School Gate: On choosing to go private

Oxford and Cambridge universities are struggling to expand the proportion of state school pupils that they admit because most candidates who are qualified to fill their places already apply.

Mike Nicholson, head of admissions at Oxford, said that in total there were only about 28,000 teenagers who scored three A grades in their A levels each year, which would qualify them for a place.

Oxford receives applications from about 11,000, with a similar number applying to Cambridge. This leaves only a few thousand who do not apply to either. Many will not be interested in an Oxbridge education or want to study courses such as dentistry that are not taught at either university.

To widen this potential pool of candidates, Mr Nicholson said, universities were working hard with schools to raise standards and aspirations and to make more pupils aware of the opportunities available to them. But they could not do it all on their own.

“We need to look at how we can work with partners, such as parents, teachers and the Government in the design of the curriculum,” he said.

It was crucial to raise awareness among state school pupils of what could be within their grasp to give them the same opportunities enjoyed by independent school pupils. “You may have the potential to be a very great classics student, but if nobody tells you what classics is, that’s a missed opportunity. That’s why we are working with primary schools,” he said.

Geoff Parks, head of admissions at Cambridge, which has increased the proportion of state school pupils in the past year from 55 per cent to 59 per cent, said: “It’s going to be hard to get beyond the low 60s in terms of state school participation. Pushing much beyond that point is going to need concerted long-term commitment by everybody.”

Dr Parks said that the university was considering creating a one-year programme to give potential Cambridge undergraduates who failed to get top marks at A level a second chance by enabling them to retake some of their exams with the university’s aid.

Times recommends

• Students abandon the drink for gyms and juice
• Ofsted: third of Baby P-style reviews inadequate
• Top boys' school picks first woman head