PArtnErshiPs in PrACtiCE sEriEs 2: highEr EduCAtion PArtnErshiPs The Missing Two Thousand How independent and state schools work together to help the most disadvantaged students achieve their aspirations EditEd by tom Arbuthnott And AnushkA ChAkrAvArty Contents About the editors 1 About the Schools Together Group and the structure of this publication 2 Introduction 3 How can these ideas help us make partnership projects more effective 5 Intervention #1 - Providing interview support 7 Intervention #2 - Support with admissions tests 9 Intervention #3 - Reaching students through UCAS and careers days 13 Intervention #4 - Support with writing personal statements and applications 15 Intervention #5 - Academic enrichment for sixth formers 17 Intervention #6 - Academic enrichment in Key Stages 3 and 4 19 Intervention #7 - Designed support summer schools 23 Intervention #8 - Academic enrichment at Key Stage 2 25 Intervention #9 - Helping students to gain offers 29 Intervention #10 - Joined up approaches 31 Intervention #11 - Setting up free schools 34 Policy proposals 36 About the editors Educated as a King’s Scholar at Eton, Tom spent Anushka is assistant head (academic) at the the early part of his career working in London Academy of Excellence, a leading state comprehensive schools in Park Barn (Guildford), sixth form in Stratford, London. A central part of Chelmsley Wood and Ladywood (Birmingham). her role involves oversight of the school’s He returned to Eton in September 2016 as Eton’s careers and progression programme and its first deputy head for partnerships. In this role, Oxford/Cambridge provision. A former barrister, he oversees Eton's core relationships with she specialises in giving state sector students Holyport College and with the London Academy the best possible preparation for top of Excellence, as well as with the Thames Valley universities, especially those from Learning Partnership. He also oversees the disadvantaged backgrounds. school's widening access programme which brings 90 talented boys to Eton on free places. the school was rewarded in 2020 with 37 oxford or Cambridge offers from a year group where 30% were he has also been chair of the schools together group eligible for free school meals, one-third were from and has been committed to improving partnership backgrounds of real disadvantage and 54% were in practice through creating its Partnerships in Practice the first generation of their families to go to university. series, which began with All together now: best she works very closely with six independent schools Practice in music cross-sector partnerships in June in devising this programme, including brighton 2018. he sits on the Education Committee of the College, Caterham, Eton College, Forest school, London Academy of Excellence (LAE), is a governor at highgate school and university College school holyport College and is a director of the slough and hampstead. Anushka is also a governor for East berkshire multi Academy trust (sEbmAt). haggerston school in hackney. Tom Arbuthnott Anushka Chakravarty 1 About the Schools Together Group harnessing the power of partnerships for the benefit of children The Schools Together Group is a discussion To subscribe to the Schools Together Group group for individuals from both state and mailing list, for information on events and independent schools, in primary and activities, please email secondary schools, who are responsible for [email protected] . running partnerships. Please contact the group if you would be The group organises termly events based on interested in serving on the steering themes of interest to partnership coordinators, committee or one of its subcommittees, or if such as measuring outcomes and funding you could offer to host a future meeting. models. The group works closely with the Independent Schools Council, Department for Education and System Partnerships Unit, providing expertise and helping to shape meaningful collaborative initiatives. 2 Introduction – the missing 2,000 by Tom Arbuthnott and Anushka Chakravarty In 2010, fewer than 40 students sides working together to create a 18 that meant these 2,000 (or, to be from the whole of Newham pathway for the most disadvantaged precise, 2,150) children went missing. 1 progressed to Russell Group students into the best universities. in universities and only three five years, over 850 students have so how can the “missing 2,000” be achieved places at Oxford or earned places at russell group reached? the thrust of policy for the Cambridge from Newham schools. universities, 95 have gone on to study past few years has given the In fact, only 330 Newham sixth medicine, dentistry or veterinary responsibility to universities to develop formers took A-levels through medicine, and 68 have taken places at coherent and effective outreach Newham providers, with most oxford or Cambridge. given oxford’s programmes which succeed in children in the borough leaving the target of admitting 25% of its students reaching into disadvantaged area to take A-levels. It was from disadvantaged backgrounds by communities. some extraordinary undoubtedly an educational ‘cold 2023, irrespective of school type, this organisations, including the brilliant spot’. type of partnership work shows huge Club , villiers Park and intouniversity , potential in supporting students in have worked really hard to support by 2020, the cold spot was appreciably getting where they want to go. their efforts, sometimes with great warmer. one school, the London success, sometimes not. but while Academy of Excellence, received 37 seven years ago, this 25% (equivalent some progress has been made, there oxford or Cambridge offers in 2020, to 850 students) would have been part is a great deal more to be done. equivalent to 15% of its cohort. of the ‘missing 2,000’: 2,000 students meanwhile, aspiration and standards every year who, with appropriate in this country there is a group of were being driven up across the interventions, would have a good institutions which is committed to borough with another school in chance of applying for, receiving an social mobility and which cares newham increasing its offers from one offer from, and finally entering our top deeply about the life chances of to over 50 between 2014 and 2020. universities - but who were not disadvantaged children. they accessing this opportunity. how has this happened? somehow, understand, with professional clarity clear aspirational and operational and with an unrivalled record of how do we reach the number 2,000? principles have been established. success, how to work with children the social mobility Commission students throughout that part of aged 11-18. these institutions – calculated in 2014 that, of a cohort of London now aim for the top independent schools – are spread pupils born in 1991-2, 7,853 pupils from universities and have a choice of around the country, with all counties the most disadvantaged homes schools that can help them make it and large cities containing at least one. achieved well in school aged 11. of happen. these schools were often the historic these, only 906 made it to a highly providers of education in their regions, one of those schools, the London competitive university, defined as especially to less privileged boys and Academy of Excellence, presents an russell group or equivalent. taking the girls. surely it is sensible to see this innovative model for social mobility. same size cohort from the top 20% of group of institutions as key to the this state school has been founded on families in socio-economic terms, 3,066 national challenge of widening access a model of partnership between the of these children made it to these to top universities? state and independent sectors , with universities. something happened committed educationalists from both between the age of 11 and the age of data from https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/324501/high_attainers_progress_report_final.pdf 3 but instead, independent schools are In this country there is a group of institutions which is generally seen as part of the problem, committed to social mobility and which cares deeply about the particularly in crude media analysis. the headline figure in unquestioning news life chances of disadvantaged children. They understand, with reports simply features the relative professional clarity and with an unrivalled record of success, percentages of state-educated and how to work with children aged 11-18. independent-educated pupils making it into oxford or Cambridge. this often partnerships to the benefit of children , Finally – a word of apology. despite cloaks the fact that many independent- then we can make progress. this will having absorbed over 2,000 projects on educated candidates are on bursaries require embedded partnerships the schools together website, having or that many independent schools are between independent schools, convened a symposium and invited keen to partner with and promote grammar schools, comprehensive over 300 partnership professionals to social mobility in state schools as part schools and universities which take a participate in this project, there is no of a mutually beneficial enterprise. it long-term approach consisting of a doubt that we will have missed some also cloaks the rise of tutoring, with series of interventions. We hope that excellent practice out there, which over 27% of children now receiving partnership professionals in both should have been part of this additional private