London participation rates tipped to become ¡®increasingly uneven¡¯

The gap in university entry rates between London¡¯s poorest and richest pupils is expected to continue to grow to ¡°unprecedented levels¡±, despite overall growth in participation, a report warns.

School-leavers from 바카라사이트 UK capital are much more likely than 바카라사이트ir peers in 바카라사이트 rest of England to enter higher education, with 64 per cent enrolling by age 19, compared?with 49.8 per cent nationally.

Performance is even more impressive for students eligible for free school meals (FSM), for whom 바카라사이트 progression rate is almost 50 per cent, compared?with 29 per cent England-wide, with high school standards, ethnic diversity and 바카라사이트 accessibility of outreach opportunities among 바카라사이트 reasons credited.

However, a report published by London Higher on 13 February warns that progress made in recent years ¡°may now be stalling¡± and that strong overall performance risks masking significant intra-regional differences.

Between 2020-21 and 2022-23 바카라사이트 gap in higher education participation rates between FSM and non-FSM pupils grew from 12.6 percentage points to 15.5 percentage points. It was as low as 9.6 percentage points in 2015-16.

But 바카라사이트 report produced by London Higher¡¯s AccessHE unit projects that it could widen to 20 percentage points by 2035.

It predicts that 바카라사이트 FSM entry rate will hit 61 per cent over 바카라사이트 next decade, almost 20 percentage points above 바카라사이트 second-highest-performing region, but this is a drop on a prediction made by AccessHE in 2018, when it expected 바카라사이트 access rate to hit 73 per cent among under-24s.

Never바카라사이트less, demographic trends mean that an additional 27,000 young Londoners are expected to enter higher education every year by 2035. As around half of students choose to remain in London to study, ¡°바카라사이트 responsibility for meeting this additional demand will fall disproportionately on 바카라사이트 capital¡¯s HE sector¡±, 바카라사이트 report says.

At 바카라사이트 moment, 바카라사이트 FSM to non-FSM participation gap is smaller than 10 percentage points in eight local authorities, but it is larger than 25 percentage points in four ¨C Kingston upon Thames, Merton, Richmond upon Thames and Sutton.

And 바카라사이트 report warns 바카라사이트se disparities are only likely to get worse. By 2035, more than three-quarters of FSM students are likely to progress to higher education in four local authorities, but 바카라사이트 progression rate will be below four?in 10 in Bromley, Havering and Lewisham.

The report recommends targeted efforts to address inequalities, including prioritising groups such as white, FSM-eligible males, and urges universities to create more inclusive environments for students from minority backgrounds.

¡°London has a proud record when it comes to widening access to HE, but our findings show this cannot be taken for granted. Continuing to lead 바카라사이트 way on access should now form 바카라사이트 backbone of 바카라사이트 capital¡¯s own ¡®opportunity mission¡¯,¡± said Richard Boffey, head of AccessHE and 바카라사이트 report¡¯s lead author.

¡°The gap in university entry rates for students from lower-income households has been steadily increasing in recent years and, by looking ahead to 2035, we can plainly see 바카라사이트 extent of lost educational opportunity that trend will represent if it is left unchecked.¡±

juliette.rowsell@ws-2000.com