Oxford University has a 'mountain to climb' and needs to do more to recognise the potential of poorer would-be students, it has been claimed.

The Government's director of the Office for Fair Access warned Oxford and Cambridge need to do more to admit bright but disadvantaged pupils.

Professor Les Ebdon said: "Do I think there's fair access at Oxbridge? Well obviously not.

"I am the director of fair access to education and I require Oxford and Cambridge to do more work than anyone else to raise their access and opportunities.

"They've moved significantly. We're seeing the highest level of state school students at Oxbridge for over 30 years.

"It's a real mountain to climb. Part of that mountain, of course, is the fact that typically, Oxbridge are asking for A*A*A for entry, and there are very few people in state schools who get that, and that's why it's important they work with schools to raise attainment, because that is where the real barrier is."

Professor Ebdon said Oxford did take into account 'contextual data' - looking at young people's circumstances and backgrounds - but need to do more.

He added that very few students on free school meals and from different ethnic minorities were being given places.

A spokesman for Oxford University said: "The university already makes extensive, systematic use of contextual data to identify high potential in students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

"Our academic tariffs are also set to take account of these students' performance in specific subjects. For example, the tariff is AAA for the majority of our humanities courses. We back this up with one of the UK's biggest outreach programmes, worth more than £4 million annually."