State pupils ‘badly advised’ on A-level choices

Universities say students are steered into subjects promising higher grades rather than better future

STATE schools are preventing pupils from getting into top universities by allowing them to do easy A-level subjects, the Russell Group has suggested.

Bright teenagers risk having their plans for higher education “scuppered” by teachers advising them to pick A-levels based on how high a grade they can achieve rather than how useful the subject is.

The Russell Group, which represents the country’s 24 leading universities, has set up a new advice site for students aimed at steering them towards “good” A-level subjects.

It previously published a guide for teachers on A-level choices with a list of “facilitating subjects” featuring maths, further maths, English literature, languages, history, geography, physics, biology and chemistry.

But Tim Bradshaw, the group’s chief executive, said the list had been “misinterpreted” by schools, which were incorrectly advising students they needed to do all of these subjects or at least one to get into a leading university. In fact, the list was aimed at bright students who wanted to go to university but had not yet decided which course to apply for.

The Russell Group has replaced its teachers’ guide with a website, called Informed Choices, aimed at advising students directly on which A-levels are useful for particular degree courses.

“The renewed guidance is particularly targeted towards supporting less advantaged pupils, who may not always receive the same level of advice as their better off peers,” the Russell Group said.

Research by the Sutton Trust, a social mobility charity, found bright but disadvantaged students are half as likely as their wealthier peers to take academically rigorous A-level subjects.

Dr Bradshaw gave the example of a “gifted pupil” from a deprived part of the country whose dreams of getting on to a marine biology degree were “scuppered” because no one had advised her that a BTEC in health and social care was not the right way to achieve this. Writing on the Independent website he said such “information imbalances” between wealthy and poor students must be corrected.

“Tackling the inequalities that affect the life chances of young people has many facets, from raising aspiration to ensuring all pupils receive a quality education,” he said. “Achieving greater parity in the advice they can access matters greatly too.”

Using its own research, the Russell Group found that almost all 15 and 16-year-olds thought that choosing the right A-level subjects was less important than getting high grades, giving a good interview and writing a strong personal statement. It also showed that private school pupils in year 10 were more likely than their peers at comprehensives to aspire to university, meaning they choose their A-level subjects with this in mind.

Dr Bradshaw said that despite being “hugely important” for getting into university, subject choice is often overlooked by students.

Chris Mcgovern, director of the Campaign For Real Education, said: “Schools should put the interests of youngsters first when advising them on A-levels, but too many are focused on their league table position.”