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Higher education

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Original poster

Article in the Telegraph. Which schools receive the most offers from RG universities.

57 replies

Tagcurious · 17/10/2021 12:51

Very interesting article in today’s Telegraph. I think the article is alluding to the fact that state schools are doing well compared to private schools in terms of offers made.

OP posts:
WombatChocolate · 17/10/2021 12:54

Is it behind paywall? Which schools are actually mentioned?

Barwell76 · 17/10/2021 13:12

The schools on there were the very large sixth form colleges, such at Peter Symonds so it seemed a bit pointless really, you you expect school with large numbers of pupils to feature on the list.

Original poster
Tagcurious · 17/10/2021 13:23

Yes it’s behind a paywall. Peter Symonds seems to feature heavily.

OP posts:
titchy · 17/10/2021 13:31

@Tagcurious

Yes it’s behind a paywall. Peter Symonds seems to feature heavily.
There are thousands of students at PS so it's not exactly rocket science to work out why they have more offers.

Any chance of a share token so we can read and comment?

Original poster
Tagcurious · 17/10/2021 13:36

I don’t know how to do that Blush
I only know about Peter Symonds from here and a lad on DS’s university corridor who went there.
Basically the huge sixth forms in the north seen to send high numbers to Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, Liverpool. Oxbridge take a lot of Etonians and other exclusive schools.

OP posts:
enufforlrite · 17/10/2021 15:44

I wish the press would stop name-dropping Russell Group as if it were a gold standard. It is misleading for people who don't know better. "Top 20" in whichever league table they want to reference might be better, but of course still imperfect because all of the league tables use different methodologies and have an element of subjectivity. I suppose the Telegraph doesn't have its own league table to promote like the Times and Guardian so maybe it's the only measure they can use. Silly really.

AlexaShutUp · 17/10/2021 15:48

@enufforlrite

I wish the press would stop name-dropping Russell Group as if it were a gold standard. It is misleading for people who don't know better. "Top 20" in whichever league table they want to reference might be better, but of course still imperfect because all of the league tables use different methodologies and have an element of subjectivity. I suppose the Telegraph doesn't have its own league table to promote like the Times and Guardian so maybe it's the only measure they can use. Silly really.
I agree. The weird middle class obsession with RG is simply a marker of those who don't really understand what it is.
Original poster
Tagcurious · 17/10/2021 16:12

I don’t disagree about the RG thing. It’s strange they restricted it to a small group. I would be interested in similar information about plenty of other places too.

OP posts:
EconButlerSnow · 17/10/2021 16:16

Did Hills Road in Cambridge get mentioned too? It is a similar profile to Peter Symonds with the added benefit of academic families.

Peter Symonds has 2000 -2500 students in each year group. They usually have up to 30 maths classes with everyone having a minimum of grade 7 at GCSE. It's in Winchester, within easy reach of Exeter, Southampton, UCL, LSE, Bristol etc. Of course they're going to get a huge number of students into top universities.

Anyway, why are you so surprised? You do realise that even Oxford and Cambridge accept a lot more students from a state school background than private and have done for a number of years. It's hardly headline news. Sounds like the Telegraph is trying to whip private school parents into their annual frenzy at the injustice of it all.

RampantIvy · 17/10/2021 16:18

DD's old school was very fixated on getting students into RG universities. Given that RG universities are research intensive I don't understand why students taking humanities or art degrees would be that influenced by whether it was RG or not.

Rummikub · 17/10/2021 16:18

isn’t RG just a paid for club?

When i get asked about which is the best uni, I ask what do they mean by best: student experience, teaching, research etc?

Original poster
Tagcurious · 17/10/2021 16:19

I’m not surprised. Why are you assuming I am? I’m far from angry about it too because the sixth form my dc went to/will go to has done very well. It’s a shame thought that Eton and other very expensive schools still have a stranglehold on Oxbridge.

OP posts:
Kendodd · 17/10/2021 16:22

I think I read once that students from the Falkland Islands do sixth form as boarders at Peter Symonds. They then get free university.
Sorry! Irrelevant Grin

shitegarden · 17/10/2021 16:27

My 3 went to PSC and I can't speak highly enough of it. Fantastic place. Pastoral care excellent. Many students with unstellar GCSEs do very well at A level and go on to top universities. However, there are also many many students there from private schools whose parents can't see the point of 2 years of more fees when PSC is available. Those schools must be gutted to lose so many of their high achievers!

Original poster
Tagcurious · 17/10/2021 18:06

Their students seem to do incredibly well according to this article @shitegarden

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RampantIvy · 17/10/2021 18:17

However, there are also many many students there from private schools whose parents can't see the point of 2 years of more fees when PSC is available. Those schools must be gutted to lose so many of their high achievers!

We have the same here. Greenhead College in Huddersfield gets a lot of students from private schools in West Yorkshire, partly because there are no fees, and partly because there is a much wider choice of subjects. As a result, the private schools don't do so well at A level because their best students go to Greenhead.

Original poster
Tagcurious · 17/10/2021 18:25

I’m pretty sure they were mentioned in the article @RampantIvy

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HeddaGarbled · 17/10/2021 18:29

who went there.
Basically the huge sixth forms in the north seen to send high numbers to Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, Liverpool. Oxbridge take a lot of Etonians and other exclusive schools

Well, I’ll go to the foot of our stairs 😀

RampantIvy · 17/10/2021 18:30

Greenhead is highly regarded round here. We are in South Yorkshire, but a number of DD's peers went to Greenhead. Her old school has an excellent 6th form so she stayed put and had an extra hour in bed every morning.

Original poster
Tagcurious · 17/10/2021 18:54

@HeddaGarbled Why is that funny? The big northern sixth forms should surely be sending lots of students to Oxbridge too?

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Changemusthappen · 17/10/2021 20:15

OMG what a surprise, selective state schools sending more students to top universities! Given that only 7% are privately educated there really are many many very bright youngsters out there available to attend these schools and bump the numbers up. Additionally as someone has pointed out those who have had the benefit of a private education then switching to a selective 6th form, hardly rocket science they'll do well is it!

The real shame to this is that more often than this is still about privelege. What I would like to see is how many very very bright youngsters from poor backgrounds/challenging situations are getting into these universities and getting an opportunity.

RampantIvy · 17/10/2021 20:19

What I would like to see is how many very very bright youngsters from poor backgrounds/challenging situations are getting into these universities and getting an opportunity.

Which is why more and more universities are offering contextual offers now.

titchy · 17/10/2021 20:31

What I would like to see is how many very very bright youngsters from poor backgrounds/challenging situations are getting into these universities and getting an opportunity.

Try this: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/data-and-analysis/access-and-participation-data-dashboard//*

Revengeofthepangolins · 17/10/2021 20:58

7% is not correct for sixth form independent education.