New figures show a remarkable trend among inner London pupils eligible for free school meals: over half have progressed to university by age 19, compared to less than a quarter of similar students elsewhere in England. The statistics highlight an anomaly within the capital's education system, which bucks the national trend of stagnating enthusiasm for higher education.
More than one in ten FSM pupils from inner London secured places at top institutions, including Russell Group universities – double the rate observed for their peers across the country. This achievement stands in stark contrast to a quarter of local authorities outside the capital, where fewer than 20% of FSM pupils pursued higher education.
Professor Graeme Atherton attributes this exceptional performance to a combination of factors, citing consistently higher GCSE attainment rates in London over several years as a primary driver. He also notes that non-white backgrounds, who comprise the majority of inner London's young population, tend to be more inclined to pursue higher education regardless of their grades. The abundance of higher education institutions within inner London provides readily accessible options for local students.
While inner London stands out, national figures indicate a broader levelling off in university enrolments for 2023-24, following a period of record participation during the Covid pandemic. Progression rates for all state school pupils saw a slight decrease from 46.9% to 45.8%, with A-level completers seeing a drop by over two percentage points to 80.6%. However, an exception was observed among Black pupils, whose university progression rose to 63.3% – the largest year-on-year increase for any ethnic group since 2009.
Black pupils are now the only group showing an increase in university progression, while white pupils remain the least likely to progress by age 19, with a rate of just 40.5%. Sarah Hannafin, Head of Policy at the National Association of Head Teachers, stresses that educational opportunities must not be dictated by family finances or location.