AN elite group of independent schools is tightening its grip on leading universities as an unintended consequence of government pressure to raise the numbers of undergraduates from state schools.

New figures show that the most successful schools are sending more pupils to a narrowing range of “ivy league” universities such as Oxford, Cambridge and Bristol.

But because universities are cutting their overall proportion of independent school students, middle-tier independent schools are being squeezed. The trend is expected to be confirmed with the release this week of separate figures by the government.

The figures, released by universities under the Freedom of Information Act, specify the numbers of pupils from each independent school gaining places at universities in the Russell Group of 20 leading institutions.

The data cover students beginning courses in 2001 and 2006. They show, for example, that the Royal grammar school in Guildford, Surrey, more than doubled the number of pupils awarded places at Cambridge. The school also had increases at Nottingham and Manchester.

Eton college is increasingly specialising in sending pupils to Oxbridge. The total number the school sends to the two universities rose from 61 to 95, nearly half the year group. The numbers it sends to Manchester and the London School of Economics (LSE), meanwhile, have fallen off significantly.

As well as gaining more places at Oxford and Cambridge, North London Collegiate girls’ school has also gained more places at Bristol and the LSE.

Many independent schools are losing out on places at Oxford and Cambridge. The places gained by Nottingham high school, Manchester grammar and Radley college have gone down by a combined 51. These schools are having to settle for a slightly lower tier.

Bristol is among the universities narrowing their recruitment to a smaller pool of elite schools. The private school intake of 40% hardly changed between 2001 and 2006, but the number of schools from which it was drawn fell 10%. Meanwhile, successful schools such as Eton and Westminster saw significant increases in pupils going to the university.

Head teachers acknowledge that a number of top schools are becoming more academically selective, boosting their places at leading universities. They insist this is led by the demands of pupils rather than the advice of staff.

Sam Freedman, head of research at the Independent Schools Council, said: “For small schools it’s not a key part of their business to get people into the top universities.”

Anthony Seldon, master of Wellington college, believes independent schools are becoming polarised. “An unintended consequence of league tables has been to make selective schools even more selective – I think that’s probably the biggest factor.”

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