Undervalued and unwanted: how private schools are fighting back against positive discrimination

A-level results day is never exactly relaxing. But this year is particularly fraught, with a significant fall in grades achieved by this cohort of Year 13s. Today, there were 60,000 fewer As and A*s than last year – the top marks comprised 36.4 per cent of all grades, compared with a high of 44.8 per cent in 2021. The race for university places is said to be the most competitive in decades, with UCAS suggesting that around 40 per cent of students will be using the clearing system.

Significantly, the largest fall in grades was seen at independent schools, where number of As and A*s fell by 12.4 per cent, compared with 8.7 percentage points at state schools. As universities continue to lower the bar for disadvantaged students, the pressure on those who provide private education – and those who pay for it – is higher than ever.

Last year, private school admissions to Cambridge fell to a record low of 28.4 per cent. This week it was confirmed that, for the first time, sixth formers from areas rated “the most advantaged” are the least likely to have received a university offer this year.

Unsurprisingly, independent schools feel that this is an unjust state of affairs. “I know that many parents and teachers share my intense frustration that we do not have a level playing field and that the goalposts are constantly being moved,” says Dr Dominic Luckett, Headmaster of the independent Sherborne School in Dorset. “Most of those I talk to welcome the idea of the broadest range of young people going to good universities. But we are increasingly dismayed that intelligent, diligent and hardworking candidates are being actively and systematically discriminated against on the basis of where their parents chose to send them to school.”

For many parents, the main purpose of private education is to give their children the best possible options for higher education. So independent schools are now having to adapt to stay alive, says Annabel Heseltine, former editor of School House Magazine.

“Private schools have known that they need to step up for some time,” she says. “Parents are paying huge sums of money and, ultimately, the first thing is for their children to get onto the next leg of their education in as good a university as possible.”

Claire Matthews has a younger daughter, currently in the lower sixth. “We didn’t only send our daughters to an independent school because of a university place end-game,” she says. “But there's no question that, over the next few years, the school will need to prove they were worth the investment,” she says. Last year, her oldest (predicted 4 A*s) didn't even get an interview at her first-choice university.

Independent schools argue that they have risen to the new challenges in every way, working to ensure their pupils have the brightest future possible. Today – results day – schools are preparing how to advise students regarding clearing, re-marking and alternative courses.

“There will be a robust amount of support in place this week,” says Dr Sarah Watson, Vice Principal of DLD College, a private school in central London. “Each of our students has had one-to-one meetings with one of our university admission tutors throughout the whole year, and they have put together a plan B and a plan C.” She accepts that private schools need to buck up. “'We have the resources and we can adapt,” she says.

For students who are disappointed today, Dr Luckett recommends they hold their nerve. “If they aren't sure about an offer through clearing, they can always take a year out – as a school we support them through reapplying,” he says.

Dr Luckett advises that parents and children who are considering challenging their results should think carefully before doing so. He suggests only asking for a re-mark if they’re close to the upper-grade boundary – as grades can go down as well as up.

In a new twist, soaring numbers of private school pupils who have been shunned by top British universities are heading abroad to Ivy League institutions in the States. Continental institutions such as Maastricht University have also become popular over the last few years, says Dr Luckett.

“With regards to the Ivy League, an increasing number of parents are actively considering it as an alternative, albeit a potentially expensive one, but for many it is simply not a realistic option,” he says. “While it is good to see candidates considering all the options, including overseas, it is a desperate shame that a growing number of our brightest young people are feeling so undervalued and unwanted by this country that they are taking their talents – and their fees – abroad.”

Schools are taking this development more seriously. King Edward’s School, an independent school for boys in Birmingham, appointed a US universities adviser last year to tap into the growing interest in studying overseas – and it has seen acceptances at 23 US universities, including Ivy League ones.

Some independent schools even offer the International Baccalaureate rather than A levels, and this is a global qualification, points out Jesse Elzinga, Headmaster at Sevenoaks School, a day and boarding school in Kent. “We also have a dedicated, highly experienced head of US and international university applications,” says Elzinga, “a team of colleagues who work with students applying to international universities and run a series of talks for students and parents about overseas applications where they hear from university admissions directors from around the world.”

Many private schools are finally starting to realise that perhaps A-levels aren't necessarily the be-all and end-all. They are supporting students towards BTECs and apprenticeships, both of which can be highly successful routes to higher education and employment. Heads point out that parents – now often millennials and working in less traditional industries – are open to these options.

“BTECs aren’t dumbed-down content, as per the old preconception, but entirely new subjects and a genuine choice,” says Dr Watson. “For example, we offer BTEC e-sports (multi-player gaming), which is one of the fastest-growing industries globally, especially in America and Asia. This is great for future employment opportunities.”

Then there is a College of E-Sports in the Olympic village with whom DLD College has partnered to provide a pathway for their fortunate students. “It is not,” says Dr Watson, “all about gaming. You can work in film, media, technical media or business – it's a discipline that can open many doors.”

Of the apprenticeship route – where pupils achieve degree-standard education while also working and earning – there is increasing support, both from parents and alumni contacts. “We run apprenticeship workshops with local and national providers such as Jaguar Land Rover,” says Simon Lockyer, Headmaster of Royal Hospital School in Suffolk. “They bring in former pupils who've followed that route.”

Some of the apprenticeships also conclude with the award of a degree. “Given the costs of sending a child to university, many parents are happy to see them earning whilst learning at the same time, and they’re receptive to alternative avenues following sixth form,” says Lockyer.

All of which leads to a widespread and refreshing view that school leavers no longer have to go to what is perceived to be a “top university”. “We're trying to avoid pupils choosing a university for just its name,” says Andrew Hobbs, Headmaster of Downside, a Catholic independent school in Somerset. “We recommend they look at the course rather than the location to ensure that they will be stimulated by what they are studying. Parents are getting used to the changing landscape and lower chances of offers from certain establishments, but ultimately want the best for their children in the form of the right course for them.”

He suggests that the school’s role is to give pupils the confidence to do what suits them rather than being on a conveyor belt to the “right” university or perpetuating the family tradition.

Independent schools have always offered a wide range of extra-curricular activities, but these have become more varied and challenging than ever before, as well as demonstrating a social conscience.

“We support the boys in doing things that make them interesting to a university,” says Dr Luckett. This isn’t necessarily a new approach, but it’s always worth going above and beyond – these days they might tend towards more diverse activities – exploring entrepreneurship or tech, for example.

Taking this ethos to the limit, James Allen, headmaster of Beech Hall School, an independent in Macclesfield, says that for the last three years they have had a Channel Swim Squad. “Two teams crossed this year. It’s rigorous training in water that’s freezing cold, but it’s an incredible achievement, and it certainly makes you stand out. Schools are increasingly having to think of unusual extra-curricular activities that demonstrate resilience and self-awareness. We also do a great deal of fund-raising with pupils.”

And don’t forget that all independent schools are well aware of the pressures on them, especially on the verge of recession and as the intense competition for university places looks set to continue. “We need to remind families every single day why they chose us for their kids' education,” says James Allen. “We have to acknowledge the massive commitment they're making. Otherwise, what are they paying for?”