Offspring of lone parents are an overlooked group in widening participation, study suggests. The children of single parents are marginalised and must overcome expectations of failure to succeed in higher education, according to a study. Research by Jessica Gagnon, who recently completed a PhD at the University of Sussex, suggests that the offspring of lone parents are an overlooked group in widening participation and student support. While US studies have found that such children are less likely...

Annual Report into the state of English education by Centre Forum (independent think tank). The report charts progress towards a series of world-class benchmarks in Early Years, Primary and Secondary education Key findings  Attainment is improving, but over 60 per cent of secondary and over 40 per cent of primary pupils are still failing to achieve a world-class benchmark. As a result of the new, more challenging, GCSE examinations in 2017, we expect the number of pupils achieving a ...

The Social Mobility Index compares the chances that a child from a disadvantaged background will do well at school and get a good job across each of the 324 local authority district areas of England. It examines a range of measures of the educational outcomes achieved by young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and the local job and housing markets to shed light on which are the best and worst places in England in terms of the opportunities young people from poorer backgrounds have to succeed...

Where children grow up in England is more likely to determine success or failure at school than in previous generations, a study suggests. The Social Market Foundation has examined test results of cohorts born in 1970 and 2000 and found regional differences have become much greater.Pupils' results are highest in London and lowest in Yorkshire and Humber. "Where you live has become much more important," said think tank director Emran Mian. The comparisons between the generations, based on school ...

Women outnumber men in 112 of 180 degree subjects, with females from poorer backgrounds 50% more likely to go to university than their male counterparts. Women now outnumber men in almost two-thirds of degree subjects, and the gender gap in British universities has almost doubled in size since 2007, figures show. The statistics, published by the university admissions service Ucas, show that men still dominate in areas traditionally seen as male, such as engineering and some sciences. Read More.

All ethnic minority groups in England are now, on average, more likely to go to university than their White British peers. This is the case even amongst groups who were previously under-represented in higher education, such as those of Black Caribbean ethnic origin, a relatively recent change.These differences also vary by socio-economic background, and in some cases are very large indeed. For example, Chinese pupils in the lowest socio-economic quintile group are, on average, more than 10 perce...

Government’s social mobility adviser speaks out amid suggestions Green Paper has been delayed to allow tie-in with PM speech on social mobility. Alan Milburn, the government’s adviser on social mobility, has warned against cuts to funding for the poorest students, amid suggestions that the Green Paper has been delayed to go alongside a David Cameron speech as the prime minister makes university access a major priority. Mr Milburn, the chair of the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission, wh...

“Just because we come from a different background doesn’t mean that they should expect any less.” Young care leaver Care leavers are around six times less likely than other young people to attend university or take part in a higher education course at college. As part of its work to improve the life outcomes of care leavers, The Who Cares? Trust has created Propel, an online resource providing full information about UK educational institutions’ pastoral and financial provision for care leavers, ...

There has been some good news recently for social mobility. This year saw another increase in the number of students starting university and the Office of Fair Access has found that 90% of universities and colleges have either met, or are on course to meet, their widening participation targets. But other research has found that universities’ efforts to widen participation are missing out some key groups: young carers, young people in care, and poor school pupils who happen to live in affluent ne...