A Cambridge college has been criticised for adopting a policy to target elite private schools for student recruitment, in a move that experts say undermines efforts to improve access for state-educated and disadvantaged pupils.
Fellows at Trinity Hall last month approved a plan to approach a small group of independent schools, including St Paul’s Girls, Eton and Winchester, to improve the 'quality' of applicants, according to a memo seen by the Guardian. The policy was opposed internally by some academics, who described it as a 'slap in the face' for state-educated students.
Marcus Tomalin, Trinity Hall’s director of admissions, wrote in the memo that 'the best students from such schools arrive at Cambridge with expertise and interests that align well with the intellectual demands' of subjects like languages, music and classics. He argued that ignoring this pool could risk 'reverse discrimination'.
Social mobility experts condemned the move. Professor Lee Elliot Major of the University of Exeter said: 'What is truly shocking is the implication that widening participation students are academically inferior. The evidence is clear: when talented students who have faced greater barriers gain access to elite universities, they flourish.'
A Trinity Hall spokesperson said the college 'has a commitment to admit the best and brightest students regardless of background' and noted its existing access initiatives. They added that the new initiative targets subjects to encourage high-potential students from all school types, in line with the university’s access plan.
