Universities should make lower offers to poorer students, exam board urges

AQA research shows students with lower A-levels from poorer schools do just as well as pupils from ‘favourable circumstances’ Universities should make it easier to admit A-level students from poorly performing schools, according to one of the country’s biggest exam boards. Dr Neil Stringer of the Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA), said research suggested students from less privileged schools did just as well at university as those from “more favourable circumstances”. A report authored by Stringer, the senior research associate at AQA’s centre for education research and policy, cited a medical school at the University of London that offers lower A-level grades to pupils from poorer schools. St George’s offers results of BBC rather than AAB to students who perform 60% better than the average for their school. Dr Stringer said: “St George’s reports that students from poorly performing schools who are accepted into medical school with lower grades do just as well as their peers with higher grades.” “This strongly suggests that students admitted through the adjusted-criteria scheme learned enough at A-level and are able enough learners to compete successfully with students who achieved higher A-level grades under more favourable circumstances.” Claire Ellis from AQA said the paper was “very much a thought piece” at this stage. She added: “It is an idea of looking at backgrounds and schools, and having a composite score to look at students on a more level playing field.” The paper is being handed out at party conferences to encourage politicians to discuss ways to get pupils who show academic potential at weaker schools to continue with higher education. University administration Higher education Further education Education policy guardian.co.uk

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