The Equality Trust in the Guardian’s letters page.

“Your article (9 October) shows just how damaging the effects of economic inequality are on children‘s life chances. But what it doesn’t show is how effective the wealthy have been in using education to lock poorer children out of opportunities. Just 7% of the population attend independent schools, but the privately educated account for 70% of high court judges, 54% of top journalists and 54% of CEOs of FTSE 100 companies.

“Increasing the pupil premium for poorer children may help a little. But if the government is really serious about giving poorer children a better chance in life, it needs to be far more ambitious and look at ways to reduce the UK’s excessive and widening levels of economic inequality.”

Duncan Exley, Director, The Equality Trust