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Opening Doors: Understanding and Overcoming The Part one: The root causes of under-representation Opening doors Understanding and overcoming the barriers to university access Acknowledgements The Director General of the Russell Group, Dr Wendy Piatt, would like to thank Thomas Murphy, Elizabeth Woodfield, Nick Ratcliffe, Dr Tim Bradshaw and Fiona Macleod at the Russell Group for their work on this publication. The Russell Group would also like to thank: Dan Abramson Kathleen Hood King’s College London University of Edinburgh Mathematics School Richard Kemp Dr Annalisa Alexander University of Leeds Imperial College London Dr Samina Khan Lucy Backhurst University of Oxford Newcastle University Stephanie Lee Professor Trevor Bailey University of Manchester University of Exeter Tom Levinson Louise Banahene University of Cambridge University of Leeds Rachel Lister Paul Blagburn University of Cambridge University of Warwick Melissa Mead Julie Bond University of Oxford University of Liverpool Robyn Pearce-Jones Anne-Marie Canning University of Oxford King’s College London Zoe Pither Laura Cattell University of Bristol University of Liverpool Tara Prayag Lucy Collins University of Oxford University of Bristol Emma Reay Dr Sally Curtis Newcastle University University of Southampton Gail Rothnie Dr Will Curtis University of Birmingham University of Warwick Anne Setright Professor Sir David Eastwood Queen Mary University of London University of Birmingham Jo Sharp Professor Anthony Finkelstein University of Liverpool University College London James Slattery Alison Gregory University of Oxford University of Manchester Dr Penelope Griffin University of Nottingham 2 Contents Foreword 4 Executive summary 6 1 Attainment gaps 12 2 Reasons behind 18 attainment gaps 3 Making informed choices 24 4 Problems of poor advice 32 and misconceptions Concluding remarks 38 References 40 Russell Group universities 42 Opening doors: understanding and overcoming the barriers to university access 3 Ensuring our doors are wide open to able students from all backgrounds really matters to us. That’s why Russell Group universities are investing a huge amount of time, effort and resources and developing pioneering schemes to help close the access gap. And real progress has been made over the last few years: for example, in 2013 students eligible for free school meals (FSM) were 39% more likely to win places at leading universities than they were in 2011 1. The proportion of students from state schools and colleges increased from 68.3% to 75% Foreword between 1997 and 2013. But precisely because broadening Low attainment at school is the access matters so much to Russell key reason why too few students Group universities, we are far from from disadvantaged backgrounds complacent or content with progress apply to a leading university. The to date. There is still much further problem is stubbornly linked to social to go in solving the problem of the class and parental education. But under-representation from poorer while attainment is a big piece of backgrounds in higher education. the puzzle, choice of subject and qualification are also important. It will The root causes of the problem take time, commitment and sustained are many and complex. They are action to raise pupils’ aspirations, founded in a child’s earliest years increase attainment and improve and compounded at each stage of the advice and guidance offered. a young person’s life. Indeed, there Progress is being made, as the box is evidence to show educational to the right shows, but this is an disadvantage starts, not with the entrenched problem for which UCAS form, but in the cradle. there is no quick fix. The aim of this two-part report is to While we can’t solve deep-rooted explore the root causes of the under- problems in society, universities representation of students from undoubtedly have an important disadvantaged backgrounds at our role to play. That’s why the second universities, and to show what Russell section of this report looks at some Group universities are doing to help. successful examples of how Russell In this first section we set out Group universities are working with the barriers that are preventing schools and colleges to help raise these pupils from going to leading attainment, aspirations, and improve universities. information, advice and guidance. 4 Huge investment and progress has been made… £234million In 2015-16, the 20 Russell Group universities in England alone will be investing £234 million in scholarships, fee waivers, bursaries and outreach activities aimed at the most disadvantaged – with additional investments being made across the Devolved Administrations. 