The government will no longer measure schools in England on how many of their students go to Russell Group or Oxbridge universities, in an effort to encourage school leavers towards a wider range of universities and vocational options.
The Department for Education’s updated accountability measures for students aged 16 to 18 state that the department will not include the percentage of school leavers who progress to Russell Group universities, or to Oxford and Cambridge universities, as part of each school’s student destinations data.
The change was greeted with enthusiasm by university leaders, who have complained that the inclusion of the Russell Group measures meant schools and parents were guiding students to attend those universities at the exclusion of other institutions.
Nick Hillman, the director of the Higher Education Policy Institute, said: “I welcome the change because government metrics should not be based on self-selecting clubs. There are excellent universities in the Russell Group and excellent universities outside it and we shouldn’t push people towards the former just because it helps a school’s league table position.”
The school performance tables will still include the proportion who go on to “high tariff” universities, defined as the top third based on entry grades, including Oxbridge and the 22 other members of the Russell Group, as well as the percentage going on to universities, colleges or apprenticeships.
The Russell Group evolved from informal meetings of vice-chancellors at a hotel on Russell Square in central London into a coalition of “research intensive” universities including Warwick, Cardiff and Glasgow.
However the group excludes universities of similar stature, such as the universities of St Andrews, Bath and East Anglia. The DfE’s national data shows that the Russell Group has been increasing its overall share of students in recent years.
The DfE said the change avoided duplication since the Russell Group institutions were included in the progression figure for the top-third of selective universities, which would change on an objective basis from year to year based on entry grades.
Lee Elliot Major, professor of social mobility at the University of Exeter, said he feared that removing the measures would take pressure off leading universities to improve access.
“Social mobility is much more than catapulting a lucky few into our elites but that doesn’t mean switching off the spotlight on the country’s most prestigious universities to ensure they are drawing on all talents, particularly at a time when student intakes are becoming more privileged,” he said.
“The aim of education should be that no one’s background should dictate their future, whether they pursue a vocational, creative or academic path – and success shouldn’t be judged solely on someone being able to ‘leave to achieve’.
“But failing to diversify student intakes at highly selective universities will mean our future elites are increasingly unrepresentative of the society they are.”
A DfE spokesperson said: “We are determined to widen access to higher education so that everyone who wants to attend university and meets the requirements can go. Our world-leading universities are engines of growth and opportunity and we are supporting them to deliver for students, local communities and the economy.
“We are dedicated to creating a sustainable higher education funding system in order to break down barriers to opportunity.
“As well as university, there are also a wide range of routes into a rewarding career which we will continue to expand and support, including apprenticeships, vocational qualifications and degree apprenticeships.”
