Children from Coveney, Downham, Mepal, Witcham and Soham south who achieve success in their GCSEs are significantly less likely to go to university, a new report shows.
The data, from the Higher Education Funding Council for England, is based on the difference between the number of young people who would be expected to go on to higher education, according to their GCSE results, and those that actually do.
Anglia Ruskin University is using the data to try and close the gap between GCSE success and progress to higher education.
Wards in England were divided into 10 groups. The Soham south and Downham villages wards are in the lowest group, with a 7.8 per cent and 8.4 per cent gap, respectively.
Marc Rothera, senior outreach officer at Anglia Ruskin University, said: “This data suggests that there are some areas of our region where people are not fully informed about the education choices available to them.
“Whilst we recognise university isn’t for everyone, and there are other opportunities out there, we will be using this new data to help guide our outreach activity and ensure young people are aware of the benefits of further study.
“Equally, plenty of people are now deciding to go to university later in life, perhaps to get a promotion, change career or to increase their life experience.
“We’re keen to ensure everyone, regardless of age or background, is aware of the benefits of higher education, even if it’s not something they’ve considered before.
“It is never too late to learn”, he added.
Marc Rothera, Senior Outreach Officer at Anglia Ruskin University, said: “This data suggests that there are some areas of our region where people are not fully informed about the education choices available to them. Whilst we recognise university isn’t for everyone, and there are other opportunities out there, we will be using this new data to help guide our outreach activity and ensure young people are aware of the benefits of further study.
“Equally, plenty of people are now deciding to go to university later in life, perhaps to get a promotion, change career or to increase their life experience. We’re keen to ensure everyone, regardless of age or background, is aware of the benefits of higher education, even if it’s not something they’ve considered before. It is never too late to learn.”
For more information about the outreach programme, visit www.CPCO.org.uk
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