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Sutton Trust identifies OLs among professional elite

Wednesday 23 January 2013

A report by the Sutton Trust into the educational background of the country’s professional elite has identified 19 alumni of Leeds Grammar School.

The school ranked 51st in a list of the top 100 schools producing some of the UK’s highest fliers in the last few years.

OLs named in the report included Professor William Brown, master of Darwin College, Cambridge; Richard Harrington MP; Rt Rev Peter Walker, former Bishop of Ely; Barry Cryer, comedian and writer; Tony Harrison, poet; Lord Dyson, master of the rolls; Robin Blaze, countertenor and Colin Montgomerie, golfer.

The study, which is the biggest ever to look into the educational background of the nation’s leading people, compiled information on nearly 8,000 people who appeared in the birthday lists of national and Sunday newspapers during 2011.

It found that although independent schools account for just seven per cent of all school places, 44 per cent of leading people went to independent school, 27 per cent to grammar school, eight per cent to a former direct grant school and 21 per cent to comprehensives and other state schools.

Out of these, some 31 per cent went to Oxford or Cambridge and another 20 per cent went to another leading university.

The profession most dominated by Oxford and Cambridge graduates was the diplomatic service at 62 per cent, followed by the law at 58 per cent and the top echelons of the civil service at 55 per cent.

Nearly half of the UK’s top literary figures went to Oxford or Cambridge (48 per cent) and 47 per cent of those in financial services or the City.

LGS alumni identified by the Sutton Trust as being amongst the UK’s leading people:

• Arthur Brittenden, former senior consultant Bell Pottinger

• Prof William Brown, master of Darwin College, Cambridge

• Richard Harrington MP

• Rt Rev Peter Walker, former Bishop of Ely,

• Sir Christopher Holland, former High Court judge

• Stanley Metcalfe, former chairman of Rank Hovis McDougall

• Colin Montgomerie, golfer

• Vice Admiral Sir Peter Woodhead

• Rev Canon Rex Chapman, former chaplain to the Queen

• Sir Anthony Vineall, former chairman Teachers’ Review Body

• Barry Cryer, comedian and writer

• Jeff Barak, former Middle East correspondent of the Jewish Chronicle

• Tony Harrison, poet

• Sir Gerald Kaufman, MP

• Lord Justice Dyson, Lord Justice of Appeal

• Sir Harry Ognall, former High Court judge

• Robin Blaze, countertenor

• Christopher Price, former MP and former principal of Leeds Metropolitan University

• Sir Andrew Park, former High Court judge

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