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Anger as Russell Group’s elite A level list is added to school league tables

Schools have demanded clarity over the role of the Russell Group's 'facilitating subjects' after voicing fears that the new league table measure is forcing students to drop other subjects at A level.

Thousands of pupils are dropping subjects such as music, the arts and economics at A level because of confusion over the list of “facilitating subjects” drawn up by some of the country’s top universities.

The Russell Group, which includes Oxford and Cambridge, published a list of the best subject combinations for university courses two years ago to help young people make informed decisions about which A levels to take in order to get onto degree courses.

However, the head of one of the top grammar schools in the country claims the list is now affecting student choice, with many dropping all but the most academic options.

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