State school pupils 'miss out on university places'

Well-qualified pupils from state schools are missing out on university places, which are being taken by rivals from independent schools, according to research.

It shows privately educated teenagers are getting into Oxford and Cambridge and another 11 leading universities with A-level scores two grades lower than the best state pupils.

The survey, carried out for philanthropist Peter Lampl's Sutton Trust, suggests that social advantage is still a big factor in education success.

The Sutton Trust claimed today that 3,000 pupils from independent schools enter leading universities each year who would not be there if higher-achieving state school pupils were taking up their fair share of places.

The Trust analysed statistics from the Higher Education Funding Council for England.

These showed that 45 per cent of independent school pupils who obtain an A and two Bs at A-level go on to win a place at one of 13 top universities, but only 26 per cent of state school pupils who get equally good grades.