London’s Calling: young Londoners, social mobility and access to higher education
| Title | London’s Calling: young Londoners, social mobility and access to higher education |
| Author(s) | Stephen Evans, Rob Whitehead |
| Organisation | DEMOS |
| Date | November 2011 |
| No. of pages | 38 |
| Key words | higher education; 14-19; 16-19; barriers to learning; individual choice; social mobility; progression; urban deprivation; widening participation |
| Description | This research analyses date from 2010 UCAS applications to map the pattern of access to higher education in London; it analyses residence based data and examines data from 181 London schools. It also uses a new behavioural economics framework to understand the key drivers of young people’s decisions about applying for university. |
| Select quotations | “In general, young people from poorer areas of London are less likely to go to university and far less likely than other young people to go to research-intensive universities.” “But this overall picture hides huge variations. In some boroughs and schools, young people from deprived areas are more likely than other young people to go to university and more likely to go to research-intensive universities. This shows that lower participation of those from lower income backgrounds need not be inevitable.” “(The behavioural economics framework) shows the importance of financial considerations and getting good grades, but also wider social and cultural factors such as peer networks and family attitudes.” “…our analysis strongly suggests that even in these straightened (sic) economic times there is much that London’s schools and school partners can do to improve dramatically the number of young Londoners – especially those from poor backgrounds – who have access to higher education.” |
| Link | http://www.demos.co.uk/files/London_s_Calling.pdf?1321885528 |
