News

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• One in six postgraduate students is privately educated
• Poorer children a year behind at start of school
• Access to highly selective universities stalls
• Innovative access scheme hailed a success
• Labour still favoured by most teachers
• New report reveals stark education gaps beyond the classroom
• Decline in advice and guidance at school
• Four in ten top scholars privately educated
• Britons more pessimistic about social mobility
• Thousands of state school pupils shun top degree courses
• Percent scheme supports disadvantaged students to elite university places
• Record numbers of pupils aim for university
• Expand Teach First to primary schools
• London the capital of private tuition
• Independent School bursaries must recognize cost of out-of-school activities
• Highly able pupils do worse in deprived schools
• Three quarters of teachers do not view diplomas as route to university
• Academies need to collaborate more with neighbouring schools
• First ever study on psychological effects of buggies reveals life in a 21st century baby buggy can be emotionally isolated and language-poor
• Half of university advice and guidance in schools is inadequate
• Non-grammars are most socially selective state schools
• Wage gap too large — say three out of four Britains
• 60,000 high-achievers miss out on university places each year
• State school pupils fail to recognise differences in universities' earning powers
• University aspirations highest for five years
• Sutton Trust summer school students from non-traditional backgrounds do well in degrees
• Poorer students have little knowledge of bursaries on offer
• Teachers show alarming misconceptions about Oxbridge

One in six postgraduate students is privately educated

Students from independent schools are more likely to study for a postgraduate degree than state school students, although students from the same class and background from state schools are more likely to get a good university degree than similar students at independent schools.

These findings are contained in an interim report for the Sutton Trust carried out by Stephen Machin and Richard Murphy of the Centre for Economic Performance at the London School of Economics. The study published today (Thursday) is looking into the question of whether the boom in postgraduate courses in the UK over recent years has had a negative impact on intergenerational mobility. Their first report suggests that there is a small but significant imbalance in favour of undergraduates who have been privately educated.

The study, which is feeding into the Government's review into postgraduate education, found that the number of postgraduates studying in the UK increased by 48% from 129,700 in 1995 to 248,400, and the proportion of foreign postgraduates has increased from 30% in 1995 to 55% in 2008. Full and part-time postgraduates pay at least £2.75 billion in university fees a year.

One in six (17%) of those studying six months after graduation were educated privately as compared to 14% of undergraduate students and 7% of school pupils.Thirty per cent were from higher managerial or professional families as compared with 27% of undergraduates and 13% of the population.

68% of independent school educated university students obtained a First or Upper Second class degree (the usual requirements for pursuing a postgraduate course) in 2008 compared with 64% of state educated students. However, comparing like-for-like students (from the same university subject of degree, ethnic group, and family background), those educated at independent schools were 4% less likely to achieve a First or Upper Second class degree than otherwise similar students educated in state schools.

The survey also found that postgraduates with a Masters degree earn on average £1.75 million over their lifetimes, while postgraduates completing a PhD earn on average £1.9m - 15% and 23% more respectively than a university graduate with £1.5m in average lifetime earnings. The average starting salary for a home postgraduate was £24,000 in 2008 compared with the average starting salary for a home undergraduate of £19,500.

The researchers say: "Comparing students with the same characteristics, and averaging over the years 2004/06/08, those educated in independent schools are found to be 1.2% more likely to carry on to postgraduate education than their state educated counterparts. This difference is small but it is statistically significant. It is also present despite the fact that university students educated at independent schools were found to be slightly less likely to achieve a First or Upper Second class degree than otherwise similar students educated in state schools."

The report also found that three quarters (76%) of independent school pupils who went to university (in the years 2004-2008), graduated from a leading research university, compared with four in ten (39%) state school pupils who went to university.

Notes for Editors

The social composition and future earnings of postgraduates is available on www.suttontrust.com.

The Sutton Trust was founded by Sir Peter Lampl in 1997 to improve social mobility in the UK. The current review into Postgraduate Education is being carried out by Professor Adrian Smith, Director General of Science and Research at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Further information from Lee Elliot Major, Research Director of the Sutton Trust on 07917 647 710 or Tim Devlin, Press Officer, on 07939 544 487.

Read the report here

Poorer children a year behind at start of school

Children growing up today in the poorest fifth of families are already nearly a year (11.1 months) behind those children from middle income families in vocabulary tests by the time they are five according to research commissioned by the Sutton Trust, published today (Monday).

Good parenting and a supportive home environment emerge as the most important determinants of better test scores at age 5, accounting for half of the explained gap between low-income and middle-income children. The Sutton Trust today highlights five priorities for early years policy to help reduce this gap.

The research is the most comprehensive study so far on the factors behind the stark educational inequalities during the early years in the UK - based on 12,500 British five-year-olds in 2006 and 2007 in the Millennium Cohort Survey. It was carried out by Jane Waldfogel, professor of social work and public affairs at Columbia University and visiting professor at London School of Economics, and Elizabeth Washbrook, research associate at the Centre for Market and Public Organization at Bristol University.

It found that just under half (45%) of children from the poorest fifth of families were read to daily at age 3, compared with 8 in 10 (78%) of children from the richest fifth of families and that nearly half (47%) of children from the poorest fifth of families were born to mothers aged under 25; just under two-thirds (65%) do not live with both biological parents by the time they are five.

But the study also finds that good parenting behaviour, such as reading daily to children or ensuring regular bedtimes, is associated with more advanced development at age 5 - whether children are from the poorest or richest households.

Sir Peter Lampl, Chairman of the Sutton Trust, said: "It is a tragic indictment on modern society that our children's future life prospects depend so much on their family background, not their individual talents. These findings are at once both shocking and encouraging - revealing the stark educational disadvantage experienced by children from poorer homes before they have even stepped into the school classroom, but also the potential for good parenting to overcome some of the negative impacts that poverty can have on children's early development."

Professor Waldfogel said: "We now have sound evidence about policies and programmes that raise achievement for low income children and help reduce gaps in early childhood. We also know that the best of these investments will yield returns well in excess of their costs."

The Sutton Trust has identified five priorities for a future Government that would help to reduce this gap:

1. Children's centres should offer effective parenting programmes which have been evaluated and proven to work by robust research, and which engage parents/carers and empower them to be their child's first educator.
2. Sure Start early learning practitioners should work in partnership with health professionals to support families, including home visits for the hardest to reach children.
3. Specialised outreach projects should be established as part of the wider Sure Start children's centre provision to improve contact with vulnerable families.
4. New funding the Government plans to allocate to extend free nursery education entitlement to 3 and 4 year olds should be redirected to provide 25 hours of nursery education a week to 2-4 year olds from the 15% most disadvantaged families.
5. Access to these extra nursery places should be complemented by automatic access to a proven parenting programme.

Read the report here

Access to highly selective universities stalls

The proportion of non-privileged students at the UK's most academically selective universities remains depressingly low, concludes the Sutton Trust's submission to Sir Martin Harris's review of widening access into these universities.

The Trust's submission reviews a range of evidence spanning the last decade and finds for example that while the number of young full-time first degree entrants to Russell Group1 universities increased by 18% from 2002/03 to 2007/08, the number coming from the four lowest socio-economic groups increased by just 16%. Similar trends exist for other highly selective universities outside the Russell Group (1).

The Trust which campaigns to improve social mobility in the UK is recommending that additional student places should be created at selective universities for those on access schemes or from disadvantaged homes - despite the current financial climate.

Government Performance Indicators in 2002/03 showed that 20% of young degree entrants to Russell Group institutions were from the four lower class groups, which account for 50% of the population. These proportions were essentially unchanged in 2007/08.

New figures in the review also show that three in every ten Oxbridge undergraduates in 2007 and 2008 were from just 100 schools and colleges, the majority of which are fee paying or state grammar schools. Almost 45% of Oxbridge undergraduates were from 200 schools and colleges, while the remaining 3500 schools in the UK accounted for 55% of admissions. These figures show little change from the similar analysis done for Oxbridge admissions for the period 2002-2006, although the dominance of the top 200 schools and colleges has reduced slightly.

Sir Peter Lampl, Chairman of the Sutton Trust, said: "Universities, schools and the government have made considerable efforts to widen access to highly selective universities, and higher education more generally. But this evidence reveals the extent of the challenge we are facing to ensure that background, location or financial situation are not barriers to entering these universities for academically able young people. Access to highly selective universities matters because it is graduates of these institutions that go on to our most influential professions."

Westminster School produced the most Oxbridge entrants—154—over the two years, with Eton College producing 152 Oxbridge entrants. Four in ten of the university entrants from Westminster School during the two years enrolled at Oxbridge.

Top ten schools in terms of total Oxbridge entrants in 2007 and 2008

Top ten schools in terms of Oxbridge admissions as a proportion of total HE entrants

1. The Russell Group consists of: Birmingham; Bristol; Cambridge; Cardiff; Edinburgh; Glasgow; Imperial College, London; King's College London; Leeds; Liverpool; London School of Economics & Political Science; Manchester; Newcastle; Nottingham; Oxford; Queen's. Belfast; Sheffield; Southampton; University College, London; Warwick.

