Oxford vice chancellor rubbishes Theresa May's plan for universities to open local schools

The head of Oxford University has rubbished Theresa May’s plans to push top universities to open up schools for children in their local area as “a distraction”. Vice chancellor Louise Richardson said the proposals would divert academics in Oxford, just named as the best university in the world, from their core mission.

Ms May has said that universities in England will be asked to establish new schools or to sponsor “an existing underperforming” one if they want to charge higher fees. She included the proposal in a previous speech on social mobility and education, in which she set out her goal of opening new grammar schools.

Professor Richardson was giving an interview to mark Oxford topping this year’s Times Higher Education World University Rankings, when she said Oxford is deeply sympathetic to the idea of social mobility through education.

But on the idea of actually setting up schools, she went on: “I think it would be a distraction. We are having this conversation because we are very good at running a university. We have no experience running schools.”

Insisting that Oxford was already “deeply involved in the community” she added: “There are many wonderful teachers and head teachers throughout the country and I think it’s frankly insulting to them to suggest that a university can come in and do what they are working very hard to do and in many cases doing it exceptionally well.”

She argued that universities should be helping existing schools, but should not be forced to divert academic resources from “ensuring we are the top university in the world”. The vice chancellor added: “It would be a distraction from our core mission.”

There is a suggestion that universities would have to establish schools in order to gain permission to charge tuition fees above the basic threshold, currently set at £6,000 for English institutions.

Downing Street claims the schools would establish a “talent pipeline” through which pupils from less-well off backgrounds would have a greater opportunity to get grades needed to go on to university.

A spokesman from the Department for Education said: “There are already some excellent examples of universities sponsoring schools. They have expertise that can really help improve our education system, and it’s in their own interests to improve attainment in schools.

“With 1.25 million children in underperforming schools, we have put forward new proposals, asking how our world-leading higher education sector can help make more good school places available, ensuring we give every child an excellent education and the opportunity to fulfil their potential. We would urge everyone to look at the detail in the consultation document and join that debate.”