Source: Alamy

That is among the conclusions of University of Sussex researchers, who have explored the ¡°differentiated patterns of HE application¡± which distinguish independent from state schools.

To throw light on the issue, M¨¢ir¨¦ad Dunne, Russell King and Jill Ahrens collected data from 1,400 Year 13 students in 18 Sussex and Leicestershire schools and carried out in-depth interviews with 15 teacher ÖйúAƬ advisers.

In every case, they sought information about the types of institutions the pupils applied to; ¡°the way the application process was managed¡±; and how advisers ¡°explained the HE application process and outcomes for their students¡±. They then compared the findings from the 11 independent and seven state schools.

The results are set out in an article in the November 2014 issue of Studies in ÖйúAƬ, ¡°Applying to ÖйúAƬ: comparisons of independent and state schools¡±.

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While both types of school ¡°showed appreciation of experiences outside the formal curriculum¡±, those within the independent sector showed ¡°a more concerted and co-ordinated effort to provide these experiences and capitalise on them¡±.

More generally, ¡°independent schools assume a HE career for their students, invest more resources, start the process earlier, are more proactive in increasing their students¡¯ capital and aspire to get their students into higher-status universities and courses¡±.

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In state schools, by contrast, ¡°the approach to HE applications appeared to be less ambitious even for the high achieving students¡±, which only works to legitimise arbitrary ¡°relations within and between the educational and social hierarchies¡±.

The evidence they present, the authors conclude, has important implications for those committed to widening access.

¡°An individualised approach to improving examination performance and encouraging less privileged students to apply¡± will never be enough without taking account of the social factors which influence ¡°the production of individual choices¡±.

It remained crucial to ¡°shift the narrow focus of state schools, teachers and pupils beyond only the examinations¡±.

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matthew.reisz@tesglobal.com