ISC Chief Executive writes to the Sunday Times

3 March 2010

Dear Sir  

While Chris Woodhead's advice to a pupil to spend her sixth form years in an excellent independent school is sound (Chris Woodhead replies, 28 February) , he has made assumptions about the risk of doing so without any justification. He argues that it is increasingly difficult for an independent school student with good A level grades to get a top university place. But that is the case for maintained sector pupils too. All the recent figures show that independent school pupils continue to win a disproportionate share of places, as they should given the outstanding exam results that they achieve. There is no evidence that the government's clumsy attempts at social engineering are having the effect Mr Woodhead fears. University Vice Chancellors are rightly insisting on the highest academic standards for admissions despite the political pressures.  

Yours  

David Lyscom
Chief Executive Officer, Independent Schools Council