A recent report from the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission provided new evidence of the scale of the fair access challenge within HE including an estimate that there are 3,700 state-educated students ‘missing’ from Russell Group universities in England. Part of the explanation, according to the Commission, is that many students who have the right grades do not apply to the most selective universities. But for the sector as a whole, perhaps the greater challenge now lies in convincing prospective students with the right qualifications to apply to university in the first place. With the erosion in the graduate premium placing the spotlight on the value of a university education, who goes to university is likely to become the key question for the sector in the 21st century. And with the evidence pointing to our leading universities becoming less not more socially representative how can universities, schools and colleges work more effectively together to bridge this “applications” gap?
Speakers:Professor Craig Calhoun, Director, LSE and Sir Michael Griffiths, Immediate Past President, ASCL & Head of Northampton School for Boys