Contextual university applications

[MrPickles73]

Does anyone know regarding university applications - is it whether you do your GCSEs at a fee paying school that counts? Does it matter where you do your A levels?
Our local secondary school is very average and has no sixth form - everyone takes a bus for an hour to various colleges. Our year 8 friend has had no science teacher for two years and PE is theory every other week.. maths is poor.. several of our friends have left.
So the choice for dc2 is day private school for secondary or weekly boarding state school. Both look.like good schools. We have friends at the former but know no one at the latter. They would cost about the same. Our preference is for dc2 to be a day pupil and the private day school gets slightly better A level results.
Dc2 is academic and interested to be a vet / doctor. If he does GCSEs at a private school how will this impact his chances at uni? If he does A levels at a private school how will this impact his chances at uni?

Typical a few factors,

• the school ur DD did GCSE, what is the attainment performance of that school (nothing about fee paying, selective grammar and private, good comprehensive will be in the same bucket, low performing school is on the other)
• where your DD live, postcode area of the neighbourhood, what is the social demographic how many people has degree level education etc.
• if your DD had eligible for FSM since age 11.
• if your DD has experience in care someone else.

It won’t really impact her uni admissions . She’d be unlikely to qualify for a contextual offer, but may depending on other factors.

Its far too early to say really, it sounds like she’s not at secondary school yet? In which case there are many years before she goes to uni, and plenty of time for things to change - both uni admission policies, and your DDs wants.

In my experience contextual offers are not significantly lower than the usual offers. They may offer one grade lower in one, possibly two subjects. You would be better opting for the school with the best chance of actually getting a good, qualified teacher in front of them than worrying about the opportunity for a very slightly lower offer.

Exactly as Calimali says. My DC is looking at unis now and each uni varies in the type of factors they take into account for a contextual offer. At some places she would qualify for a drop of 1 mark, some 2 and in some places no contextual offer at all. I would definitely not base a school decision on it and would go for the best possible one she can get into to ensure she gets the best grades possible and leaves herself open to the widest number of possibilities. The uni's change their policy re contextual offers each year as well. Bristol has a huge list of schools it considers for contextual offers but hasn't released the list yet for 2024 entry yet for example so you wouldn't know for sure until very late in the day either.

It is usually gcses, but there are limited postcodes/schools/circumstances which attract true contextual offers anyway. Oxbridge may look more kindly on state school pupils as part of inclusion and diversity but that will not override high grade requirements. Go for where he most likely to do well.

Thankyou all. That's really helpful.

I think the criteria vary course to course and uni to uni.

I had a quick look and for the courses my son wanted it wasnt just your state school was average. There was a specific set of named state schools that were way below average.

I think go where you will get the best grades you can.

Contextual offers are often only one grade or so different. You'd hope that sending your child to a school where they won't be without a science teacher for two years will mean they do at least a grade better than at the local school (otherwise why would you be bothering). They'll also be better prepared for the uni course.