The Student Room Group

Private pupils 55 times as likely to go to Oxbridge

Scroll to see replies

Reply 100
Original post by BJack
I'm not sure it's possible to thrash Eton in A-level results; they get some of the best results in the country.


Some independents do thrash Eton (St. Paul's Girls', Wycombe Abbey, Westminster, Magdalen College School). And a number of state grammars give Eton a run for Eton's money, but without it (Henrietta Barnett, Queen Elizabeth's Barnet, St. Olave's). Just saying. Nice buildings though.
Original post by hobnob
I can't speak for Huw, but that wasn't really my point.
Actually I don't know whether children who achieve 3As have roughly the same chances of getting in irrespective of school type. I suspect that they don't, and the Sutton Trust report suggests that they probably don't, but although I think it's likely that the report has correctly identified a trend, I'm a little reluctant to treat it as definite evidence that applicants from some schools are disadvantaged, because the data which it is based on could potentially distort the results. It's looking at average A-level scores for schools and overall 'hit rates' rather than looking at the number of pupils at each school who were potential Oxbridge applicants, actual Oxbridge applicants, and successful Oxbridge applicants.
So because of the data it's using, it's really concerned with measuring the schools' success rather than the pupils'. But we're not really interested in the schools' success, are we? What we all want to know is whether someone who ticks all the boxes and applies has roughly the same chances of getting an offer, regardless of which school he's attending. And as far as I can see, that question remains unanswered, even after the report.

Does that make any more sense?



Yes it does. The evidence is all tending to show a trend - but the question hasn't conclusively been answered for the period since 2008. It needs to be, otherwise families will continue to scrape to send their children to private schools to give them a better chance of getting into Russell group universities, including Oxbridge. Not everyone who attends private school- particularly a day school- comes from a wealthy family.
Reply 102
Original post by MPtoo
Some independents do thrash Eton (St. Paul's Girls', Wycombe Abbey, Westminster, Magdalen College School). And a number of state grammars give Eton a run for Eton's money, but without it (Henrietta Barnett, Queen Elizabeth's Barnet, St. Olave's). Just saying. Nice buildings though.


Three of the independents you mentioned get relatively more students into Oxbridge than Eton any way! :p:
I am more convinced by the state schools you listed.
Reply 103
Original post by BJack
Three of the independents you mentioned get relatively more students into Oxbridge than Eton any way! :p:
I am more convinced by the state schools you listed.


Yes quite, there's a correlation!

Since Michael Gove makes much of Oxbridge figures as a measure of success, I wish he'd take note of these and ask why poorly funded state grammars seem to be getting quite a lot right.
Reply 104
OK, you don't send you're child to private school just because you want to splash out a bit, it's because you want them to be able to get into the best universities, have the best opportunities. There is no point at bashing the parents that spend well in excess of £100,000 for a 13 year course at a private school, they do it for their CHILD'S benefit - it's the whole point of it.

Quick Reply

Latest

Trending

Trending