Read the report here

Innovative access scheme hailed a success

An innovative university access scheme has reported excellent results, doubling the likelihood of bright disadvantaged youngsters accessing top universities.

The results of the first evaluation of the Reach for Excellence schemes at the University of Leeds, supported by the Sutton Trust and the Halifax, has shown that almost half (45%) of the first group of students to benefit from the project were admitted to research-led universities, compared to just one-fifth (21%) of similar students.

The programme was also found to boost the likelihood of students entering higher education in any form (87% compared to 65% of the comparator group) and to cement their aspirations towards further study. A summary of the main findings is attached. These will be discussed at a seminar this evening which will be addressed by David Willetts, Conservative Shadow Minister for Universities and Skills, and Michael Arthur, Vice Chancellor of the University of Leeds and chairman of the Russell Group.

The innovative scheme supports bright disadvantaged youngsters from West Yorkshire over two years through a combination of advice sessions, a summer school, study skills and aspiration raising work. It aims not only to increase their chances of going to university, but also of accessing the most prestigious universities. Importantly, it is one of the few schemes in this area which has been evaluated against a control group of students with similar academic and socio-economic characteristics. The researchers followed 295 students, of whom 114 took part in the scheme and the remainder formed the control group.

The results of the evaluation come at an important time. University places are set to be frozen over the next few years and the money spent on work to widen participation to university is coming under increased scrutiny. This evidence shows that targeted outreach and support work does make a difference and - as the financial returns to degrees from leading universities are so high - makes sound economic sense too.

Sir Peter Lampl, Chairman of the Sutton Trust, commented: "This is encouraging news for all those who are interested in fair access to university. This thorough evaluation of the Reach for Excellence project shows that well designed and targeted programmes really can transform the expectations and outcomes of bright, non-privileged young people. Despite the current economic constraints, if we are genuinely interested in boosting this country's shamefully low level of social mobility, we need to invest more, not less, in schemes like this. A research-led university remains the surest way to access sought-after and influential careers."

Professor Michael Arthur, Vice Chancellor at the University of Leeds, said: "I am extremely proud of Reach for Excellence, which has enabled us to identify and help the brightest and best students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Without it many would not have had the opportunity or motivation to come to a research-intensive university like Leeds."

Reach for Excellence students achieved better A-Level results than their peers from similar backgrounds, and are twice as like to go to a Russell Group university. The first cohort of students from the programme is now at university, and we are confident that they are on track to do as well, if not better, than students from more advantaged backgrounds."

Notes to editors

Launched in 2007 and sponsored by the Halifax and Sutton Trust, the Reach for Excellence programme is an extended university outreach scheme that provides support for a group of local highly-able 16 year olds from disadvantaged backgrounds, with the aim of raising their chances of enrolling at a research intensive university such as the University of Leeds. The programme operates over a two year period, providing advice sessions and lectures, a summer school, university visits and individual mentoring. It will benefit 360 students overall, composed of three consecutive year cohorts. See www.leeds.ac.uk/ace/access/rfe.htm.

The evaluation of the programme will be launched on the 27 January at a seminar attended by university leaders, educationalists, access practitioners and policy makers. David Willetts, Conservative Shadow Minister for Universities and Skills, and Michael Arthur, Chair of the Russell Group and Vice Chancellor of the University of Leeds, will address the seminar.

Further information from Tim Devlin, Press Officer, The Sutton Trust, on 07939 544 487 and Vanessa Bridge, Director of Media Relations, University of Leeds, on 0113 343 4030.

Read the report here

Labour still favoured by most teachers

The Labour Party still has the greatest support among teachers in England and Wales according to the first poll of teachers' voting intentions in the run up to the General Election. But there are some indications that historical support for the party is dwindling and there is some scepticism among teachers as to which of the political parties would be best for education.

The poll of 1,000 teachers in primary and secondary schools was carried out by Ipsos MORI and commissioned by the Sutton Trust.

A significant number (15%) of teachers are still undecided which way to vote and a further one in ten say they will not go to the polls. One third (34%) could not say which party would be best for education and 1 in 12 (8%) said that all the parties "were as bad as each other".

The poll (carried out between October 19th and December 3rd 2009) found that 25% of teachers would vote Labour if there was a General Election tomorrow as opposed to 18% who would vote Tory and 14% Liberal Democrat. One in six teachers (16%) in Wales would vote for the Welsh Nationalist Party. No support for the BNP was reported.

While 26% of teachers aged 35 or more would vote Labour compared with 16% who would vote Conservative, views amongst younger teachers are less polarised: 22% of those aged 34 and younger would vote Labour compared with 21% who would vote Conservative. It is not clear whether this can be attributed to the greater tendency of younger teachers to say they are undecided (18% vs 13%), or whether younger teachers are genuinely as inclined to be in tune with the Conservatives as with Labour.

Previous polls by The Times Educational Supplement showed support among teachers for Labour slumping from 43% in 2001 to 29% in 2005. So while not directly comparable, these latest results suggest a continuing downward trend, while Conservative support has doubled from 9% in 2005.

Read the report here

New report reveals stark education gaps beyond the classroom

The extent of the educational divide 'beyond the classroom' is revealed today by research commissioned by the Sutton Trust into the amount of homework and other extra curricular activities undertaken by children of graduate parents compared with those from less educated homes. The Trust, which campaigns for increased social mobility, is calling for changes to the conventional school day to reduce the gap.

Children of parents with degrees report that they spend on average twice as much time on homework, reading and study in the home as children from less well educated families. One third (34%) of 15-year olds whose parents had little or no formal education claim that no homework or almost none is ever set for them, compared with only 10% of those with graduate parents.

Middle class children are also over four times as likely to say they have more than 200 books in the home, two and a half times as likely to have a computer and twice as likely to attend day time and after school clubs once a week. They are also much more likely to borrow books from a public library.

The research was carried out by Durham and Oxford Universities and is based on data from CEM (Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring) at Durham University and the ONS (Office for National Statistics) UK 2000 Time Use Survey.

Sir Peter Lampl, Chairman of the Sutton Trust, said: "These results highlight the sheer range of obstacles facing non-privileged young people. Inequalities in the classroom are exacerbated by inequalities in their daily lives, whether this is lack of access to homework help, extra tuition or basic resources such as books and computers. All this serves to entrench low aspirations and underachievement.

"A conventional model of 9am to 3pm schooling is insufficient to tackle such a deep-rooted problem; the mountain to climb is just too high. That is why we are looking at radical approaches, such as KIPP schools in the US, which make up for deficits outside the school gates with extended curriculum time, enrichment activities, the highest quality teachers and a strong work ethic. All this is underpinned by the expectation - universal amongst middle class families - that young people will go on to university. We should not settle for anything less for students from poorer homes."

The findings echo previous research by the Trust which found that almost one quarter of young people had received private tuition, and this was particularly prevalent in better off families. Previous research has also highlighted that parents from higher social groups are more likely to help their children with homework and engage in school activities.

The new Sutton Trust report highlights that these stark gaps in education time and resources outside school are one of the main drivers behind the persistent attainment gap between middle class children and their less privileged counterparts that continues to blight the country.

The Trust now plans to work with others to develop state school models that offer more learning time to the most disadvantaged pupils, the best teachers and the highest expectations for all pupils to progress to university.

Notes to editors

In early 2010 the Trust will be releasing a report on the characteristics of various 'No Excuses' Charter Schools in the US, including KIPP, and how the lessons might be applied to the UK. The report will also look at examples of innovative practice from England. Ultimately, the Trust's intention is to be involved in the development and evaluation of a pilot of a similar approach to schooling in a UK context. Such an approach could be incorporated under existing Academies policy, or under Conservative proposals for Free Schools.

The Trust has also supported initiatives such as the Children's University (www.childrensuniversity.co.uk) and Into University (www.intouniversity.org) which provide high quality out of school support to those from non-privileged backgrounds.

More details on the Knowledge is Power Programme (KIPP) can be found at www.kipp.org.

The findings of the Trust's work on private tuition can be found at www.suttontrust.com/reports/Mori080609.pdf and its work on parental aspirations at www.suttontrust.com/reports/MORIaspirations.pdf.

Read the report here

Decline in advice and guidance at school

The provision of advice and guidance for teenagers at school has plummeted over the last 12 years suggests a major survey commissioned by the Sutton Trust. The decline comes despite a growing need for students, particularly those from non-privileged backgrounds, to be guided through the increasingly varied and complex educational options now on offer, and the limited careers choices open to them in an economic recession.

The annual survey of 15 and 16 year olds by Durham University researchers shows the proportion of students reporting they had formal career adviser meetings fell from 85% in 1997 to 55% in 2008.

The proportion of students saying they learned 'some' or 'a lot' from career advisors or teachers fell from 49% in 1997 to 25% in 2008, while those receiving career talks reduced from 45% in 1997 to 22% in 2008.

The survey, which asks the same questions to tens of thousands of school children each year, found that the number of school pupils visiting universities has increased: 11% said they had visited a university in 1997, rising to 23% in 2008.

