Reforming admissions timetable ‘not a magic bullet’

England’s director for fair access urges focus on contextual admissions

There is an “appetite for reform” of the university admissions process, according to the Office for Students’ director for access and participation—but changing the application timetable is not a “magic bullet”.

Speaking to the House of Commons education committee on 7 January, Chris Millward said that there was currently “a lot of scrutiny” of the higher education admissions system—and acknowledged there were questions about the amount of support students from different backgrounds get when writing personal statements, and “the degree to which families with the sharpest elbows thrive through clearing”.