New figures show only one in 1,000 children who claim free school meals go on to study at Oxbridge.
The analysis, revealed by the Department for Education, showed 0.1 per cent of Year 11 pupils who claimed them, then took A Levels or level 3 qualifications, made it to Oxford or Cambridge universities.
It compares to four per cent of the same age group who continued in post-16 education attending one of the Russell Group universities, which is made up of 24 establishments, also including universities such as Bristol, Birmingham, Southampton, Manchester and Glasgow.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here