The Cambridge intake

sir – The University of Cambridge does not and would not discriminate against pupils from any type of school (“Don’t sideline grammar school students, MPS tell universities”, report, May 5).

Universities like Cambridge have been challenged, quite correctly, by successive governments to reflect wider society by drawing students from all backgrounds. Unlike our great independent and grammar schools, many comprehensives have no tradition of sending pupils to places like Cambridge, meaning many of their pupils never consider applying. It is those pupils that the country’s leading universities are now trying to reach.

This does mean that a greater number of applicants from a wider range of backgrounds will be considered for broadly the same number of places. But the highest achieving pupils from the independent and grammar schools will still find a welcome at Cambridge, along with those from the comprehensive sector.

Professor Stephen J Toope Vice-chancellor University of Cambridge

sir – I am glad to read that Michelle Donelan, the universities minister, is “personally calling vice-chancellors” about the lack of in-person teaching at universities today (report, May 4).

I am now in the second year of my degree at the University of Nottingham and still receiving only one in-person lecture a week – when the lecturers aren’t striking. I hope Ms Donelan can ensure that in-person teaching will be resumed as normal next year.

Daniel Dieppe

Nottingham