Tag Archives: Social mobility

The narrative of the ‘poor bright child’.

Posted on December 30, 2017 by Eddie Playfair

The good we secure for ourselves is precarious and uncertain until it is secured for all of us and incorporated into our common life. Jane Addams. Earlier this month the government announced a £23m ‘future talent fund’ targeted at ‘bright’ … Continue reading →

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The East End’s ‘engine of progression’.

Posted on November 5, 2017 by Eddie Playfair

The East End’s ‘engine of progression’. In September, the Mail Online and others published articles extolling the achievements of the ‘Eton of the East End’, one of the highly selective sixth forms in Newham which have opened in recent years. … Continue reading →

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Oxbridge admissions – time for action.

Posted on October 24, 2017 by Eddie Playfair

Last week’s news that Oxford and Cambridge universities are failing to diversify and broaden their undergraduate intakes to reflect British society was deeply depressing for anyone who believes in university access and participation as a social good. The story broke … Continue reading →

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Newham’s outstanding record of widening participation

Posted on August 11, 2017 by Eddie Playfair

Disadvantaged young people in Newham are more than twice as likely to progress to university than in England as a whole and their progression rate is the 4th highest of all local authorities in the country. The ‘disadvantage gap’ between … Continue reading →

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University Gold.

Posted on October 1, 2016 by Eddie Playfair

With some help from the Jackson 5: The proposal to classify English universities as Gold, Silver or Bronze is a stroke of genius. The perfect expression of the English obsession with ranking. So obvious, one wonders why we’re not already … Continue reading →

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Overlooked and left behind?

Posted on April 24, 2016 by Eddie Playfair

The latest report from the House of Lords Select Committee on Social Mobility runs to over 100 pages and makes some worthy points. However, it seems to support the idea that education in itself can improve mobility and fairness in the … Continue reading →

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The limits of social mobility

Posted on March 25, 2016 by Eddie Playfair

In his Observer article a couple of weeks ago, the sociologist John Goldthorpe shatters two cherished illusions: first, that social mobility in Britain is in decline and second, that education is a powerful agent for promoting social mobility. 1. Social … Continue reading →

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Reducing London’s disadvantage gap.

Posted on January 19, 2016 by Eddie Playfair

There is much talk of the educational performance gap between disadvantaged students, eligible for free school meals (FSM), and their peers. One measure of success for sixth form students is progression to university of students reaching the end of their … Continue reading →

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Labour split or Labour unity?

Posted on December 23, 2015 by Eddie Playfair

This weekend, the case for a Labour split was given prominent coverage in the Observer newspaper. Party members were also able to read a rather more unifying message in an interview with the Labour leader in Labour Today, the party’s … Continue reading →

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University progression for the NewVIc class of 2015

Posted on December 17, 2015 by Eddie Playfair

Every year, when we analyse our students’ university destinations, we conclude that the current year is our best year ever. And every year it’s true. Our class of 2015 is another great cohort, full of ambitious and determined young people, … Continue reading →

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Cracking Oxbridge

Posted on November 9, 2015 by Eddie Playfair

Nationally, 93% of young people in England are educated in state-funded schools and colleges, but only 61% of Cambridge university undergraduates are drawn from the state sector, a figure which has recently fallen. At Oxford university the proportion is less than … Continue reading →

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Reviewing post-16 education in London

Posted on November 7, 2015 by Eddie Playfair

Principals and chairs of governors from most of London’s colleges assembled at City Hall last week for a briefing on the post-16 area review process. It’s not often that this group meets and although it happened without any great fanfare … Continue reading →

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England’s engines of mobility

Posted on October 28, 2015 by Eddie Playfair

England’s sixth form and further education colleges are among the most significant engines of social mobility as measured by the number of 16-18 year olds eligible for Free School Meals (FSM) progressing to Higher Education. This contribution needs to be … Continue reading →

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London’s engines of mobility

Posted on October 11, 2015 by Eddie Playfair

If we use the proportion of students eligible for free school meals (FSM) progressing to university as a measure of social mobility, it’s clear that the ‘London effect’ is very marked. London’s FSM progression rate in 2012 was 58% compared to … Continue reading →

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NewVIc breaks all its university progression records.

Posted on September 27, 2015 by Eddie Playfair

Newham Sixth Form College (NewVIc) has always had high rates of university progression, both in terms of numbers and the proportion of leavers progressing. These have consistently been well above the national and London averages. We are also very proud … Continue reading →

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