Head Master's Blog - What does excellence look like in preparation for Higher Education?

There are a number of very live debates in education at the moment, and one of the most prominent is undoubtedly preparation for and access to Higher Education, and, specifically, the role that schools play in enabling stronger Higher Education outcomes for their students.

The 2019 Sutton Trust Report, ‘The Influence of Schools and Place on Admissions to Top Universities’ (Montacute and Cullinane) was a watershed publication which created many headlines. The key findings showed that independent school students were seven times more likely to gain a place at Oxford and Cambridge universities than their peers from non-selective state schools and twice as likely to gain places at Russell Group institutions. The study showed that, for Oxbridge, there was a 34% acceptance rate from independent schools, 31% from grammar schools, and 22% from comprehensive schools.

The findings of the report led to considerable debate and some action. For example, there has been a rise in the use of contextual data and information in some admissions and offer decisions. But what does this actually mean? For most universities contextual data includes whether or not an applicant has been in the care system, has been eligible for free school meals, or lives in an area of particular deprivation. If there is evidence of this, the applicant may be more likely to receive the university’s standard offer, or, in some cases, a slightly lower grade offer.

In an interesting development last year, OfQual launched a consultation on possible reforms to introduce a post-qualifications applications system, whereby A Level students would apply to university only once they have received their final A Level grades. Some felt that this would address disparities and approaches to Personal Statements and UCAS Predicted Grades across different schools. However, there are such significant logistical issues around this proposal that it has been put on hold for the time being.

Nonetheless, the heavy – and often unhelpful – media coverage around these debates has had the unfortunate consequence of fomenting some misperceptions. Is an independent education more or less likely to help my child gain a place at a prestigious Russell Group university? The answer to this is very clear indeed and the experiences at King’s High School offer important evidence to support this.

At King’s High we pride ourselves on offering the very highest quality preparation for the myriad post-18 pathways of our students, whether that is an application to Oxbridge, Russell Group, Medicine and Overseas Universities, or to music and drama school, or apprenticeships and degree apprenticeships.

Our Inspire Higher Education Programme has been very important in enhancing our students’ preparation for competitive university places. With weekly seminars led by Dr Seal and Dr Harrison, and bespoke sessions delivered by our Higher Education Tutors - graduate students from Oxbridge and Russell Group universities - our students are introduced to higher-order thinking skills and debate across the Sciences and Humanities.

In addition, our students are connected with a Personal Statement Tutor or an Oxbridge Mentor to offer bespoke and tailored support for their applications, drawing on subject-specific expertise within our departments. We are fortunate to be able to access additional expertise across our Foundation family of schools, with a range of talks, practice interviews, and pre-admissions test practice. This collaborative approach has been further strengthened by the appointment of cross-school experts: we now have co-ordinators for Law, Medicine and International Universities working with students across King’s High and Warwick School. Furthermore, we often recruit bespoke support to offer additional insights and guidance. In recent years, for example, we have drawn on external experts to support our Architecture applicants, and have had organisations run workshops, talks, and seminar series to prepare students for the rigours of interview and the increasingly important pre-admissions tests.

It is clear that this approach is having a very positive impact. The Higher Education outcomes that our students are enjoying are remarkable and we have seen significant upticks in headline statistics. For example, we have seen an average 22% rise in the number of students gaining places at their first choice university: from 2014-2016 an average of 68% of our Upper Sixth cohorts went to their ‘firm choice’ destinations; we are now averaging 90%. In addition, we have seen a 25% rise in the number of students taking places at prestigious Russell Group universities: from 2014-2016 an average 57% of our Upper Sixth cohort took up places at Russell Group institutions; last year this figure was 82%, and in pre-Covid years the average figure was 75%.

As all schools know, the statistics for Oxbridge and Medical places tend to wax and wane and, for many reasons, are subject to greater variability. Nonetheless, each year at King’s High up to, and sometimes more than 10% of the cohort gain places at Oxbridge or go on to study Medicine at university. In the pre-Covid period at King’s High, the number of students applying for Oxbridge trebled and the numbers securing places quadrupled. In 2018 alone 11.4% of leavers went on to study Medicine at university; this year 14% of the cohort has applied for Medicine and Veterinary Medicine and is awaiting offers. In addition, the number of students taking the valuable Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), which is so highly regarded by universities, has quadrupled, and, in the same period, we saw significantly improved outcomes with 89.5% of students (2019) achieving an A* or A grade for their project.

In recent years, there have been important developments in the post-sixth-form pathways that students are exploring. Whilst around three quarters of our cohort go for Russell Group universities, the 25% who do not are equally important to us. We are committed to supporting the pathways that are right for each individual.

At King’s High we have strongly promoted degree apprenticeships since they were introduced in 2015. Each year we have a number of pupils who explore and go on to prestigious degree apprenticeships. For example, at The Dyson Institute of Engineering and Technology, at Santander and Barclays, to name a few.

Similarly, higher numbers of students are exploring ‘off-UCAS’ applications to international universities and institutions such as the New College of the Humanities. We have had students take places at McGill University in Canada and at the University of Sophia in Bulgaria, in addition to destinations including The Oxford Aviation Academy, Birmingham Conservatoire, BIMM (The British and Irish Modern Music Institute), The Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, and the National Centre for Circus Arts.

So, in answer to my opening question – what does excellence look like? – I think that this, ultimately, comes down to a school’s agility and flexibility in responding to the exceptional and exciting variety of student interests. It comes down to a school’s enthusiasm and willingness to recognise that the Russell Group University pathway is not for everyone, and that each and every application and interest is as important as another.

It comes down to, crucially, the level of expertise within a school, and a school’s ability to draw on and in invest in external expertise to make a valuable difference to student outcomes. It comes down to the ways in which schools nurture and inspire their students, offering and showing the range of pathways and diversity of choice that is open to them at an early stage in their journey. At King’s High we offer excellence in all that we do, and our Higher Education preparation, and the data and outcomes and successes of our students, are strongly based on the excellence of the preparation that they enjoy.

Dr Stephen Burley, Head Master