Which English school graduates are most likely to go to Oxbridge?

Oxford and Cambridge “prefer” to accept students from the UK’s eight leading private schools, although there are almost 3,000 more public schools in England. Unfortunately, BBC correspondents do not specify the percentage of admissions from other prestigious private schools, otherwise the picture would be even more revealing.

In this situation, not only public schools and children, students in them, but also other universities, which can not attract enough talented and promising students to study.

Sir Peter Lampl, founder of the foundation dealing with the problem, said all young people needed a “fair chance.”

Admissions to Oxford and Cambridge were analysed between 2015 and 2017. The results revealed several schools, mostly private, that disproportionately dominate. Pupils at the eight schools filled 1,310 in Oxbridge in three years, and of the other 2,900, only 1,220 were vacant.

The Sutton Trust, which conducted the research, relied on published data from schools and colleges with the highest number of admissions to Oxbridge:

Westminster School, London (private school) – Over the past five years, Oxford and Cambridge have had an average of 70 to 80 pupils offered places in Oxford and Cambridge each year.
Eton College, Berkshire (private school) – In 2014, 82 students were admitted to Oxbridge. In 2015, 68 were adopted.
Hills Road Sixth Form College, Cambridge (State College) – An average of 60 pupils receive admission offers to Oxbridge each year.
St Paul’s School, London (private school) – 53 pupils from the school attended Oxbridge in 2016 and 41 in 2015.
Peter Symonds College, Hampshire (state college) – An average of 48 students have received offers from Oxbridge each year over the past three years.
St Paul’s Girls’ School, London (private school for girls) – between 2015 and 2017, Oxbridge enrolled an average of 45 pupils each year.
King’s College School, London (private school) – sent 48 students to Oxbridge in 2017.
Magdalen College School, Oxford (private school) – in 2018, 44 people entered Oxbridge.

The study also found that pupils in private schools with high levels of achievement were twice as likely as pupils in public schools with the same abilities and grades to apply to Oxford and Cambridge.
The Oxbridge admissions report shows a marked imbalance:

7% of all UK pupils attend private schools;
18% receive an A-level certificate at a private school;
34% of pupils in private schools apply to Oxbridge;
Forty-two per cent of the seats in Oxbridge are held by private school pupils.

The study also says there are some parts of the UK where there are not ably few young people who are in school, and people are getting places. These are areas such as Holton, Nousley, Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire, Portsmouth, Rochdale, Rutland, Salford, Southampton, Tarrock.

The experts believe the situation is a consequence of an error by the oxbridge council and management. They call for better information to future applicants about what is required to enter universities and what job prospects are being opened up in the future.

“If we want all young gifted people, regardless of their background, to have a real opportunity to enter our leading universities, the problem of higher education awareness needs to be addressed. All young people, no matter where they were born or what school they attend, should have access to up-to-date university admission information and the opportunity to try their hand at it. This will enable them to make informed and dignified choices about their future,” Sir Peter Lampl said.

State vs. Private Schools

William Baldwin, director of Hove and Sussex Sixth Form College (BHASVIC) in Brighton, says the number of offers from Oxbridge has been gradually increasing in recent years.
Last year, 57 students at his college were offered places, and 27 of them were from the wealthiest families.
Baldwin has set up a special department at the college that is coordinating applications to Oxbridge and is fully responsible for enrolling students at these universities.
According to him, students express their interest in applying, and then receive additional individual extracurricular activities, have the opportunity to practice in the interview.
Andrew Halls, principal of King’s College School, said his school was also conducting additional lessons and counselling for students wishing to apply to Oxbridge. The school sent 48 pupils to Oxbridge in 2017. He also argues that the selective approach of the school in admitting students to study plays a role. Due to this, the school has a lot of gifted and purposeful children, who in the future easily take places in leading universities. Teachers also actively prepare children to enter the best universities from the first years of schooling.
“Schools like King really understand the structure of Oxbridge because they have historically sent children there for hundreds of years,” he says.
Martin Williams, vice-chancellor of Oxford University for Education, agreed that the university needed to rethink its entry-testing policy and expand access.
“We understand that Oxford needs to work harder to become more accessible to more students from across the UK,” says Professor Williams.

Oxford University officials wrote on Twitter that they were working with summer schools to attract students, students to less prestigious schools, and those living in places where the lowest number of students had been recruited in previous years. The university spends 7 million pounds a year to improve the coverage program and promises to provide places for students with potential.

A Cambridge University spokesperson welcomed the idea that students should be given more support and information when applying to leading universities, and agreed that there should be more training and career advice.
From the foregoing we can draw a certain conclusion that the choice of a good school is extremely important for the future prospects of a young person. And it is desirable that the school was private!