ETON College sent twice as many pupils to the UK’s top universities as Swindon schools combined, official figures show.

The Berkshire private school, attended by Princes William and Harry, sent 40 pupils to Oxbridge and Russell Group universities from its 2015/16 cohort of school leavers.

By contrast, Swindon schools sent 21 students to top universities like Bristol and LSE.

'Shocking'

Calling for extra cash for Swindon schoolchildren, Coun Carol Shelley, Labour’s spokesman for children’s services, said: “It’s a shocking state of affairs.

“Many Swindon secondary schools and colleges have been underperforming for years, leading to poor academic outcomes. It is not therefore surprising that Swindon sends far fewer students to all levels of higher education than they should.

“Our best students have clearly not been prepared sufficiently to take advantage of the education opportunities that our best universities have to offer.”

Her counterpart Coun Mary Martin, children’s services lead at Swindon Borough Council, pointed to relatively high employment figures in the town: “One of the characteristics of Swindon is we do have a very strong labour market. An area that we do really well in is apprenticeships.

“There are lots of options for people who say, ‘Do I want to be saddled with debt at the end of a three year course, when I could be working, being paid and doing all this training?’”

However, she said she wanted to see more degree courses available in Swindon: “I want everyone to attain their full potential.”

Figures

The Department of Education figures, published this week, show that in Swindon 1,500 students completed Key Stage 5 courses in 2015/16. Of these, 259 went on to spend at least at least two terms of the next school year at university, 109 embarked on apprenticeships and 178 got jobs.

Topping the list was the Ridgeway School, Wroughton. It sent the highest number of students to university. In total, 50 pupils went on to study, including 16 at Russell Group universities.

Headteacher James Povoas said his school aimed to inspire students, equipping them for society’s challenges: “This is about the development of the whole person so that they leave us with the best possible qualifications but also that they are confident, mature and engaging young people who believe in themselves.”

Case study: Swindon Academy

Three-years-ago Swindon Academy was bottom of the leader board.

Just 23 of its 137 school leavers in 2015/16 had gone on to do at least two terms at university, Whitehall figures showed.

That's changed. This year, the school hopes to send its first pupil to Cambridge to read natural sciences.

Key to its success has been a partnership with top private school Marlborough College, said principal Ruth Robinson.

Swindon Academy students spend time staying at the college’s boarding houses, have lessons taught by the school’s teachers and are tutored by Marlborough’s universities adviser.

“We’re helping them believe these universities are for them,” Mrs Robinson said. “I don’t see why students from independent schools and grammar schools should take all the places.”

She wanted youngsters at her school to go on to top jobs in law, politics and the City: “We really believe Penhill and Pinehurst students are absolutely capable of that.”