Primary school-university bonds 'could help raise aspirations'

October 20 2009

More needs to be done to encourage children in the first stage of their education to consider attending university, it has been claimed.

Dr Lee Elliot Major, director of research at the educational organisation the Sutton Trust, said: "We believe more could be done to work with primary schools to raise university aspirations."

The comments follow a study from the University and College Union, which found that academic success in traditionally low-achieving constituencies has declined, while those areas with high achievers are enjoying more success.

In order to combat such academic disadvantages, the trust is working with universities to identify bright children earlier in their schooling to offer them guaranteed pathways to leading research institutions, Dr Major said.

The research director also pointed out that such institutions often lie "on the doorsteps" of those in disadvantaged areas.

A recent report from the Sutton Trust indicated that some 42 per cent of the UK's most prestigious scholars and scientists studied at independent schools.

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