Five schools dominate Oxbridge entry

8 Jul 11
Five schools in England send more students to Oxford and Cambridge universities than 2,000 others put together, according to research by the Sutton Trust.
By Richard Johnstone | 8 July 2011

Five schools in England send more students to Oxford and Cambridge universities than 2,000 others put together, according to research by the Sutton Trust.

In a report, Degrees of success, the trust details the higher education destinations of sixth-form pupils from schools and colleges in England. It covers 750,000 destinations from 2,343 secondary schools and colleges.

The analysis shows that Westminster School, Eton College, Hills Road Sixth Form College, St Paul’s School and St Paul’s Girls School produced 946 Oxbridge entrants between 2007 and 2009, accounting for over one in 20 of all admissions to Oxford and Cambridge.

Just under 2,000 schools and colleges had two or fewer Oxbridge entrants over the same three-year period, producing a total of 927 Oxbridge entrants.

The disparity derives from ‘stark gaps in the A-level results of the schools and colleges’, the report says. The analysis shows a strong link between the average results of A-levels and equivalent exams and the chances of going to university.  

Overall, 68.3% of sixth-form pupils were accepted into higher education between 2007 and 2009. The proportions vary for different school sectors, from 69.0% in non-selective state schools to 75.5% in independent schools and 86.4% in selective state schools.

Independent school pupils are more than twice as likely as pupils in comprehensive schools to be accepted into one of the 30 most highly selective universities. The report found that 100 elite schools – 87 independent schools and 13 grammar schools, amounting to 3% of schools with sixth forms and sixth-form colleges in the UK – accounted for over a tenth of admissions to highly selective universities.

Sutton Trust chair Sir Peter Lampl said the aim of the report was to provide an alternative way of measuring the impact of schools. ‘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.’

Universities UK said that the report showed that the sector must continue its work to reach out to school leavers.

But the Russell Group of 20 leading universities said the report ‘fails to explain fully why some schools have different degrees of success in sending their students to leading universities’.

Wendy Piatt, the director general of the Russell Group, 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.’

Spacer

CIPFA logo

PF Jobsite logo

Did you enjoy this article?

AddToAny

Top