What are your chances of going to Oxford or Cambridge if you go to a state school?
Well it’s a bit of a postcode lottery according to new data from the Department for Education.
It seems like you’ve got a better chance if you do your A Levels in Trafford, whereas both Rochdale and Salford are ‘Oxbridge deserts’, with no students going to either university in 2020/21.
Meanwhile Trafford was the most successful in sending pupils to the prestigious universities.
David Dubas-Fisher, of Reach’s data unit, has been looking at the state-funded schools with the highest and lowest admissions.
Altrincham Grammar School for Girls has the joint best record of any state-funded school in the North of England for getting its students into Oxbridge.
A total of 15 of the school's 2020/21 graduates were accepted that year. That’s the highest number in Greater Manchester and works out as nine percent of the school’s A Level pupils.
Altrincham Grammar School for Boys has the joint next best record in the region nine pupils (six percent) making it to either Oxford or Cambridge.
Over in Manchester, the sixth form colleges also sent a number of pupils, with Loreto College, in Hulme, sending 14 to Oxbridge and Xaverian College, in Rusholme, sending 11.
In Wigan, Winstanley College had 12 students make it to the prestigious universities (representing one percent of its A Level pupils). While eleven pupils from Holy Cross College, in Bury, got into Oxbridge.
For comparison, King's College London Maths School has the best record of any state-funded school in England for getting its students into Oxford and Cambridge.
Just under a third (29%) of the school's 2020/21 graduates were accepted to Oxbridge that year.
The Department for Education said that as well supporting teachers with high-quality training and investing in education recovery through schemes like the National Tutoring Programme, it wanted all schools to be in a strong academy trust.
“Real social mobility is about more than just getting disadvantaged students through the door at university and we have also asked the Office for Students to look at how we can make sure universities all over the country are actively working with their local schools to raise pupil attainment for everyone, particularly for those from disadvantaged backgrounds,” a spokesman said.
You can see the percentage of pupils from the 2020/21 academic year who went to Oxford or Cambridge by typing in the name of the school or college here.
READ MORE:
The Mancunian Way: Denying historical events
Teen accused of murder of student Luke O'Connor appears in court
Despair, 'disrespect' and £2,500 to give up your room... inside Manchester's fresher housing crisis
Greater Manchester Police responds to watchdog report on vetting failures
