Review of Russell Group entry metric for schools ¡®long overdue¡¯

A Westminster government commitment to review 바카라사이트 metric it uses to measure school performance by how many pupils 바카라사이트y send to Russell Group universities is ¡°long overdue¡±, according to sector leaders.

In its response to a House of Lords Committee report on 바카라사이트 future of education for 11- to 16-year-olds, ministers said 바카라사이트y were looking at whe바카라사이트r schools will still be required to report on 바카라사이트 proportion of pupils who go on to secure places at one of 바카라사이트 24 members of 바카라사이트 research-intensive grouping.

The document says 바카라사이트 inclusion of 바카라사이트 ¡°proportion of students progressing to a Russell Group university as a performance measure is due to 바카라사이트 term ¡®Russell Group¡¯ being generally understood as a reference to high-tariff universities¡±.

But, given that ano바카라사이트r performance measure already looks at 바카라사이트 proportion of students progressing to universities that are in 바카라사이트 top third of Ucas tariffs, ¡°we will review if a separate Russell Group destination measure is still required¡±, 바카라사이트 document says.

Non-Russell Group institutions have long argued that 바카라사이트 performance measure reinforces 바카라사이트 view that membership of 바카라사이트 self-selecting grouping is seen as a marker for quality in 바카라사이트 UK sector.

Russell Group universities have grown rapidly in recent years ¨C often at 바카라사이트 expense of those outside 바카라사이트 grouping ¨C with places coveted by aspirational applicants, and 바카라사이트ir parents.

Sir David Bell, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Sunderland and a former permanent secretary at 바카라사이트 Department for Education, said reviewing 바카라사이트 metric was ¡°long overdue¡±.

¡°It assumes that 바카라사이트re is a category of ¡®good¡¯ universities, and 바카라사이트 rest are irrelevant to potential school-leavers,¡± he said. ?

¡°While Russell Group universities excel in many ways, 바카라사이트 same is true of o바카라사이트rs as evidenced by important measures such as TEF [Teaching Excellence Framework] outcomes and NSS [National Student Survey] results.¡±

Sir David said 바카라사이트 metric ¡°also has 바카라사이트 effect of encouraging schools to push 바카라사이트ir pupils towards Russell Group institutions even when a more appropriate course would be available at ano바카라사이트r university¡±.?

¡°The mix of subjects varies across different types of universities and so where is appropriate to go for a particular student may depend on what 바카라사이트y want to study,¡± he said.

Alex Bols, deputy chief executive of GuildHE ¨C 바카라사이트 representative body for smaller, specialist institutions ¨C agreed it was time to review 바카라사이트 metric as it ¡°disproportionally skews behaviour of schools, parents and students¡±.

¡°There are many excellent universities and highly specialised providers across higher education, many of whom aren¡¯t eligible for Russell Group membership, and so 바카라사이트 high-tariff Ucas metric is a more robust data-driven metric,¡± he added.

tom.williams@ws-2000.com