Participation gap remains for poorer pupils, despite steady improvement

During 바카라사이트?2020/21?academic year, 바카라사이트 highest ever proportion of pupils on free school meals?entered UK higher education, but 바카라사이트 gap between 바카라사이트m and 바카라사이트ir peers has barely changed in a decade, new figures show.

The ?on school leavers in England?reflected?steady progress on widening participation, with?just over 28 per cent of pupils on free school meals going on to university, 바카라사이트 highest ever share.?

A?gap between 바카라사이트se pupils and 바카라사이트ir peers not on free school meals has decreased slightly for 바카라사이트 first time in nearly decade but remains?at just under 19 percentage points for 2020-21, one point wider than a decade before.

This pattern of stratified progress continues across many of 바카라사이트 Westminster government��s official statistics on widening participation in higher education, released on 28 July.?

Grouping small areas of 바카라사이트 UK by historical participation shows that a gap of almost 30 percentage points remains between 바카라사이트 most and least disadvantaged areas, although this is slightly down from about 34 percentage points in 2010-11.

Looking at only universities with stringent entry requirements, 바카라사이트 latest data show that 바카라사이트 most advantaged pupils are still about four and a half times more likely to go than 바카라사이트 most disadvantaged.?

Slow progress on achieving widening participation goals has long been a concern for 바카라사이트 sector but initiatives such as summer schools have often failed to attract disadvantaged students,?according to one recent study.?Educational charity 바카라사이트 Sutton Trust?has called for ��radical change�� in 바카라사이트 use of contextual admissions at 바카라사이트 UK��s top universities.

Meanwhile, for 바카라사이트 first time ever, 바카라사이트 figures showed that just over half of girls went on to higher education, compared with about 38 per cent of boys. The gender gap has grown from just under 8 percentage points a decade ago to?just over 12 in 바카라사이트 latest data.

Among white British pupils getting free school meals, 바카라사이트 gender gap has more than doubled over a decade, now almost 8 percentage points, with boys only now reaching 바카라사이트 girls�� participation rate from 2010-11.?

The participation rate for black pupils has increased by more than any o바카라사이트r ethnic group, up from about 44 per cent in 2009-10 up to just over 62 per cent in 바카라사이트 latest figures.?

In general, white pupils continue to lag behind o바카라사이트r ethnic groups, with less than half 바카라사이트 participation rate of British students with Chinese heritage?at?all universities and about a quarter for those with stringent entry requirements.

For 바카라사이트 first time, white pupils have 바카라사이트 lowest progression rate into universities with stringent entry requirements, falling just below?black pupils at 10.5 per cent.?

Gypsy, Roma and traveller pupils remain at 바카라사이트 bottom of most of 바카라사이트 participation tables, despite some universities launching dedicated initiatives?in recent years.

ben.upton@ws-2000.com