Private school pupils likely to ‘elbow out’ state students from university

Latest updates and essential advice from The Independent [View in browser]( [Alternate text] Daily briefing August 11, 2021 Today’s essential news from the source you trust This morning’s headlines [Poorer pupils are more likely than ever to miss out on top university courses](, experts have warned, as this year’s A-level results widen the gap between private and state schools. The proportion of A-level students given top grades has reached a record high, with nearly half achieving an A or above, after cancelled exams meant marks were determined by teachers. But data from regulator Ofqual showed the increase in A grades was 50 per cent higher in independent schools than in secondary comprehensives – prompting fears this would combine with the record number of university applications to “compound” inequality in the education system. The data also showed black students, those on free school meals and those living in areas of high deprivation were all less likely to achieve the top A or A* grades than their more privileged peers. The relative success of private schools means state school pupils still trying to pin down a place at university in the weeks ahead could be “elbowed out”, experts warned. Dr Lee Elliot Major, professor of social mobility at Exeter University, said he was worried many students from low-income backgrounds could lose out during the fierce battle for places – including on top courses at “selective” Russell Group and Oxbridge universities. [Herd immunity is “not a possibility” because of the prevalence of the Delta variant](, a leading scientist has warned, amid signs the UK’s recent fall in Covid cases and hospital admissions is stagnating. Professor Sir Andrew Pollard, director of the Oxford Vaccine Group, said there was likely to be some “bumpiness” in transmission and “uncertainty of what happens next over the next six months”, with scientists expecting a rise in cases ahead of winter as the weather worsens and people spend more time inside. And because of mounting evidence that the highly transmissible Delta variant can infect those who have been vaccinated, it’s unlikely herd immunity will ever be reached, he added, meaning infections will continue to bubble away throughout the population – as now appears to be the case. Britain’s seven-day total up to 10 August is 7.3 per cent higher than it was for the previous week, while the current national rate stands at 277.4 infections per 100,000 people. Following an unexpected and sudden drop in cases, which began around mid-July, cases bottomed out at 20,106 on 31 July, before briefly rising, falling, and then levelling out. A total of 23,510 infections were recorded on Tuesday. In England, this trend has largely been driven among the young across all regions of the country, except the North East, where rates are continuing to clearly fall in every age group. [A mental health hospital has been closed by the care watchdog]( after inspectors saw evidence of patients being abused. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) forced the closure of Eldertree Lodge, in Staffordshire, which looked after more than 40 adults with learning disabilities and autism. Inspectors found examples of unprofessional and abusive staff, including two incidents caught on CCTV in which doors were slammed or forced shut on a patient. There were also multiple examples where staff at Eldertree Lodge, near Ashley, pulled or dragged a patient in an attempt to move them to a ward seclusion room. The CQC said it had examined CCTV of six incidents at the 41-bed hospital, run by Coveberry Limited, in one ward between 27 February and 13 April. The CQC told The Independent Staffordshire Police had been informed of the concerns. A spokesperson for the force said it had viewed the CCTV footage and found no criminal acts but officers were continuing to work with the company and the CQC. The CQC report was written after an unannounced inspection of the site on 20 May and a follow-up visit on 3 June specifically to review CCTV footage. . We need your support The Independent employs over 100 journalists around the world to bring you news you can trust. Please consider showing your support with a contribution. [Contribute]( . Top stories [Amazon shifts up to £8.2bn of UK revenues to low-tax Luxembourg, report finds]( [Police ask for help identifying body of woman found burned on roadside in Staffordshire]( [Family who refused Covid vaccine die within days of each other]( . . 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