School leaver destination data

17 July 2012

The Department for Education has published destination data which shows for the first time the number of pupils from individual schools going onto Russell Group universities, including Oxford and Cambridge.

Commenting on the data Dr Wendy Piatt, Director General of the Russell Group, said:

“We welcome anything which helps students and parents make intelligent choices about which school or sixth form to attend and we are pleased so many schools send pupils to Russell Group universities.

“The most important factor in whether pupils are able to apply successfully to leading universities is whether or not they achieve the right grades.  Entry to all our universities is very competitive for many courses and places are limited so these figures should be seen in that context. 

“In addition this data does not tell the whole picture - where small numbers of pupils gain entry from particular schools this will not even show up.

“We already know that pupils from some schools are not only less likely to attend Russell Group universities but less likely to apply in the first place. It is also particularly important that students with no family history of higher education are given good information, advice and guidance. Yet a recent Sutton Trust report found a surprisingly high number of state-school teachers do not encourage their brightest pupils to apply to leading universities.

“We want every student with the qualifications, potential and determination to succeed at the Russell Group university to have the opportunity to do so, whatever their background or whatever school they have attended. That is why our universities and the Russell Group hold events to advise teachers working in disadvantaged areas on the admissions process.”

Notes to Editors 

1. The Department for Education have published statistics on entry to Oxbridge and other Russell Group. Both Oxford and Cambridge are members of the Russell Group.
2. The current 20 members are the universities of Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, Oxford, Sheffield, Southampton and Warwick, Imperial College London, King’s College London, the London School of Economics, Queen’s University Belfast, and University College London. The Russell Group is expanding to include the universities of Durham, Exeter, Queen Mary and York.

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