned or promoted online, in media, in newsletters or noticeboards, nor have I ever seen the sutton trust mentioned or promoted (I used to work in the school, not as a teacher tho)
I'm just concerned about the standard entry requirements being extremely high. She's experienced lots of staff changes and disruption at her school, in addition to covid impact. Surely universities could have a bit more leeway in their entry criteria in light of covid at least?

My DCs (last left 3 years ago) went to a Focus West school that participated in GUs Top-up and other programs. Think these schemes were publicised directly to students and parents in S4-S6 at the next steps evenings. For Sutton trust - it was more the case that teachers approached kids likely to meet criteria. Although might be worth a punt if only meeting one criteria (one of mine got a Nuffield summer placement only meeting one criteria - think they couldn't have had enough more deserving applicants that year).