Ministers urging more bright pupils to apply to university

By Graeme Paton. Ministers are to write to bright teenagers urging them to apply to university amid fears too many schools are failing to encourage pupils to push for higher education, it was announced today. Letters will be sent to pupils who get good GCSE grades, offering them vital tips on how to apply for degree courses during the sixth-form, it emerged. The letters – signed by ministers from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department for Education – will be primarily aimed at pupils from poor backgrounds who are significantly less likely to progress onto higher education at the age of 18. Read more...