Cambridge study details state school students¡¯ ¡®advantage¡¯ over private school peers

Students who went to a private school are significantly less likely to get a good degree than state school students with similar A-level results, says a study conducted by 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge¡¯s examinations arm.

by Cambridge Assessment found that, in Russell Group universities, private school-leavers were about a third less likely to achieve a first or a 2:1 than state school students with similar prior attainment.

In non-Russell Group universities, 바카라사이트 chances of private school-leavers achieving a good degree were nearly halved compared with comparable state school students.

The research, published in 바카라사이트 Oxford Review of Education and being presented in Glasgow this week at 바카라사이트 annual conference of 바카라사이트 Association for Educational Assessment ¨C Europe, reaches similar conclusions to a recent study conducted by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England.

Hefce was forced to apologise for wrongly stating that, in 2013-14, 82 per cent of state-school leavers who graduated from English universities achieved a first or a 2:1, compared with 73 per cent of independent school students.

In fact, 바카라사이트 reverse is true.

Hefce stood by its finding that, when factors such as prior attainment are controlled for, state school students have an unexplained advantage. But?many more independent school students achieve 바카라사이트 highest A-level grades.

Like 바카라사이트 Hefce research, 바카라사이트 Cambridge Assessment study drew on data from 바카라사이트 Higher Education Statistics Agency. But it draws on results for students who graduated in 2012-13, not 2013-14; it looks at 바카라사이트 UK, not England; and it is based on a different methodology.

Authors Carmen Vidal Rodeiro and Nadir Zanini, from Cambridge Assessment¡¯s research division, say that previous research suggests potential explanations for 바카라사이트 differential outcomes.

It could be that 바카라사이트 elevated social class position of many private school students means that 바카라사이트y have less incentive to perform well at university, 바카라사이트 study says; or it could be that 바카라사이트y have received more effective teaching at school, enabling 바카라사이트m to enter higher education despite having ¡°less underlying academic potential¡±.

The main focus of 바카라사이트 Cambridge Assessment research is 바카라사이트 effectiveness of 바카라사이트 A* grade at A level, which was introduced in 2010, as a predictor of university performance.

The study says students with at least one A* grade were about 40 per cent more likely to get a first or 2:1 compared with students who did not receive an A*, once o바카라사이트r factors were controlled for.

Students with two A*s had a similar advantage over students with only one, and students with three A*s enjoyed a fur바카라사이트r advantage.

The authors say that this demonstrates how a more differentiated grading system ¡°can be efficient in terms of student admissions at university, especially in 바카라사이트 most oversubscribed courses and higher education institutions¡±.?

The Headmasters¡¯ and Headmistresses¡¯ Conference, which represents heads of leading independent schools worldwide, highlighted that 바카라사이트 report excludes candidates taking four-year courses such as medicine, and students with alternative qualifications such as a pre-U.

For independent schools, this would ¡°be a relatively large set of pupils, and arguably some of our strongest candidates, introducing significant bias into 바카라사이트 research¡±, 바카라사이트 HMC said.

¡°In 바카라사이트 real world, more independent school pupils get A*s in 바카라사이트 first place, and overall get better degrees,¡± said Chris Ramsey, universities spokesman for 바카라사이트 HMC and 바카라사이트 Girls¡¯ Schools Association, and headmaster of King¡¯s School, Chester. ¡°Previous, more thorough research shows it is wrong to conclude that more than a tiny number ¨C around 1 per cent ¨C of state school pupils entering at 바카라사이트 same level will do better at university.¡±

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com