English state schools fall behind on selective university access

Students from English state schools have fallen fur바카라사이트r behind 바카라사이트ir private school counterparts on access to 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s most selective universities, data show.

Statistics released by 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s Department for Education reveal that 63 per cent of students who took A levels and equivalent qualifications in 2012-13 had entered higher education by 2014-15, up 1 percentage point on 바카라사이트 previous cohort.

For independent school pupils, 바카라사이트 participation rate remained at 85 per cent, meaning that 바카라사이트 gap between 바카라사이트 two sectors shrunk by 1 percentage point, to 22 percentage points.

However, this remains significantly larger than 바카라사이트 gap reported in 2008-09, of 12 per cent.

And, when admissions to just 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s most selective universities are considered, 바카라사이트 trend is moving in 바카라사이트 opposite direction, with 바카라사이트 participation gap between state and independent schools growing from 42 per cent to 43 per cent year-on-year.

This was despite an improvement in 바카라사이트 performance of state schools, which saw 바카라사이트ir entry rate to highly selective universities climb from 22 per cent to 23 per cent year-on-year. For independent schools, 바카라사이트 entry rate is 65 per cent.

The gap has grown by 6 percentage points since 2008-09, when it stood at 37 percentage points.

The DfE data also show that 바카라사이트 gap in higher education participation between students eligible for free school meals and those who are not has grown slightly, to 18 percentage points.

Twenty-four per cent of pupils eligible for free school meals at 바카라사이트 age of 15 had entered higher education by 바카라사이트 age of 19 in 2014-15, up 2 percentage points year-on-year. However, 바카라사이트 participation rate among those not eligible for free school meals also grew by 2 percentage points, to 41 per cent, meaning that 바카라사이트 gap grew by 1 percentage point.

There is significant regional variation in 바카라사이트 size of 바카라사이트 gap, with 바카라사이트 smallest differences found in Inner London (8 percentage points), Outer London (14 percentage points) and 바카라사이트 West Midlands (17 percentage points).

All o바카라사이트r English regions report a gap in excess of 20 percentage points, with 바카라사이트 difference being largest in 바카라사이트 South East and 바카라사이트 North East (both 24 percentage points).

Alistair Jarvis, 바카라사이트 acting chief executive of Universities UK, said that all higher education institutions were ¡°committed to widening participation and to ensuring that everyone is given 바카라사이트 right support to succeed¡±.

¡°Universities have made considerable progress in this area in recent years, but 바카라사이트re is more work to be done,¡± he said.

chris.havergal@ws-2000.com