Russell Group universities – the 20 most prestigious higher education establishments in the UK – can’t win in the war that is waged almost daily in the media over university admissions. We either get lambasted for failing to accept more students from non-traditional backgrounds and accused of social bias. Or we are pilloried for taking into account any barriers a candidate has faced during their education alongside their academic grades and charged with social engineering.

The root cause of the entrenched problem of the low proportion of working class students in our universities is both clear and complex. Far too few students from the lower socio-economic groups are applying in the first place because they are just not achieving the grades they need.

A robust body of evidence illustrates an entrenched link between socio-economic background and educational success. Children with professional parents are well over twice as likely to gain five or more good GCSEs than children with parents in routine occupations. Over half those gaining three A-grades at A-level come from the small minority of independent and grammar schools. So by the time we reach university entrance, it is not surprising that applications are dominated by the middle classes.

Many young people from low socio-economic groups just do not think higher education is for them and are less confident about their ability to succeed. One study found 56.4 per cent of children whose parents are professionals want to have a professional career, compared to 13 per cent of children whose parents are partly skilled.

Evidence shows that once a child starts to fail at key assessment stages, they are increasingly likely to continue underachieving. This is partly because it is difficult to catch up once the child has fallen behind. But it is because failure rapidly leads to demotivation, disillusionment and disaffection which in turn fuels failure. Locked in a cycle of underachievement, many disadvantaged pupils soon wish to leave school, never mind apply to a Russell Group university.

If an underprivileged child manages to beat the odds and achieve the required grades – even the golden 3As – we know they are still less likely to apply to one of our universities.

As John Denham puts it: ‘universities cannot offer places to talented students who do not apply.’ Recent research by the Sutton Trust found that many pupils were just not receiving information and guidance in choosing the best course or university for them and were not being encouraged to apply to Russell Group universities even though evidence clearly shows that our graduates earn more than the average.

Russell Group universities have developed a vast range of initiatives to help tackle these core problems of underachievement, low aspirations and lack of information. These include working closely with local schools, colleges and community organisations, organising summer schools and providing access courses.

Our institutions are constantly seeking to develop the most effective ways of identifying real potential. We do not rely solely on exam grades, important though they are, because ability may not always be reflected in traditional qualifications. The vast majority of Russell Group universities, for example, use personal statements and references when assessing candidates. Some departments also interview candidates or ask them to sit additional tests to give the applicant a further opportunity to demonstrate their strengths. Others take into account any particular barriers the candidate may have faced during their education such as spending time in care or attending a school which has a poor track record of sending pupils to Russell Group universities. We have also developed a range of ‘special entry routes’ for pupils from underperforming schools. For example, Warwick gives students the opportunity to study for their first years at the local FE college and then transfer to the university. Kings and Leeds allow students who show great potential but who may have just missed the grade to do an extra year to ‘catch up’ with the other students. A recent evaluation showed that these students went on to do just as well as their peers who entered through the conventional route.

The bottom line is that underachievement, caused by complex socio-economic factors, is the real root of the problem. Clearly only governments can attempt to tackle these issues but Russell Group universities are working assiduously with schools, charities and businesses – as well as government – to give everyone a fair chance of fulfilling their potential.