John Denham today welcomed moves by Southampton University to help make sure it isn’t missing talented students.

In his Labour party conference speech as Secretary of State for Universities last week, John Denham announced that “nine of the most selective universities told me they want to find new ways of guaranteeing bright young people the chance to show what they can achieve, regardless of the school they come from.”  The nine universities include Southampton.

Many of the nine universities already run outreach schemes to local schools which do not send many young people to university, where they make a special effort to recruit students.  Universities will work to bring these together so that the students in these schools have a much wider range of universities to which they are encouraged to apply.

In addition, the universities have agreed to work with schools to identify the most able young people in schools unlikely to send young people to selective universities.

This initiative will build on the work universities already do in reaching out to pupils in schools and colleges in their communities, raising aspirations and offering support in applying to university.

Speaking today, John Denham said “Labour believes that talent and hard work – not where you went to school – should determine your success in life. This announcement shows that universities are working harder and harder to reach out to bright kids, whatever their background. I hope that this announcement will help give local parents, teachers and students the confidence to apply to the most selective universities.

 “I have always been clear that we must allow the most talented and hard working of our young people to achieve their full potential, irrespective of what kind of social background they came from, or the school they went to.   I am delighted that some of our most selective institutions are working together to make progress in widening participation."

Notes to editors
1. This initiative will begin for students applying to start in 2010
2. The initial universities participating in this initiative are Birmingham, Bristol, Exeter, King's College London, Leeds, Leicester, Newcastle, Southampton and Warwick.