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BLOGCambridge University's Widening Participation Program Raises Concerns Over Inclusion of Private Schools

A program aimed at assisting underprivileged students might inadvertently benefit students from hundreds of private schools, potentially increasing their chances of admission to Cambridge University. The university’s “widening participation” system identifies candidates from schools that have had minimal representation at Oxbridge in the past five years. Notably, schools such as Gordonstoun, which is the King’s former school, and an online school affiliated with Harrow, have been flagged.

According to data from the Varsity student newspaper obtained through freedom of information requests, nearly 300 private schools were marked for “low participation in Oxbridge.”

Cambridge University considers various factors, including a student’s background, eligibility for free school meals, residence in disadvantaged areas, and their school’s academic performance and history with Oxbridge offers, when selecting candidates for interviews. This approach aims to interview more students from disadvantaged backgrounds or schools.

The investigation revealed that students from the flagged independent schools accounted for 19% of all applicants receiving special consideration. In contrast, only about 6% of all British students attend private schools.

Varsity highlighted that 36 of the schools benefiting from the flags charge fees exceeding £40,000 annually. For instance, Stonar allows students to bring their horses to school or lease one from the school’s stables.

Recently, Cambridge University announced plans to revise its access and participation strategy, moving away from specific state school targets to a more comprehensive assessment of applicants.

A university spokesperson emphasised that they evaluate all applicants holistically, taking into account various factors, without relying solely on one piece of data. The admissions policy is being developed based on guidelines from the Office for Students and is open to further discussion.

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In response to the findings, a representative from the Private Education Policy Forum, which aims to reduce educational access inequalities, expressed concerns. She suggested that fee-paying students, except those on full scholarships, should not be included in widening participation initiatives. She believes these findings should prompt introspection at Cambridge.

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