University admissions study reveals extent of Oxbridge divide

Five elite schools sent more pupils than 2,000 others, with choice of A-Level subjects helping to account for gap Four schools and one sixth-form college sent more pupils to Oxford and Cambridge between them over three years than 2,000 schools and colleges across the UK, according to a new study that analyses university admissions from individual schools. Westminster, Eton, St Paul’s, St Paul’s girls school and Hills Road sixth-form college, a Cambridge state school, produced 946 Oxbridge entrants from 2007-09, the study by the Sutton Trust finds. In the same period, there were 2,000 schools and colleges which sent two or fewer pupils to Oxbridge, producing 927 in total. The difference in these schools’ success rates is driven mainly by gaps in achievement at A-level, but some schools do better at gaining entry to university than others with similar exam results. The analysis is published as the Office for Fair Access, a government watchdog, vets universities’ plans to charge fees higher than £6,000 a year. It will announce next week which have been approved, based on an assessment of their proposals to widen access to students from state school backgrounds. The Sutton Trust study underlines a familiar divide between the private and state sectors – finding that independent school pupils are twice as likely as comprehensive pupils to get into the 30 most selective universities and seven times as likely to get into Oxbridge. Even at the 30 highest achieving comprehensive schools, entry into competitive universities lags behind private and grammar schools. Just under 60% of pupils from the best state schools went to the most selective universities compared with just under 90% of pupils at the best private schools and 74% from the top grammars. Of a comprehensive and a private school in Cornwall, with near identical results, the former sent 17% to selective universities and the latter 66%. There are striking differences even between schools of the same type. At two comprehensives with similar results, almost 70% of 18-year-olds applied to go to university at one, but only 33% at the other. Such differences cannot be explained by ability, the study says, but may be influenced by parental backgrounds, choice of A-levels and poor advice to pupils. The study highlights Cockermouth school in Cumbria, a comprehensive with below-average results which exceeded expectations. Nine pupils went to Oxbridge over the three years of the study and 37% to highly selective universities. Its head, Geoff Walker, said it paid close attention to its pupils’ A-level choices and offered the preferred subjects for elite universities. “We have 100 students doing physics, 100 doing maths. We don’t have anyone doing sociology, media studies or theatre studies.” The study says Oxford and Cambridge find it hard to attract applicants from the north as teenagers increasingly opt to study near home. Of the dozen local authorities that send more than 2% of state school A-level candidates to Oxbridge, all but one, Trafford, is in the south-east. In Hammersmith and Fulham, 86% of state school sixth-formers go to university. In Reading, one of the most affluent parts of the country, more than half of those staying on after 16 go to highly selective universities. But not a single student in Knowsley went to Oxbridge in the three years of the study. Deprived parts of the south also have a poor record. Portsmouth only had four Oxbridge entrants in three years. The study notes that of the city’s 279 state-educated A-level candidates last year, only 14 took English literature and 11 took maths. In the same year, 25 took media studies. Sir Peter Lampl, chairman of the Sutton Trust, said: “We know these stark inequalities in university progression rates are driven primarily by the exam results in schools, yet the data we are publishing today also reveals that university chances can vary dramatically for schools with similar average grades. “Our hope is that by making these figures available, the spotlight on schools will widen to encompass the actual destinations of pupils after they have left, alongside their A-level results.” The trust’s report was criticised by universities for comparing schools based on average points per A-level student. Dr Wendy Piatt, director general of the Russell Group of leading research universities , which includes Oxford and Cambridge, said this did not take into account the specific subjects and grades required to enter highly competitive degree courses. She said: “We are absolutely committed to ensuring that our doors are wide open to students with the qualifications, potential and determination whatever their background. “We urge schools to encourage their students to apply to leading universities, and work hard to help them to do so.” A spokesman for the University of Cambridge said: “It is incorrect to assert that similar total points scored equates to ‘identical A-level results’ when considering entry to highly selective universities. “When applying to the University of Cambridge, it is the quality of the student’s performance in relevant exams that is of most importance. Our research shows that the state and independent school students we admit go on to perform equally well in their degrees.” Oxbridge and elitism Access to university Higher education University of Cambridge University of Oxford A-levels Equality Private schools Schools Jeevan Vasagar guardian.co.uk

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