Exploring the relationship between the characteristics of English schools and the progression rates of their pupils to degree-level study

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article explores the extent to which three different school or college characteristics are related to school or college-level progression rates to higher education. Using data from publicly available datasets concerning state schools and colleges in England, linear regression analyses were performed to investigate the extent to which progression rates to higher education are related to the proportion of socioeconomically disadvantaged pupils within schools, the proportion of pupils in schools who reside in “low participation neighbourhoods” and the effectiveness of schools as determined through Ofsted inspections. Schools with a higher proportion of socioeconomically disadvantaged pupils tend to send fewer pupils to university though once school-level attainment is controlled for this trend reverses. However, schools with higher proportions of pupils in low participation neighbourhoods and those with lower Ofsted ratings tend to send fewer pupils to university both before and after school-level attainment is controlled for. The findings are interpreted within the context of a widening participation agenda and suggestions are made for how providers of widening participation outreach activities may most effectively target school-level interventions designed to increase higher education participation, especially those which do not have the effect of raising pupil attainment.