The research suggests that 100,000s of school pupils in England are now reaching the end of their GCSEs receiving no formal advice at all on their future - and are subsequently having to rely on more informal sources of guidance, in particular, from parents and families.

Sir Peter Lampl, Chairman of the Sutton Trust, said: "The stark decline in advice and guidance in schools over the last decade indicated by these findings is a particular concern for non-privileged children - many of whom can not turn to well-informed parents or families to guide them through the choices that are so critical to future life prospects.

"No-one should underestimate the impact this is likely to have on limiting social mobility in this country. And the need for informed guidance is even more pressing now than ever before, given the vast array of educational options available to children and the more limited career choices during a recession."

Last year the Trust published a report for the National Council for Educational Excellence that suggested that at least half of careers and education advice in state schools was inadequate or inappropriate. Meanwhile research published by the Trust earlier this year found that students attending the poorest schools were ten times more likely to take certain vocational qualifications than pupils in the most advantaged schools. The Government is expected shortly to announce its Information Advice and Guidance strategy for schools and young people in England.

The Trust believes that radical reforms are needed to ensure that all children receive appropriate advice to negotiate an increasingly complex educational landscape. Our concern is that too many school children are making ill-informed choices early on which puts them out of the running for certain university choices and careers later in life.

In its report to the NCEE last year the Trust proposed that:

• Every secondary school should have a lead teacher responsible for higher education information, advice and guidance at every Key Stage (ages 11-14, 14-16 and 16-18).
• There should be a duty on schools, colleges and local authorities to ensure provision contains certain key elements: for example, one visit to a university campus and activities involving parents.
• A specialist network of local advisors (independent of schools) should be created to ensure all young people have access to specific expertise, drawing on the resources of universities, colleges, businesses and independent and state schools.
• Support and guidance should be targeted early on, particularly at the end of primary school, and sustained in to Key Stage 3 (age 11-14) but also provided at all key transitions.

The Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring (CEM) at Durham University survey is based on returns from tens of thousands of school children surveyed each year. A full summary report can be found at www.suttontrust.com. Main findings include:

• In 1997 85% of students said they had had a formal 'Career Action Plan' meeting with a careers advisor or teacher; by 2008 55% of students reported such a meeting.
• The number of students saying they learned 'some' or 'a lot' from career advisors/ teachers reduced from 49% in 1997 to 25% in 2008.
• The number of career talks from professional advisors or careers teachers reduced from 45% in 1997 to 22% in 2008.
• The number of university visits has increased: 11% of school pupils said they had visited a university in 1997, rising to 23% in 2008.

Read the report here

Four in ten top scholars privately educated

Forty-two percent of the UK's top scientists and scholars were educated in independent schools - and the dominance of the sector looks set to continue into the next generation, according to the latest report from the Sutton Trust looking at leading figures in British society.

The report - which analysed the school and university backgrounds of over 1,700 of the 2,200 Fellows of the Royal Society and British Academy - also found that just 40 independent schools supplied one quarter of the current crop of leading academics. The proportion of top scholars from independent schools is higher than for university vice chancellors (27%) and MPs (32%) but less than leading journalists (54%), medics (51%) and judges (70%).

The study also found that over half (56%) of the Fellows studied at either Oxford or Cambridge Universities.

To predict the educational backgrounds of the top scientists and scholars of 2050, the study also examined recent GCSE, A level and university entrance figures. The report concludes that the prognosis is poor for bright non-privileged students: private school pupils are up to five times more likely to achieve an A* grade at GCSE in core academic subjects, and account for more than one third of top grades in key A Levels like Physics, Chemistry, Economics and History. This is a major reason why access to research-led universities - the pipeline for the top scholars of the future - remains skewed towards those from better-off backgrounds.

Sir Peter Lampl, Chairman of the Sutton Trust, commented: "This report is yet more evidence of the uneven life chances in Britain. Students from the independent sector, which educates just seven percent of children, are substantially more likely to reach the top of our most coveted professions and succeed in influential walks of life.

It must be a priority to provide today's bright non-privileged young people with equivalent chances to their better-off peers, so they can make the most of their talents. This means giving them the opportunity to study core academic subjects at GCSE and A level, as well as raising their aspirations towards the most highly-selective university courses. We must also ensure that inspirational teachers in shortage subjects like physics, maths and foreign languages are encouraged to teach in schools serving less well off communities."

Read the report here

Britons more pessimistic about social mobility

The British public are becoming increasingly pessimistic about opportunities for social mobility and three quarters believe the current economic recession will limit chances for upward mobility, according to the latest poll from the Sutton Trust.

The survey of over 2,000 adults carried out in July by Ipsos MORI looked at how attitudes had changed since Spring 2008. It found that just 38% of respondents now think that people in the UK have equal opportunities to get ahead, compared to 53% in 2008 - a fall of 15 percentage points.

The study also found a significant decline in the proportion of people who agree that opportunities for social mobility are 'about right' (from 50% to 43% in 2009) and a corresponding increase - particularly among poorer groups - of those who think it is 'too low' (from 31% to 38%).

The poll coincides with the publication of a number of academic papers which look at how educational policies can help to boost levels of mobility. The papers are the result of a joint summit held last year between the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the Sutton Trust.

Sir Peter Lampl, Chairman of the Sutton Trust, commented: "Most people see this country as a land in which wealth and background are more important in determining opportunities in life than talent and hard work. The economic recession has made people more gloomy about their chances of rising up the social ladder which, sadly, confirms academic evidence that levels of mobility in the UK are lower than in many other advanced countries.

No child should be held back because of where and to whom they were born. That means ensuring that the poorest families are supported in the early years, that targeted help and extra resources are given to pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds in schools, and that talented youngsters from non-privileged homes are able to access our most prestigious universities and professions."

The survey also shows that:

• 70% of the public think that parents' income plays too big a part in children's life chances
• three quarters believe that income differences in the UK are too large
• more than half (55%) think that it is the Government's role to address income inequalities

Read the report here

Thousands of state school pupils shun top degree courses

Thousands of state school pupils are not applying to the most selective university degree courses despite having the A-levels to secure a place, new research shows.

The report reveals that pupils from top performing independent schools on average make twice as many applications to leading research universities than their peers from state comprehensive schools with similar average A- level results. Application rates from Further Education colleges, meanwhile, were less than half of those from other types of schools with similar average exam results.

The study also shows that if university participation patterns were the same for those in the state sector [1] in England as independent school pupils with similar 'academic' A level results, over 4,500 [2] extra state school students each year could enter the 500 university courses with the most demanding entry qualifications.

The research, undertaken jointly by the Sutton Trust and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, analyses information on hundreds of thousands of students using UCAS applications data and the National Pupil Database.

Chairman of the Sutton Trust, Sir Peter Lampl said: "This research shows that even with the right grades in the right A Level subjects, thousands of state schools each year do not apply to the most academically selective degree courses. Many highly able pupils from non-privileged backgrounds wrongly perceive the most prestigious universities as 'not for the likes of us', and often lack the support and guidance to overcome this misconception.

"As well as underlining the continued need for outreach activities like summer schools, with A Level results being published next week, this timely research provides yet another compelling reason to reform the university application system. Students should be able to apply to higher education on the basis of their actual results rather than predicted grades, which can be inaccurate. This simple step towards post qualification applications would give many non-privileged students the confidence to aim that little bit higher."

Key findings of the research include:

Overall trends

• The single most important factor determining the probability that students obtained a place on one of the most academically demanding degree courses is the student's own A level (or equivalent) results.
• Beyond this, the differences by type of school or college in participation rates on the most academically demanding courses can be largely explained by differences in the number and patterns of applications from different types of school or college.

Application rates

• Pupils from independent schools in the top fifth of schools according to their overall A level attainment, on average made twice as many applications to 'Sutton 13' universities [3] than their peers from comprehensive schools with similar overall levels of attainment.
• Application rates from FE colleges to 'Sutton 13' universities were less than half of those from other types of schools, even when differences in average overall levels of A level attainment are taken into account.
  Participation rates
• A student with the equivalent of ABB at A level (including at least one 'core academic' A level [4]) who attended an independent school has a 79% chance of entering one of the 500 most selective degree courses, compared with 70% for a similar student attending a state maintained school.

If pupils in the state sector in England had the same participation rates as pupils from independent schools with similar 'academic' A level results, over 4,500 extra students could enter the 500 courses with the highest average entry qualifications by age 19.

• If FE sector students had the same participation rates as those in selective state schools with similar "academic" A level attainment, then over 1,000 extra students from the FE sector (including FE and sixth form colleges) could enter the 500 courses with the highest average entry qualifications by age 19.

Offer rates [5]

• It appears that young people from schools and colleges with similar overall attainment levels and who applied to the most academically demanding universities, were about as likely to get an offer whatever the type of school or college they attended.
• Saying this, about a third of applications to 'Sutton 13' universities from those in the lowest attaining comprehensive schools resulted in offers, but only a fifth of those from FE colleges with similar overall levels of attainment did so.

