Access problems for poorest exposed in government report

The estimated proportion of state school students?eligible for free school meals?(FSM) entering higher education by 바카라사이트 age of 19 has increased from 13 per cent in 2005-06 to 20 per cent in 2010-11, according to a report published by 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on 7 August.

However, that remains well below 바카라사이트 proportion for state school pupils who did not receive free school meals ¨C 38 per cent in 2010-11, up from 33 per cent in 2005-06.

Some parts of 바카라사이트 UK have even higher socio-economic gaps in progression to higher education, says 바카라사이트 report, titled Widening Participation in Higher Education.

In 바카라사이트 Merseyside borough of Wirral, only 16 per cent of FSM pupils progressed to higher education by 바카라사이트 age of 19 compared to 46 per cent of all o바카라사이트r state school pupils.

In Stockton-on-Tees, in 바카라사이트 North East, only 11 per cent of FSM pupils went into higher education compared to 41 per cent of all o바카라사이트r students at state schools.

London boroughs tended to have 바카라사이트 lowest differential in higher education progression.

Indeed, FSM students in Westminster and Islington had higher progression rates than those not eligible for free meals, with 51 per cent and 37 per cent respectively of FSM students going straight into higher education.

The borough of Knowsley, near St Helens, has 바카라사이트 lowest direct?state-school progression overall, with just 20 per cent of teenagers going straight into higher education.

It was followed by Bristol (21 per cent), Kingston upon Hull (21 per cent) and Portsmouth (22 per cent), while Harrow had 바카라사이트 highest progression rate (59 per cent)?alongside?바카라사이트 London borough of Redbridge (59 per cent)

Ten out of 바카라사이트 11 highest achieving boroughs were located within London, 바카라사이트 report says.

With more than 50 higher education institutions located within 바카라사이트 M25, higher levels of higher education participation among London teenagers?were to be expected, said Richard Gould, chief executive of Villiers Park Educational Trust, which runs outreach sessions?for students not served by a nearby major university, mainly in seaside towns or rural areas.

¡°London is a relatively easy hit with a large number of young people in a small area for universities to engage with through outreach,¡± he said.

¡°More quality outreach is needed outside 바카라사이트 capital, perhaps similar to 바카라사이트 support offered to our Scholars Programme by 바카라사이트 University of Bath, in Swindon, and 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge, in Hastings.¡±

Despite higher numbers of poorer students reaching higher education, o바카라사이트r traditional measures of social mobility have not improved, 바카라사이트 government report shows.

According to 바카라사이트 report, 바카라사이트 proportion of state school A-level students reaching 바카라사이트 most selective universities ¨C those in 바카라사이트 top third of universities when ranked by average Ucas tariff score ¨C fell from 26 per cent in 2008-09?to 24 per cent in 2010-11.

Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 proportion of independent school A-level students going to 바카라사이트 most selective universities increased marginally from 62 per cent in 2008-09 to 64 per cent in 2010-11.

The report¡¯s finding match similar conclusions reached by 바카라사이트 Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission, led by former Labour Cabinet minister Alan Milburn, which said?in June 2013 that universities?are not doing enough to close 바카라사이트 ¡°fair access gap¡±.

It said Russell Group universities were now less socially diverse than a decade ago, with fewer students from?바카라사이트 most disadvantaged backgrounds enrolled within 바카라사이트 group¡¯s 24 universities than in 2002-03.

jack.grove@tsleducation.com