Around Westminster with Rob - Improving Education
Once again I was back in the thick of it on education again at Westminster this week. My view is that the Coalition has introduced important initiatives in education to promote greater equality of opportunity, such as pre-school places for two-year-olds, a pupil premium for poorer children and free schools and UTCs (not to mention the important changes to exams, league tables and the curriculum). So pretty good job in the past 18 months, but we still need to do more, because many of England's best schools continue to remain beyond the reach of bright children from poor backgrounds.
I’m referring specifically to top-performing schools in the independent sector, which in total accounts for just 7 per cent of school pupils. Since the abolition of the Direct Grant system and the Assisted Places scheme by successive Labour governments, places at these schools have largely been available only to those who could afford the fees.
A-level results show the continuing academic dominance of elite private schools. Of the top 40 schools in terms of "academic" A* grades per pupil, three quarters (29) were private schools, and the rest were grammars. Students who attend private schools still account for more than 45 per cent of places at Oxford and 40 per cent at Cambridge. In an average year at some of the top private schools, such as Westminster and St Paul's Girls, a staggering 50 per cent of pupils are admitted to Oxbridge.
It should therefore not come as a surprise that the products of elite private schools continue to dominate the top professions. Three quarters of judges, well over half of top journalists, barristers, solicitors and finance directors, and just under half of civil servants were independently schooled. To really change the rules of the game and give bright children from poorer homes a fairer chance at entering the top universities and professions, we need to give them access to top-performing independent schools.
Last year I held a Parliamentary debate calling on the Government to take action. I want our best independent day schools to commit to reserving places solely for bright pupils who are eligible for free school meals. It would be voluntary, but the Government could support the participation of schools in such a scheme. To help meet the shortfall in fee income, the Government should allow the funding attached to disadvantaged children, due to average at least £7,000 a year by 2014/15 when the pupil premium is included, to follow those pupils who secure the reserved places.
The Sutton Trust, which champions open access for poorer children, brought out a report this week confirming my view. It wants a return to a direct grant system to help increase social mobility. It gave me the opportunity to tackle Michael Gove again and make progress, which I did at Education Questions. I will be joining the Sutton Trust and a delegation of independent school head teachers who will be meeting with the Secretary of State to discuss these ideas. I think a scheme like this involving our excellent local independent schools in and around Reading would be excellent.
Finally, I’ve given in, after being worn down for a year by my staff and colleagues. I’m tweeting (twittering or talking twaddle – something like that) but I urge you all not to follow me. It will give me an early excuse to stop!