1. Including maintained schools , sixth form colleges and genera /tertiary FE colleges,
2. Made up of 2,333 students from comprehensive schools; 1,277 from FE colleges; 693 from Sixth Form colleges; and 315 from selective state schools
3. These are 13 highly selective universities which came top of an average ranking of the newspaper league tables in 2000: Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Durham, Edinburgh, Imperial College, London School of Economics, Nottingham, Oxford, St Andrews, University College London, Warwick and York.
4. For this analysis, core academic subjects were defined as A levels in Maths, English, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, or, History.
5. These findings need to be treated with some caution as they may still reflect differences in individual students' levels of achievement.

Read the report here

Percent scheme supports disadvantaged students to elite university places

A new 'percent' scheme to offer bright pupils in disadvantaged schools a pathway to their local elite university is unveiled today by the Sutton Trust after a review of innovative admissions systems in the UK and across the world. The programme includes an individual admissions route provided students meet minimum A-level grades.

The review finds that despite living on the doorstep of many of the country's most academically selective universities, the least advantaged fifth of young people remain ten times less likely to attend an elite university than the most advantaged fifth.

Specifically, the new analysis by the Trust shows that 80% of disadvantaged young people live in the vicinity of a highly selective university, but only 1 in 25 of these go on to attend one of these universities.

The report also identifies a considerable pool of untapped potential talent in schools - in 2007 for example 35,000 pupils in England aged 19 with eight or more GCSEs graded A-C did not go onto to take A-levels, and progress to university.

The pilot scheme, which the Sutton Trust is proposing, will identify a percentage of able pupils as early as age 15 at disadvantaged schools in the vicinity of an elite university, and offer them a clear pathway to a place at the university at age 18 - as long as they attend advice and support sessions and meet minimum required A-level grades.

Pupils on the scheme could be given an alternative individual offer for a degree place by the university, the opportunity to prove academic potential and commitment through an additional piece of work, or access to a university foundation year.

The review documents the widespread use of alternative admissions schemes across the world by highly selective universities - and evidence suggesting that students admitted through such programmes do at least as well academically as other students at university and prosper in life after graduation.

Sir Peter Lampl, chairman at the Trust, said:

"There is a need to try innovative approaches to widen access to highly-selective universities. Despite some progress the proportion of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds remains stubbornly low and seems to have stalled. Ten times as many young people from the most advantaged neighbourhoods progress to a highly selective university compared with those from the least advantaged areas.

We need to be bold in trying to address this as there remain far too many bright youngsters in deprived areas whose potential is at present untapped. We must make sure our best universities attract the best students."

James Turner, director of policy at the Trust, said:

"This pilot project is very much about preserving the high academic standards of leading universities while providing a clear route into them for bright young people living in their vicinities. We are in discussions with a number of universities about developing the pilot project for the next academic year and the specifics are likely to vary from institution to institution as we test different approaches.

An important point is that the scheme will be rigorously evaluated: too little is known about what works in this area and we are keen that the pilot informs future policy thinking so that universities find the best students for their courses, regardless of background.

Read the report here

Record numbers of pupils aim for university

Young people's aspirations towards higher education are the highest ever, with 77 percent saying they are fairly likely or very likely to enter university.

The findings, from an Ipsos MORI poll of over 2,447 pupils aged 11-16 in state schools, come despite reports of poorer graduate job prospects in the recession, and cuts in the expansion of higher education, which could mean 20,000 fewer funded places in 2010.

The 77 percent figure is up from 73 percent last year and is the highest since the poll was started seven years ago (see summary table below).

The findings also highlight a disconnect between students' aspirations and outcomes, as currently only 32 percent of young people enter higher education - less than half the proportion who say they are fairly likely or very likely to go to university when asked earlier in their education career. There is also a socio-economic class gap, with children from working households significantly more likely to aspire to university than those from households where no parents work (79% compared to 66%).

Sir Peter Lampl, Chairman of the Sutton Trust, commented:

"The survey suggests that efforts to increase participation have been buoyed by the economic crisis and the shortage of jobs, which has made further study a more attractive prospect for many young people.

While this is good news in some respects, we must ensure we don't build up students' expectations early on in school only for them to be dashed at age 18. The ideal would be that every young person with the potential to benefit should have access to higher education, but in the current economic climate the most pressing question is who gets access to the limited number of university places available.

Sadly, these findings confirm that it continues to be non-privileged youngsters who are least likely to progress, so efforts to raise the aspirations and achievement of bright students from poorer homes must continue."

Summary of findings

How likely or unlikely are you to go into higher education when you are old enough?

Base for 2009 and 2008: All answering (2009: 2,329; 2008: 2,374))
Pre-2008 figures include respondents who did not state an answer

Self-completion questionnaires were completed in 106 classroom sessions between 9th January and 3rd April 2009. Data have been weighted by gender, age and region. Results are based on all pupils in England and Wales, unless otherwise stated.

Expand Teach First to primary schools

The Teach First scheme should be extended to primary schools to attract high calibre graduates into those schools serving poor areas, according to a joint report from the Sutton Trust and the National Education Trust, published today (June 26th)

In addition, the Report calls for £10,000 'golden handcuff' payments for exceptional teachers working in the in the most challenging primary schools. Such payments are currently only available to secondary school teachers.

The proposals are among a number of measures aimed at boosting the status of primary teaching and attracting high-fliers. The proposals include:

• Creating a 'Teach Primary' route to raise the profile and prestige of work-based routes into the sector, drawing on the best of existing programmes.
• Extending the Teach First scheme, which currently focuses on secondary schools, to inner city primary schools.
• Providing financial incentives to teachers in the most challenging primary schools, these to include higher starting salaries and retention payments such as the 'golden handcuffs' initiative.
• Making the primary career structure more attractive by increasing the number of schools in so-called "consortia' so that ambitious and successful head teachers can be given responsibility for a number of schools.

The Report argues that the primary sector is often overlooked by policymakers and is often seen as a second-class route into teaching. Yet the primary years are critical in both preventing social inequalities from dominating children's educational experience and for providing a solid foundation to be taken into the secondary school. There is a particular problem in recruiting men into the profession; currently just 16% of primary school teachers are male.

James Turner, Director of Policy at the Sutton Trust said: "Effective teaching targeted at those who need it most is critical in reducing the inequalities that emerge pre-school and widen with age. If we can get more high quality teachers into our poorest primary schools – and reward them for staying there – then we will be much better placed to ensure that children from all backgrounds enter secondary school with the skills and knowledge to prosper."

Roy Blatchford, Director of the National Education Trust, commented: "Good and great teachers make a lifelong impact on us all. Primary schools across the country are constantly seeking to employ high calibre teachers. We need to find ways of doing this that break new ground and don't just rely on past practices. If we make a real difference in primary schools, we can truly realise ambitions to deliver a world-class education service."

Read the report here

London the capital of private tuition

Over two-fifths (43%) of young people in London reported having received private tuition in some form during their school years, an increase from 36% in 2005.

The finding comes from a survey of 2,447 11-16 year old students in state schools by Ipsos MORI, which revealed that the proportions of students taking private tuition has increased in five years from 18% to 22% nationally.

The scale of paid-for tutorage in London, though, is significantly higher than in any other area - the South East region is second with 28%, while Yorkshire and Humber is lowest with 11%.

The survey also found that double the proportion of pupils from urban compared with rural areas say they have received private/home tuition (24% compared with 12%). This is a slight increase since 2005, when almost one in five young people from urban areas (19%) - compared with 12% from rural areas - received tuition.

The majority of students reported that they had received tuition to help them do well in a particular exam or to improve their school work generally.

Sir Peter Lampl, Chairman of the Sutton Trust, commented:

"The fact that approaching half the children in London have received private tuition is staggering, and reflects the relative affluence of the capital, increased competition for school places and, perhaps, some parental concerns over the quality of their children's schooling.

The danger is that this boom in paid-for tutoring will widen the gap between the haves and have-nots. We already know that better-off parents are more likely to access private schools and to monopolise the highest-performing state schools. This survey suggests that some parents are also increasingly supplementing their children's education with extra lessons. With fees of £30 an hour or more, this is simply not an option for many families.

The survey also hints at what we might expect as the recession goes on - hard-pressed parents opting for the state rather than private sector, but paying for additional help, as well as families investing more in getting students past entrance exams into high-performing state grammar schools."

Independent School bursaries must recognize cost of out-of-school activities

Independent schools need to acknowledge the costs of extra-curricular activities when devising schemes to help poor students, according to a new report released by the Sutton Trust today. Those that do so should have their efforts recognised by the Charity Commission under the new public benefit test.

The research, by the Institute of Education at the University of London, interviewed a number of students who benefited from the Assisted Places Scheme in the 1980s.  Virtually all spoke of the fact that they could not participate in out of school activities, such as field-trips, cultural visits or foreign exchange trips, because their parents could not afford to finance them.   For some this was a key reason for them becoming estranged or alienated from the independent school in which they were placed.

The study is a follow up to a report released in 2006 which showed that assisted place holders achieved higher exam results and went on to earn more in adulthood than similar students in state schools.

