UK Government Alters School Accountability Measures Regarding Russell Group University Destinations
The Department for Education in England will stop measuring schools by how many students attend Russell Group or Oxbridge universities, to encourage broader educational and vocational choices. Instead, performance metrics will assess progression to high-entry grade universities and other pathways. Experts welcome this shift but caution it may reduce scrutiny on elite university access.
The government in England will cease grading schools based on the percentage of students advancing to Russell Group or Oxbridge universities.
This update in the Department for Education’s accountability measures aims to promote a wider range of educational and vocational choices for students between sixteen and eighteen years old.
School leaders and university officials, like Nick Hillman from the Higher Education Policy Institute, have welcomed this change, emphasizing that pushing all students toward self-selecting groups like the Russell Group can skew school ranking systems unfairly.
Instead, performance tables will now show progression to 'high tariff' universities, comprising the top one-third based on entry grades, and will include a broader look at destinations like universities, colleges, and apprenticeships.
The Russell Group, a coalition of 'research-intensive' universities, initially began from vice-chancellor meetings in London and included schools like Warwick and Cardiff, but excludes others of similar caliber such as St Andrews.
Critics like Lee Elliot Major from the University of Exeter caution that the focus shift could also diminish scrutiny on elite university access for underrepresented groups.
The change aligns with a broader push from the Department for Education to widen educational access across diverse routes, including vocational and apprenticeship opportunities.
This update in the Department for Education’s accountability measures aims to promote a wider range of educational and vocational choices for students between sixteen and eighteen years old.
School leaders and university officials, like Nick Hillman from the Higher Education Policy Institute, have welcomed this change, emphasizing that pushing all students toward self-selecting groups like the Russell Group can skew school ranking systems unfairly.
Instead, performance tables will now show progression to 'high tariff' universities, comprising the top one-third based on entry grades, and will include a broader look at destinations like universities, colleges, and apprenticeships.
The Russell Group, a coalition of 'research-intensive' universities, initially began from vice-chancellor meetings in London and included schools like Warwick and Cardiff, but excludes others of similar caliber such as St Andrews.
Critics like Lee Elliot Major from the University of Exeter caution that the focus shift could also diminish scrutiny on elite university access for underrepresented groups.
The change aligns with a broader push from the Department for Education to widen educational access across diverse routes, including vocational and apprenticeship opportunities.
