The country finds itself recovering from political conference season; a handful of weeks that served up an even more potent mix of political principles, infighting and intrigue than usual. One subject, however, all parties can agree on is the need to improve social mobility. It was also a subject high on the agenda at this year’s HMC conference in Belfast, which finished today. As Chris King, its chair, reminded us, “Research shows that independent school pupils are around 18 months ahead of state school pupils of similar ability by GCSE - even when taking background and prior attainment into account.” 

This data should come as no surprise. Research in 2012 by the IoE’s Dr John Jerrim for the IFS showed that the brightest 15-year-olds from poor backgrounds were approximately two years behind the brightest 15-year-olds from wealthy backgrounds. In the 2015 update to their paper on Open Access, the Sutton Trust noted that “the brightest 10 per cent of state school students at age 15 are 1.1 years of schooling behind their private school counterparts”. The gap isn’t just academic but also encompasses the soft skills that are increasingly important for success.

Too often, wealth is still the key to educational success, whether it’s used to pay independent school fees, buy a house in the catchment area for the best comprehensive schools, or pay for private tutoring to gain entry to grammar schools. The life-chances and potential of poorer children are being left stunted, to the detriment of society as a whole.

This is something I feel strongly about. I grew up in a tower block in West London, opposite Grenfell Tower; I come from a working-class family - my dad was a postman and my mum was a cleaner. I was the first member of my family to sit A levels, and the first to go to university, which is why I passionately believe that a good education can change your life.

Politicians continue to debate national solutions to inequality of educational opportunity, but the situation is not improving. However, as Winston Churchill wryly observed, “Headmasters have powers at their disposal with which prime ministers have never yet been invested”. Many heads of independent schools are putting what powers they may have to use, with good levels of financial support. The most recent ISC census, for example, shows that around 33 per cent of students receive some sort of fee assistance; however, only 7.7 per cent of students receive means-tested support. It’s an important distinction to make. Bursaries calculated on financial need are the most targeted way in which our sector can help children from poorer backgrounds.

I believe more can be done, which is why my school, Latymer Upper, just down the road from where I grew up, has just launched its biggest campaign to date - “Inspiring Minds” - with the goal of raising £40m by our 400th anniversary in 2024.  This will allow us to double our already generous bursary provision, and could mean that 1 in 4 students in our school is supported by a means-tested bursary. Our experience already shows that the benefits of bursaries flow both ways: the recipient benefits from access to a transformative education, while the school benefits from becoming a more diverse and inclusive community.

There are many routes to helping improve social mobility. Independent schools are just one - but I believe they have an important role to play.

David Goodhew is head of Latymer Upper School in West London

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