Sir Peter Lampl, Chairman of the Sutton Trust, said: "Although the Assisted Places Scheme ended a decade ago, it has important lessons for contemporary efforts to open up independent schools and for the current debate over these schools’ charitable status.  This research shows that private schools need to look beyond the simple question of fees when opening their doors. Poorer students need other financial and pastoral support if they are to make the most of the opportunities the private sector can offer.

The research also indicates that pupils may find it easier to fit into schools with diverse intakes. This shows the value of the Open Access pioneered by the Sutton Trust and the Girls’ Day School Trust at the Belvedere School in Liverpool where all places were allocated on merit alone.  With 70% receiving funding problems of alienation are minimised.”

Geoff Whitty, Director of the Institute of Education, said, “There is no doubt that many recipients of assistance enjoyed great benefits, both at school and in later life.  However, the most disadvantaged pupils found it difficult to fit in and were at higher risk of dropping out of education early.  A proper assessment of the costs and benefits of the scheme also needs to consider its impact on local state schools, some of which lost their brightest pupils to the scheme.”

Read the report here

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Highly able pupils do worse in deprived schools

Highly able pupils (the top 10%) in the most deprived state schools on average achieve half a grade less per GCSE than highly able pupils in the most advantaged schools, new research from the Sutton Trust has found. The report suggests that these differences are due to a number of factors associated with advantaged schools, including a 'peer effect' by which pupils benefit from being educated with other pupils with high levels of attainment, and low levels of deprivation.

The study, which examined the results of 555,000 pupils who took GCSEs in England in 2006, finds that students attending the poorest schools were much more likely to take vocational qualifications than pupils in the most advantaged schools. Highly able pupils attending the most deprived schools were ten times more likely in 2006 to take an intermediate GNVQ than highly able pupils in the most advantaged schools.

The report also identifies a 'hidden poor' – over 40,000 pupils eligible for Free School Meals earlier in their schooling, but who are currently ignored in the Government's official statistics on the attainment gap between disadvantaged and advantaged students. Including these would boost the proportion of students classified as disadvantaged in schools from 14% to 22% of the total.

Dr Lee Elliot Major, research director at the Sutton Trust, said: "Quite rightly every parent wants to know whether their son or daughter will progress at the same pace given the overall social make-up of their school. This report suggests there are significant differences, so we need to ensure that schools with the most deprived intakes get the support they need to boost achievement, and that where-ever possible we have balanced pupil intakes so that the positive peer effect is shared around and we don't have extreme pockets of affluence and deprivation.

"We also need to make sure pupils get access to high quality, impartial advice and guidance so they can make informed decisions about their futures. Vocational pathways should not be seen as inferior to academic qualifications; but a pupil should be no more likely to opt for a practical course in a disadvantaged school than in an advantaged one."

Dr Philip Noden, research fellow at the Education Research Group at the London School of Economics, who carried out the research, said: "This is an attainment gap that needs to be closed so that parents know their children will make good progress whatever the social mix of the school they attend. The difference in GCSE results between the most and least advantaged schools is disguised by the popularity of vocational qualifications in the most deprived schools. So in trying to close the gap it is important that schools don't limit access to academic qualifications for those pupils who would benefit from them."

Read the report here

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Three quarters of teachers do not view diplomas as route to university

Three quarters of teachers do not view diplomas as route to university
The new 14-19 Diplomas are not seen as an appropriate qualification for bright students wanting to go on to higher education, according to a poll of 1,300 teachers released by the Sutton Trust today.

The survey, carried out by the National Foundation for Educational Research (Teacher Voice Omnibus Survey), found that just one quarter (24%) of teachers thought that the Diploma was suitable for the academically able and just one fifth (21%) believed it was suitable for those who want to go to university.

By contrast, A levels were seen by the vast majority of teachers as appropriate for able students (94%) and for those wanting to enter higher education (96%).

Three quarter of teachers (74%) also perceived the Diploma as being for schools in poorer areas, but only three in ten (29%) thought it was suitable for independent schools. Eighty-three percent of teachers thought the qualification was for those wanting to pursue a vocational route.

The survey also looked at teachers' views of the International Baccalaureate and the Cambridge Pre-U exam. Many teachers felt they did not know enough about these qualifications, but those who did generally believed them to be suitable for bright students who want to go on to higher education and for use in independent schools, but less suitable for schools in poor areas.

James Turner, Director of Policy at the Sutton Trust, commented:

"At a time when Diplomas are being heavily promoted to schools and students, it is worrying that the perception amongst teachers – who should be best informed – is that these are not for bright young people with university ambitions.

This reflects a wider confusion amongst students, teachers and parents about the role and currency of the different qualifications available in schools and colleges. In an increasingly complex environment, young people need clear messages about where choices at age 14 and 16 are likely to lead them so they can make realistic decisions based on their education and career aspirations.

In the absence of such clarity, there is a real danger of a divide emerging between those pupils in independent and top state schools who are set on an academic path, leading to places in selective universities, and students from non-privileged backgrounds who have those opportunities closed to them early on."

Summary results

All teachers

Secondary only

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Academies need to collaborate more with neighbouring schools

Academies are not doing enough to work with other schools in their neighbourhoods and so are not fulfilling one of their original objectives according to a report published today by the Institute of Education, University of London, which was confirmed last week as the leading centre for educational research in the UK.

The Institute of Education's review, commissioned by the Sutton Trust, examines the existing literature relating to the programme and compares the performance of the 130 Academies established so far with their original long term aims – the first of which was to raise achievement levels not just for their own pupils but for their families of schools and the wider community.

It calls on the Government to 'revisit and refine' the objectives of their flagship programme and says that academies are 'more likely to have more influence if they co-operate with neighbouring schools in terms of admissions, exclusions and sharing their resources.'

It refers to concern that the high level of exclusions in some Academies may be having an adverse impact on other neighbouring schools. The authors therefore welcome the move towards Academies participating in 'behaviour partnerships' with other schools.

The report also recommends that admission practices should be more closely monitored to make sure they do not harm the intakes of other schools. It suggests that area-wide banding would ensure that other schools were not harmed by the success of Academies.

Professor Geoff Whitty, Director of the Institute and co-author of the report, said: "Although there is much to commend in the Academies programme, it is important that research identifies areas where it might do better, as well as highlighting good practice. There is a welcome trend towards greater partnerships between schools (in behaviour partnerships and 14-19 diploma provision) and it is vital that Academies play a full role in this collaboration."

Dr Lee Elliot Major, Research Director for the Sutton Trust, warns that the decline in the proportion of pupils eligible for Free School Meals (FSM) currently at Academies is a cause for concern. The proportion has dropped from 45.3% in 2003 to 29% in 2008. This reflects a decline in FSM rates in older Academies as well as the fact that many of the newer Academies have lower FSM rates.

Dr Elliot Major commented: "This is something that needs to be watched closely. It is good that Academies are attracting a wide range of pupils, but it is also important they reflect the local communities they serve. Poorer pupils deserve the chance to benefit from what are often excellent schools on their doorsteps."

The report also considers some alternatives to Academies and concludes: "Academies are in danger of being regarded by politicians as a panacea for a broad range of educational problems. Given the varied performance of Academies to date, conversion to an Academy may not always be the best route to improvement."

Read the report here
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First ever study on psychological effects of buggies reveals life in a 21st century baby buggy can be emotionally isolated and language-poor

The most popular style of baby buggies – those that face away from the pusher – may be undermining children's development. Children in such buggies are significantly less likely to talk, laugh, and interact with their parents, than are those in buggies that face the pusher, according to the first ever research study on the psychological effects of buggies on babies. It is published today (Friday) by Talk To Your Baby, the early language campaign of the National Literacy Trust, an independent charity that aims to change lives through literacy.

An observational study of more than 2,722 parent-infant pairs across the country was carried out for the Talk to Your Baby early language campaign by Dr Suzanne Zeedyk, Developmental Psychologist at Dundee University's School of Psychology. It was funded by the Sutton Trust.

Dr Zeedyk also carried out a smaller experimental study of 20 babies being wheeled in push chairs across a one mile stretch in the centre of Dundee. Half the journey was spent in an away-facing buggy and half in a toward-facing buggy. The results of this pilot work, the first of its kind, suggest that parents talk less to children in away-facing buggies and babies' sleeping patterns and heart rates differ slightly for the two orientations, suggesting it is possible that they are more stressed by away-facing buggies.

Key findings of both research projects include:

• 62% of all children observed were travelling in away-facing buggies, with the rate even higher, at 86%, between the ages of 1 and 2 years
• Parents using face-to-face buggies were twice as likely to be talking to their baby (25 per cent compared to 11 per cent)
• Less than a quarter of parents observed were speaking to their child (22 per cent)
• Mothers and infants, who had a chance in the experimental study to travel in both types of buggies, also laughed more frequently with face-to-face buggies. Only one baby in the group of 20 studied laughed during the away-facing journey, while half laughed during the face-to-face journey
• Babies' average heart rates fell slightly when placed in a toward-facing buggy, and babies were also twice as likely to fall asleep in this orientation, both of which could taken as possible indicators of reduced stress levels
  

Dr Zeedyk said: "Even as a developmental psychologist, this was not an issue I had previously thought about, and I was surprised to find that no other scientists had studied it either. Neuroscience has helped us to learn how important social interaction during the early years is for children's brain development. If babies are spending significant amounts of time in a baby buggy that undermines their ability to communicate easily with their parent, at an age when the brain is developing more than it will ever again in life; then this has to impact negatively on their development.

