‘Fewer teachers’ point students to Oxbridge
Fewer than half of teachers at state schools would advise pupils to apply to top universities, a new study shows – but many do not realise that a majority of Oxbridge students come from state schools.
The study, commissioned by the Sutton Trust, which promotes social mobility through education, asked 730 state secondary school teachers whether they would encourage their gifted students to consider apply for Oxford and Cambridge universities. It found that 44 per cent would do so – down from 50 per cent five years ago.
Secondary teachers need to be aware that Oxbridge and other Russel Group universities are a good option. Hugh Rayment-Pickard, IntoUniversity
The findings show that 16 per cent of teachers always encourage their academically gifted pupils to apply to Oxbridge, while 28 per cent say they usually do.
“Attitudes are formed early on. It’s really important that teachers motivate and advise students to consider Oxbridge. Clearly, with highly able pupils, their aspirations should be thought about throughout the school,” Dr Lee Elliot Major, director of research at the Sutton Trust, told Channel 4 News.
Hugh Rayment-Pickard, of IntoUniversity, which supports young people from disadvantaged backgrounds who want to go to university, said: “Secondary school teachers need to be aware that Oxbridge and other Russell Group universities are a good option – and make sure they get good choices.”
Social mobility
The study, which asked teachers across the secondary school age spectrum, also reveals that many state school teachers underestimate the proportion of pupils from state schools that study at Oxford or Cambridge.
In fact, 57 per cent of students admitted to Oxbridge are from state schools. But 55 per cent of those questioned said they thought it was less than 30 per cent. Only 7 per cent said that more than half of Oxbridge students were from the state sector.
These figures are incredibly frustrating because of all the outreach work we do in state schools. Dr Julia Paolitto, Oxford University
Oxford University admissions department spokeswoman Dr Julia Paolitto told Channel 4 News: “These findings are incredibly frustrating, not only because state students are in the majority at Oxford, but because of all the outreach work we do in state schools.”
And she stressed at Oxford students were drawn from a wide socio-economic base: “Across all years, nearly 10 per cent of our UK undergraduates come from families with a residual income of £16,000 or below (the income threshold for free school meals).”
Others, meanwhile, have been keen to point out that Oxbridge is not the only route available to gifted pupils.
“There are many good universities in the UK and other excellent employment-based routes into top careers… Social mobility is about far more than entry to Oxbridge,” according to Brian Lightman, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders.
