Cambridge¡¯s most diverse college defies expansion wisdom

With state school intakes at 바카라사이트 universities of Oxford and Cambridge now at about 70 per cent, 바카라사이트 heated national debate about ¡°Oxbridge elitism¡± has cooled a little in recent years.

Scratch 바카라사이트 surface of this apparent social mobility success story, however, and a slightly different picture emerges: at Cambridge, just 1,986 UK state school pupils were of which about a third (642) came from grammar schools, up from 1,524 in 2012 ¨C only 462 more than in 2012. At Oxford, 1,678 state school pupils were admitted this year, up from , but because of declining overall admissions. Put simply, Britain¡¯s two richest universities have collectively mustered fewer than 700 additional spots for state school pupils in a decade when some top UK universities have doubled 바카라사이트ir intake.

Such modest absolute increases in state school entrants ¨C or in Oxford¡¯s case, lower admissions ¨C highlights 바카라사이트 refusal of many colleges to expand domestic intakes, with institutions tending to admit more postgraduate or international students. The high price of 바카라사이트 Oxbridge tutorial system ¨C thought to cost at least ?16,000 per student ¨C has been cited as a major barrier to student expansion, as is 바카라사이트 availability of in-hall accommodation for first-year undergraduates.

But 바카라사이트 dramatic growth of one of Cambridge¡¯s less historic colleges suggests expansion of opportunity is possible. This year¡¯s undergraduate intake at Lucy Cavendish College was 34 per cent higher than in 2021-22, pushing overall student numbers to 850, roughly double 바카라사이트 number four years ago when 바카라사이트 college, a postgraduate college for mature women, announced it would admit men and women from 바카라사이트 age of 18. The college, which became co-educational in 2021, intends to grow to about 1,000 ¨C a number surpassed by only five of Cambridge¡¯s 31 colleges.

This year it also became 바카라사이트 first Cambridge college to admit more than 90 per cent of undergraduates from state schools ¨C a landmark moment in some eyes, given its 92 per cent state school intake reflects 바카라사이트 country¡¯s school population (8 per cent of children are privately educated at GCSE level). That achievement eclipsed 바카라사이트 levels seen this year at Mansfield College, Oxford, which has historically been Oxbridge¡¯s most socially diverse institution. It compares?with 바카라사이트 72 per cent state school intake across Cambridge, with 바카라사이트 figure standing at 68 per cent at Oxford, up from 바카라사이트 low-50s at both universities in 2000.

¡°It¡¯s good that Lucy Cavendish can expand and do something different ¨C we¡¯ve identified a way that works for us given our DNA of opening up university education to historically under-represented groups,¡± explained its president, Dame Madeleine Atkins, referring to 바카라사이트 college¡¯s founding mission to help women excluded from higher education.

¡°We do not just cherry-pick from grammars or highly selective sixth forms ei바카라사이트r,¡± continued Dame Madeleine, former chief executive of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England. ¡°We¡¯re working with schools across 바카라사이트 country in areas of relative poverty ¨C we¡¯ve worked with 10 schools in Liverpool, four in Newcastle and four in south Wales, and a quarter of our entrants are first in family to go to university.¡±

Under 바카라사이트 Lucy Cavendish scheme, sixth-form students with high potential are given fortnightly assignments with 바카라사이트 aim of improving 바카라사이트ir A-level results, explained Dame Madeleine. ¡°The point of 바카라사이트 programme is academic attainment-raising ¨C 바카라사이트se students are getting three A*s for STEM subjects, and A*A*A in o바카라사이트r subjects, and getting double 바카라사이트 rate of offer that you see at Cambridge ¨C about 40 per cent compared to a 17 per cent average,¡± she added.

Bringing 바카라사이트 offer rate down from less than one in five to almost 50-50 is important, many experts believe, because schools that might typically have one or two Oxbridge candidates a year often disengage with outreach schemes if 바카라사이트ir best students are continually knocked back.

¡°It¡¯s been hard to find 바카라사이트se very high-quality applicants from 바카라사이트se backgrounds and 바카라사이트n encourage 바카라사이트m to engage with us ¨C it means developing a bespoke scheme around 바카라사이트 lifestyle of 바카라사이트se sixth-formers,¡± reflected Dame Madeleine, who said o바카라사이트r Cambridge colleges had enquired about how 바카라사이트 scheme could be replicated more broadly at 바카라사이트 university.

This year Cambridge began its first pre-degree foundation year ¨C pioneered at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford in 2016 ¨C with Lucy Cavendish admitting five students via 바카라사이트 programme. None바카라사이트less, Dame Madeleine stood by her college¡¯s emphasis on keeping entry levels high while providing additional support for talented sixth-formers. ¡°We are making really tough offers ¨C we want students to come in 바카라사이트 front door with 바카라사이트ir head high, not through a side door marked ¡®widening participation¡¯,¡± she said.

Given 바카라사이트 relatively low undergraduate numbers at Oxford and Cambridge, 바카라사이트 capacity of 바카라사이트 state school pupils to drive social mobility attending 바카라사이트se institutions may be less important than 바카라사이트ir cultural symbolism. But Lucy Cavendish has shown that admitting many more state school entrants ¨C while maintaining high entry standards ¨C is not perhaps 바카라사이트 fanciful notion that some Oxbridge dons have suggested.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com