"Our experimental study showed that, simply by turning the buggy around, parents' rate of talking to their baby doubled. I had also not anticipated that such a high percentage of babies in face-to-face buggies would be sleeping – 52%, against only 27% in away facing buggies. It was a complete surprise. This is significant as you are more likely to sleep when you are feeling relaxed and safe.

"Our data suggests that for many babies today, life in a buggy is emotionally impoverished and possibly stressful. Stressed babies grow into anxious adults. It looks, from our results, that it is time that we began carrying out larger scale research on this issue. Parents deserve to be able to make informed choices as to how to best promote their children's emotional, physical, and neurological development."

Liz Attenborough, Manager of the Talk To Your Baby campaign, said: "Talk To Your Baby is campaigning for manufacturers to make sociable, face-to-face buggies for toddlers more affordable and to increase parental awareness of the importance of talking to their baby. This research shows that something as seemingly ordinary as going out with a child in a buggy where adult and child are face-to-face can be a valuable opportunity to spend time talking together in a way that is stress-free for the child. Parents with a two-way facing buggy should use the sociable face-to-face option as standard."

Laura Barbour, Sutton Trust, commented, "The Sutton Trust hopes that buggy manufacturers will look closely at this research, which suggests that face-to-face models improve communication at a very early stage. The problem is that at present these cost a minimum of £200 and are therefore too expensive for many families. The Sutton Trust, which campaigns for improved social mobility, would like to see options available in every price range so that all parents can have greater choice."

Read the report here
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Half of university advice and guidance in schools is inadequate

Widespread poor education and careers advice is preventing large numbers of academically able pupils from non-privileged homes going on to higher education and diverting them into 'a cul de sac of opportunity' according to the Sutton Trust, the charity which aims to improve social mobility in Britain. It says that improving advice in schools is essential in getting more disadvantaged young people to university.

Its latest report published today (Tuesday) concludes: "A figure that emerges again and again is that at least half of careers and education advice [in state schools] is inadequate or inappropriate. It also seems that swathes of young people with the potential to go on to higher education are being missed by current advice and guidance provision."

The findings are presented in the Trust's report to the National Council for Educational Excellence, Increasing higher education participation amongst disadvantaged young people in poor communities.

The report reviews current evidence on access to higher education and presents an action plan of 30 policy proposals, including:

• Support and guidance should be targeted early on, particularly at the end of primary school and early secondary school
• Every secondary school should have a lead teacher responsible for higher education information, advice and guidance at every key stage
• There should be a duty on schools, colleges and local authorities to ensure provision contains certain key elements: for example, a visit to a university campus and activities involving parents
• Universities should focus more outreach work on younger age groups, raising aspirations and nurturing talent early on

The report includes a review by Sandra McNally of the Centre for Economic Performance at the London School of Economics of a number of studies on advice in schools. The review looked at research which suggested that only one in seven pupils received a careers and education guidance package that met acceptable criteria (Munro and Elsom, 2000). Dr McNally says: "There appears to be no recent evidence to suggest that this situation has improved."

The review also highlights the following findings:

• Only half of 16/17 year olds said the support they had received had been helpful; 58% said they would have liked more (Ireland et al. 2006).
• In another study of university applicants, 60% of those surveyed had not received enough information or no information about the relationship between higher education courses and employment (Purcell et al. 2007).
• In the same study, 73% of those surveyed reported they had received either not enough or no information on the implications of their subject choices on future pathways
• In a survey of schools, it was found that in nearly two-thirds, careers guidance was being delivered by staff without formal qualifications for their role (National Audit Office, 2004).

The Sutton Trust says that there is evidence which suggests that in some schools education and careers guidance is seen as low status, with little time devoted to it. This can particularly disadvantage higher ability pupils from poorer homes, who do not receive the support they need to apply to highly selective universities.

James Turner, Director of Policy at the Sutton Trust, said: "Today's school pupils need to negotiate an increasingly complex educational landscape, and the fear is that too many are making ill-informed choices early on which effectively put them out of the running for certain university choices and careers later in life.

"The absence of high quality advice and support has a particularly negative effect on young people from non-privileged backgrounds, who do not have access to networks of graduates and professionals to make up for deficiencies in the system. All young people deserve realistic and informed advice about where certain educational pathways lead and this needs to start early on – at least at age 14 – so they don't find themselves down a cul-de-sac of opportunity, wondering what could have been."

Read the report here
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Non-grammars are most socially selective state schools

The vast majority of England's most socially selective state secondary schools are non-grammar schools, a major review carried out for the Sutton Trust reveals today. However, England's remaining grammar schools are currently enrolling half as many academically able children from disadvantaged backgrounds as they could do.

The research, by the Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring at Durham University, found that only 17 of the 100 most socially selective state schools in England are grammars. 54 of the 100 most socially selective schools are faith schools.

Comparing the national test results of pupils at age 11, it found that 50 non-grammar schools are also more academically selective than the least selective grammar school in England. However, when the research considered the top 25% of academic achievers at age 11, it found that just under 2% of those in grammar schools are on Free School Meals, compared with 5.5% in non-selective schools.

The Durham University study of 125,000 grammar school children between 11 and 16 is the most comprehensive review ever produced on the academic characteristics and social impacts of the remaining 164 grammar schools in England. The researchers led by Dr Rob Coe have developed new methods to determine the social and academic 'selectivity' of schools by comparing the characteristics of their pupils with other children in the same electoral wards. It is the first time that the geographical spread of grammar school intakes has been mapped in this way.

The research also concludes that the impact on the academic results of non-grammar state schools' due to the 'creaming off' of pupils to grammar schools is negligible. They conclude: "Grammars have a widespread, low-level, impact on pupil enrolments across the sector. A relatively small number of non-selective schools do see a significant proportion of pupils 'lost' to nearby grammars, but the research suggests that this does not damage such schools, at least in terms of academic achievement."

They also found that on average pupils in grammar schools achieve between zero and three-quarters of a GCSE grade per subject more than similar pupils in non-selective schools.

Dr Lee Elliot Major, Director of Research at the Trust, said:

"One of the most unexpected findings from this study is that the most socially – and in some cases academically – selective state schools in the country are not grammar schools at all, but 'comprehensive' schools. Top state schools – whether non-grammar or grammar – are steeped in traditions of educating pupils from all backgrounds, yet the stark reality is that their pupil intakes have little in common with the local communities in which the schools are based.

"The figures also suggest that grammars are not enrolling as many academically able pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds as they could do. While ideological debates will continue to polarise opinion over whether England's remaining 164 grammars should exist, we believe more spotlight needs to be focused on ensuring grammars do all they can to reach out to all potential pupils."

"We must monitor effectively the impact of the Government's latest secondary school admission reforms to see if they improve the situation. But we should also carry out a review of 'eleven plus' selection tests to see whether they deter bright pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds applying to grammar schools and urge more grammar schools to adopt outreach programmes such as the Trust supported scheme at the Pate's Grammar School in Cheltenham."

Dr Robert Coe, leader of the research team at Durham University's CEM, said:

"Some of the commonly held beliefs about grammar schools are just not true. For example, it turns out that there are no self-contained selective areas whose performance can be compared with comprehensive areas. Many pupils travel large distances to attend grammar schools, often crossing Local Authority boundaries. A large number of non-selective schools each lose a small number of pupils to grammar schools so the creaming effect is very widespread but low-level.

"Another common view is that grammar schools raise achievement, but secondary moderns depress it. We tried lots of different ways to test the first part and many of the models did suggest that those who get in to grammar schools achieve better GCSEs than similar pupils in other schools, though other models showed no difference – it just depends what assumptions you make. Also, grammar school pupils appear to be already making better progress between KS1 and KS2, before they even set foot in a grammar school. On the second part, we found no evidence that the performance of secondary moderns, or any schools creamed by grammars, was different from other schools.

"Grammar schools as a whole do not seem to take their fair share of economically disadvantaged pupils, although there are other groups of schools for whom this is just as much true. The ways in which school choice and selection operate to reinforce disadvantage within the system as a whole are complex and subtle. Abolishing grammar schools, without addressing these systemic problems, might do little or nothing to increase fairness overall."

Notes to editors:
The Sutton Trust is a charity founded in 1997 by Sir Peter Lampl with the aim of providing educational opportunities for young people from non-privileged backgrounds and improving social mobility. It funds a range of research and projects covering parenting and early years, schools, universities and access to the professions.

