Young people from deprived families in inner London are going to university at a greater rate than children in other parts of England, even as enthusiasm for higher education has levelled off nationally.
More than 50% of inner London’s pupils on free school meals (FSM) had progressed to higher education by age 19 in 2023-24, compared with fewer than 46% of young people from all backgrounds, and below 20% for pupils on FSM living in a quarter of local authorities outside London.