3/4 2.7x We want every student with In 2012-13 three quarters of Looking across all the qualifications, potential and young full time first-degree universities, application rates determination to succeed at entrants at Russell Group from disadvantaged groups a Russell Group university to universities were from state in England are at record have the opportunity to do so, schools and colleges. This levels. In 2004, demand from whatever their background. figure has increased from 18 year olds in advantaged 68.3% in 1997, when these areas was 4.3 times greater Having access to leading figures were first collected.2 than in disadvantaged areas. universities is important for This had fallen to 2.7 times young people, because they greater in 2013.3 deserve every opportunity to succeed in life. It is important for our universities, because we want the best possible students. And it is important for our society, because we want to make the most of 1in5 39% our young talent. Around one in five first- Students eligible for free degree entrants at Russell school meals (FSM) are more Group universities in 2012- likely than ever to attend 13 were from lower socio- highly-selective institutions. economic groups. In 2013 FSM-eligible pupils Dr Wendy Piatt were 39% more likely to enter Director General & Chief Executive, high tariff institutions than Russell Group they were in 2011. Professor Sir David Eastwood Chair, Russell Group Opening doors: understanding and overcoming the barriers to university access 5 Executive summary 6 This report explores the root causes of formal education already score Summary of of the under-representation of substantially lower in development Part one: students from poorer backgrounds tests than their peers. at leading universities, and shows These gaps continue to widen, with The root causes that these causes are varied, children from homes of higher socio- complex, and interlinked. of under- economic status having double representation Low attainment at school is a the vocabulary of their low-status key reason why too few students counterparts by the age of three. from disadvantaged backgrounds Research suggests that infants apply to leading universities. The from low socio-economic attainment gap starts early and backgrounds who achieved widens as the student progresses promising early test scores are through their school years. It less likely to continue along this continues to A-level, the point trajectory, on average being at which a young person usually overtaken in cognitive performance applies to university. by their better-off peers. The attainment gap is affected by Pre-school numerous factors including parental education, school type and ethnicity. Involvement in pre-school is key: There is still much more to be done having attended any pre-school is to address these deeper issues, and a positive predictor of total GCSE universities cannot hope to solve scores at age 16, of more full this alone. GCSE entries, of better grades in English and maths and of a higher Subject and qualification choice is probability of achieving 5 A*-C important too. Yet, even with good GCSEs including English and maths. grades in the right subjects for the degree course, disadvantaged However, the most vulnerable students are less likely to apply families and those at the most risk to top universities. Poor advice of poverty are the least likely to take and sometimes poor quality of up their entitlement to free early applications are adding to the learning and childcare places. problem. Primary school On top of this, there has been much The primary school attainment gap misinformation about the effect of is only now beginning to close. graduate contributions in England But there is still a significant gap on access, which threatens to create between the test results of 11-year- barriers where none should exist. olds eligible for Free School Meals The attainment gap starts (FSM) compared to all other pupils. early and is stubbornly Test results for more than half a linked to social class and million 11-year-olds (Key Stage 2) parental education show 74% of pupils receiving Free Early years School Meals (FSM) achieved the expected level (level 4) or above Inadequate stimulation or barriers in maths compared to 87% of all to opportunities for productive other pupils. learning can lead to sizeable and persistent gaps in attainment. At Secondary school 18 months, children of parents with What is really disappointing is that lower incomes and lower levels inequalities continue to widen Opening doors: understanding and overcoming the barriers to university access 7 in secondary school, so that the School type Summary of two thirds of FSM pupils who beat Despite huge efforts across the the odds to be in the top fifth of Part one: education sector, there is still an performers at age 11, are not among attainment gap between state and continued… the top fifth of performers by the independent schools. time they reach GCSE; then half of these do not go on to university. In 2013/14, 28.4% of students in independent schools achieved three High-achieving students from the A*-A grades at A-level compared most deprived families perform with 10% at state funded schools, worse than lower-achieving students 8.4% at sixth-form colleges, and from the least deprived families by 4.3% at other Further Education Key Stage 4.
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