The summary of the report and the full report will be posted on the Trust's website at: www.suttontrust.com

CEM is a pioneering research organisation that enables significant advances in education, and is also one of the largest suppliers of assessment and monitoring systems to schools and colleges around the world. CEM provides data on over one million pupils annually, as well as conducting evaluation and consultancy contracts. www.cemcentre.org

For further information contact: Tim Devlin, Press Officer, on 07939 544 487 or tde@easynet.co.uk or Leighton Kitson at Durham University Media Relations Office +44 (0) 191 33 46074 or 0191 33 46075. Mobile: 07939 596 850 leighton.kitson@duham.ac.uk

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Wage gap too large – say three out of four Britains

Nearly three out of four people (74%) think that income differences in Britain are too large and seven in ten (69%) believe that parents’ income plays too big a part in determining children’s life chances, according to the first survey of attitudes to inequality and social mobility commissioned by the Sutton Trust.

The results from the Ipsos MORI survey of over 2,000 adults are consistent with academic research which has shown that background plays a bigger role in determining educational outcomes in Britain than in many other countries and that levels of social mobility are relatively low. Recent research from the Institute of Fiscal Studies meanwhile has suggested that income inequality is at its highest level since the 1960s (note 1).

The other findings of the survey paint a mixed picture of attitudes to inequality and mobility:

• 69% of respondents who answered the question believed that they had experienced static or downward mobility, with the household they are in today being relatively worse off—or no better off—than the household they grew up in as a child.
• Only 10% of those who answered the question and said they grew up in households in the bottom quartile of income reported being in the top quartile in adulthood (note 2).
• Despite this, just 31% of respondents thought that social mobility in Britain is too low, and one half thought it is “about right”.
• And, surprisingly, more than half (54%) agreed that people in Britain have equal opportunities to get ahead.
  

Dr Lee Elliot Major, Director of Research at the Sutton Trust, said: “Opportunities in this country remain heavily determined by parental background. A wide range of research places Britain at or near the bottom of the league table of mobility, particularly in terms of the link between children’s educational achievement and parental income.

These findings suggest unease among the public about life opportunities in modern Britain, but that perceptions of mobility and inequality are mixed. The public appear to recognise some of the inequalities in our society, but on the face of it half do not think that Britain is particularly socially immobile. If we are to promote real change, a first step is to recognise that we have a problem and create a consensus on the need for reform.

The Sutton Trust has recently brought together a range of academics, educationalists and policymakers to discuss how to promote mobility through education and to begin to build a way forward. In the Autumn we will propose a number of practical ways forward which we hope will make a real difference to people’s future opportunities.”

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60,000 high-achievers miss out on university places each year

Sixty thousand state school pupils who have been among the top fifth of academic performers in their year do not go on to higher education, according to new research commissioned by the Sutton Trust published today.

The study by the Institute of Education and the Institute for Fiscal Studies is the first to use new government data to track the progress of one year group of 600,000 English pupils through their secondary school careers and on to university, quantifying the attrition rates of high performers during their teenage years.

The analysis was undertaken for the Sutton Trust’s report to the National Council for Educational Excellence on increasing participation in higher education for disadvantaged pupils.  It is part of a much wider project supported by the Economic and Social Research Council, which will be presented at a conference next Tuesday.

The Sutton Trust study found that there were a significant number of youngsters who at some point were in the top 20 percent of school achievers at key stage 2, 3 or GCSE, but who did not subsequently go on to enter university by age 19. If they had, young entrants to UK universities would have been boosted by 25 percent.

The research – which was based on pupils starting secondary school in 1997 - also found  that young people eligible for free school meals (FSM) were 19 percentage points less likely to attend university than those not on free school meals. When prior exam achievements were taken into account, however, there was virtually no gap between FSM and non-FSM children – in other words, poorer students who reach A-levels are as highly likely to go on to higher education as their better off peers. The problem is getting poorer students to A-levels in the first place.

Looking just at those young people who do go on to university, the study found that pupils on free school meals are slightly less likely to enter one of the Sutton Trust group of highly selective universities (see notes) than other young people, even when prior academic attainment at school is taken into account.

Dr Lee Elliot Major, the research director at the Sutton Trust, said:  "These findings show that there remains significant numbers of bright young people with academic potential who do not progress to university. If we are serious about broadening the social mix of the sector it is important not only that the brightest and best get in to our most highly-selective institutions, but that more young people from poorer backgrounds go on to higher education full stop. This means ensuring that those who show promise in their school careers maintain high standards; that they understand the full range of benefits to higher education study; and, particularly crucially, that they are offered practical support to realise their aspirations."

Dr Anna Vignoles, Director of the Centre for Economics of Education at the Institute of Education, who led the research, commented: “It has long been argued that there are financial and social barriers at the point of entry into higher education which prevent poorer students from going to university. This research shows clearly that the main reason why poorer students do not go to university to the same extent as their wealthier peers is that they have weaker academic achievement in school.”

Notes to editors

The research was produced by Haroon Chowdry, Claire Crawford, Lorraine Dearden, Alissa Goodman and Anna Vignoles at the Institute of Education and Institute of Fiscal Studies.

The Sutton 13 Universities are based on average newspaper league table rankings and comprise: Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Durham, Edinburgh, Imperial, LSE, Nottingham, Oxford, St Andrews, UCL, Warwick and York.

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State school pupils fail to recognise differences in universities' earning powers

Half of state school pupils do not think that they will be better off financially by going to certain universities over others, and teachers in the maintained sector are reluctant to discuss the different status of universities, suggest two new pieces of research commissioned by the Sutton Trust.

A survey of over 3,000 young people by PeopleSurv revealed that 51% of those educated in state schools believed there is no difference in earnings between higher education institutions, compared with 35% from independent schools. Young people from poorer backgrounds were also less likely to recognise differences than their better off peers (68% versus 38%), even though studies show that graduates from universities with higher academic status have significantly higher earnings than those from other universities (see note).

In separate research undertaken by the Institute of Education, researchers found that, even in schools with good track records in admissions to highly-selective universities, the emphasis in briefing sessions was on entry to higher education in general: "Teachers are generally reluctant to draw attention to status differences between universities, and many students appear to have only a vague notion of status."  The exception to this is Oxford and Cambridge, partly because Oxbridge applicants are openly given extra assistance with applications and preparation for interview.

The Institute of Education study also reported that the children with two graduate parents were much more likely than others to discuss university entry at home and were therefore less reliant on information provided by the school. They also began to think about applying to university much earlier in their school careers.

Sir Peter Lampl, Chairman of the Sutton Trust, said: “The UK's diverse higher education sector has institutions of many different strengths, and it is right that young people consider a range of factors when making their choices.

But we believe it is important that all young people should be aware of all the relevant information on different courses at different universities.  Pupils should not be disadvantaged in making these decisions by their background or the type of school they happen to attend.  We need to spread best practice on information, advice and guidance on higher education choices from a handful of schools and colleges to the rest of the sector.”

The Institute’s research built on an earlier Sutton Trust report, which showed that there are relatively few comprehensive schools that send significant numbers of students to the most prestigious universities, and those that do so tend to have relatively advantaged students. The new study sought to identify what factors had enabled a few state comprehensives to have relatively high levels of admission to prestigious universities at the same time as having a higher than average proportion of disadvantaged pupils.

Professor Geoff Whitty, a member of the Institute team, said: “Even with similar predicted grades, students from families where neither parent went to university are much less likely to apply to prestigious universities than those with two graduate parents. All students, but first generation students in particular, need earlier information and help from the school if they are to make appropriate choices about which subjects to study and which universities to apply to.

Note:

Two forthcoming studies support this:

Wage Returns to Quality of Higher Education Institute Attended by Iftikhar Hussain, Sandra McNally, Shqiponja Telhaj, London School of Economics

This study uses data from a series of Graduate Cohort Studies to assess the wages of graduates four years after leaving university. It uses a range of factors - including research ratings in the Research Assessment Exercise, the retention rate for students, average pre-university test scores in A-levels and other exams - to estimate the status of different universities. The calculations control for range of individual characteristics of students including A-level points score, subject of degree, gender, age, type of school attended, ethnicity and parental education. It concludes that the wage returns for graduates from a top-ranked institution using these measures are over twice as high as the returns for graduates from an institution ranked much more lowly. The study also suggests that these differences in returns may be increasing over time.

Graduating and gradations within the middle class: the legacy of an elite higher education by Sally Power, Cardiff University and Geoff Whitty, Institute of Education

This study surveys the outcomes of a small cohort of graduates who left university in the mid-1990s. It creates a ranking of elite universities from various published ‘performance’ tables. These include Bristol, Cambridge, Durham, Edinburgh, Imperial, King's College, London, London School of Economics, Oxford, St Andrews, University College London. It finds that nearly one fifth (19%) of those who went to elite universities were earning over £90,000 per annum – compared with only 8% and 5% of those who went to other ‘old’ and ‘new’ universities respectively. 33% of the graduates from elite universities now own their home outright, compared with 21% of graduates from other universities and 13% of non-graduates.

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University aspirations highest for five years

Nearly three out of four young people say they are likely to go into higher education – the highest for five years - and fewer are being deterred from university by worries over debt, according to the latest Ipsos MORI poll of student intentions published today by the Sutton Trust.

Seventy-two percent of students aged 11-16 feel they are either likely or very likely to go on to higher education, the highest figure recorded since the survey began in 2003. Thirty-nine percent said they were ‘very likely’ to go into higher education when they were old enough and 34 percent said they were ‘fairly likely’ (see notes).

Only 8 percent of the 2,387 students questioned said they were either ‘very unlikely’ or ‘fairly unlikely’ to go to university compared to 11 percent last year, a significant drop.

The main reason mentioned by more than half (52 percent) of those who do not think they will progress to higher education is the desire to “do something practical rather than studying from books." Fifty percent want to start earning as soon as possible and 30 percent think they can get a well-paid job without a degree.

Only 13 percent reported that they are “worried about getting into debt as a student”, compared with 20 percent last year – again, a significant fall.

However, many students do not think they are getting enough information from their teachers about going into higher education. Four out of ten said they are either getting ‘not very much’ information (31 percent) or ‘none at all’ (9 percent).

Sir Peter Lampl, Chairman of the Sutton Trust, said: "While it is encouraging that three quarters of young people aspire to university, less than half that number currently end up in higher education and those from poorer families are the least likely to progress. So we need to offer more support to young people throughout their education so that they are in a position to realise their ambitions at 18 and beyond.

That is why it is worrying that so many students feel they are not being provided with enough information about higher education by their schools. Research from Staffordshire University which we published in February showed that few students knew about the bursaries or mintenance grants on offer at universities. Today’s findings are a further reminder that support and guidance about higher education needs to start early on – at primary school upwards – and be a core part of the school day, so that no young person loses out."

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Sutton Trust summer school students from non-traditional backgrounds do well in degrees

Students from non-privileged backgrounds who attended Sutton Trust university summer do well in their university degrees, suggests a review published today.

Nearly nine out of ten students (88%) responding to a survey who attended a summer school graduated with a 2:1 or first class degree. This compares with 56% of students achieving these classifications nationally, and 67% in leading research universities (where most summer school students enrol).

This is likely to be an over-estimate of the proportion of Sutton Trust summer school students gaining top degrees, as those who received a 2:1 or first class degree were more likely to respond to the survey than those who did not. Nevertheless it suggests that a high proportion of these students do go on to achieve very good degrees.

This is backed up by a separate analysis at Nottingham University which found that 78.6% of all summer school students admitted to the university received 2.1s or Firsts in their degrees. This compared with 75.5% of students receiving these classifications at the university as a whole.

Summer school students are far less likely to come from professional backgrounds than other university students. Under four in ten (38%) students attending summer schools in 2000 had parents in professional, managerial and non-manual occupations. This compared with over eight in ten full time students at selective research universities.

The Trust, set up by Sir Peter Lampl in 1997 to improve social mobility through education, pioneered the one-week long university courses in the UK in 1997. Over the last decade over 10,000 students have benefited from the summer schools supported by the Trust and its partners. Most universities now run similar summer schools often supported by Government funds helping thousands of students a year.

Pulling together different strands of research, the Ten Year Review of Sutton Trust Summer Schools summarises a number of studies on the impact of the schools as well as interviews with past students.

Sir Peter Lampl, Chairman of the Sutton Trust, said: “The success of the summer schools is not just demonstrated by how well past students do academically at leading universities – impressive though these results are. The summer schools are also about social benefits – many students told researchers how for the first time they found like-minded people during their university stay – after feeling isolated in their own local schools.

Such experiences show just how life transforming the summer schools can be. This is a vital message to get out today to students from homes where neither parent went to university, from schools which don’t send many students to leading universities and from families whose parents work in non-professional occupations.”  

The Trust is currently in the middle of offering these students (aged 16-17 in Year 12) who have must have done well in their GCSEs, a once-in-a-life time chance to sample life at a top university with all tuition, travel and board expenses paid.” Deadline for applications is 14 March.

As well as Oxford and Cambridge, the research covers the universities of Bristol, Nottingham and (since 2002) St Andrew’s, where the sponsored weeks are conducted by staff and mentors (often themselves former summer school students) from those universities.

The results also suggest that ex-summer schools students are much more likely to go on to do a postgraduate degree – one in five as opposed to one in 16 nationally – particularly at doctorate level.  They are also more likely to go into teaching – 17% went on to work as teachers in compulsory education compared to about 7% nationally.

About half of students attending these summer schools each year apply for a place at that university, about a third win places at them, and about 15% enter the host university. Most of the others go to leading research universities.

An analysis of 80 past students showed that 94% went on to enrol at leading research universities including 36% who enrolled at Oxbridge.  Of these 26% obtained first class degrees and 62% received 2:1s. This compares with 10.5% of all full time students who gained first class degrees and 45.5% who gained 2:1s in the UK in 2003-04. In 2003, 15.5% of students gained first class degrees at Russell Group universities, and 51.1% received 2.1s.

The review also includes the results of an analysis by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) into the financial returns for these students based on extra earnings over a life-time. BCG estimated that for every £1 spent on the Bristol summer school a discounted present value of £9 of extra earnings were generated and this figure rose to £14 at the Cambridge summer school.

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Poorer students have little knowledge of bursaries on offer

Many students from poor backgrounds are being put off university because they are afraid of getting into debt and very few of them know about bursaries or maintenance grants on offer, according to a report by Staffordshire University published today.

The report was commissioned by the Sutton Trust, which seeks to improve social mobility by providing educational opportunities for young people from non-privileged backgrounds.

Sir Peter Lampl, Chairman of the Trust, said: “This report shows there is a general ignorance, especially among poorer students, of the financial support packages on offer.  Government, schools and colleges should take note. Young people need better information on the complex system of bursaries and grants, and this needs to be provided before they have made their higher education choices.  Simple steps like these could have a big impact.

The report also finds that concerns about debt are deterring certain groups of young people from going on to higher education and influencing their decision to choose a local university rather than one further afield.”

The researchers from the university’s Institute of Educational Policy Research and Institute for Access Studies, received replies from 1,628 students aged 17-18 from 20 schools.

They found that a majority of students (59%) who had decided not to pursue study in higher education reported that avoiding debt had affected their decision ‘much’ or ‘very much’.

More than half (56%) of all the students surveyed who were thinking of going into higher education were considering a local university because of the financial implications. This is a much higher proportion than in previous surveys (14% in 1995/6 and 18% in 1998/9), but this may be because the survey concentrated on two large urban areas. The researchers found that students from homes with an annual income below £35,000 were more likely to consider a local university.

But the report found that although most students understood exactly what was meant by bursaries, only a small minority (30%) had actively searched for information on financial support. Almost half (45%) did not know whether they were eligible or not. Had they known that they were eligible for a bursary of £2,000 nearly 85% of those from low income homes said it would have encouraged them to apply.

Students who were expecting high examination grades were more likely to be informed about the existence of bursaries, but even these students had a ‘patchy knowledge’ of their eligibility for them at the universities to which they had applied.

The researchers found that information provided by schools tended to focus more on money management while at university and information on financial support came too late to affect their decision or whether or not to apply to university.

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Teachers show alarming misconceptions about Oxbridge

Secondary school teachers in England and Wales seriously underestimate the proportion of state school students at Oxford and Cambridge universities, according to an Ipsos MORI survey of nearly 500 teachers published by the Sutton Trust today.

More than a third of those who made a valid response believed that 20% or less of undergraduates at the two universities came from the state sector, and the majority (three fifths) thought it was 30% or less, even though 93% of school-aged children attend state schools. In total 91% of teachers underestimated the representation of state school pupils, while only 1.5% over-estimated (see appended tables).

Only 8% of respondents picked the correct figure of between 51% and 60% of students coming from the state sector. The actual figure is 54%.

The majority of teachers answering (56%) also thought it was more expensive for students to study at Oxbridge, whereas in fact the two universities charge the same tuition fees as the vast majority of other English universities and offer some of the most generous bursary provision.

Alarmingly, only just over half the teachers (54%) reported that they would generally recommend their brightest students to apply to Oxbridge, while 45% said they would never or rarely do so.

Sir Peter Lampl, Chairman of the Sutton Trust, said: “The misconceptions among secondary school teachers about Oxbridge are alarming and clearly have an impact on the number of bright state school students applying to these two great universities, despite the considerable efforts that both are making to reach out to them.”

The Sutton Trust sponsors summer schools and other access initiatives at both universities for state school students and teachers. But Sir Peter added: “It is clear that much more needs to be done to dispel the myths about Oxbridge and other leading universities, and to ensure that young people’s higher education decisions are based on fact not fiction.”

Tables

1. At Oxbridge, what percentage of students from UK schools and colleges on undergraduate courses come from the state sector?

Base: All teachers making a valid response (452); a further 45 respondents (9% overall) said 'don't know'

2. Comparing courses on a like-for-like basis, is studying for an undergraduate degree at Oxbridge generally more expensive, as expensive or less expensive than at other universities?

Base: All teachers making a valid response (385); a further 112 respondents (23% overall) said 'don't know'

3. Which of the following best describes the frequency with which you advise the academically-gifted pupils that you teach (or have taught) to apply to Oxbridge?

Base: All teachers making a valid response (463); a further 34 respondents (7% overall) said 'don't know'

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