AS A-Level results day approaches, sixth-formers across Oxfordshire will be turning their minds to the next stage.

New figures released by the Department for Education indicate Oxfordshire performs poorly in terms of the numbers of children going on to university.

While nationally just under half, 48 per cent, go on to higher education, in Oxfordshire that figure is just 38 per cent.

The county also underperforms in terms of those who stay in education.

Across England, 62 per cent stay in some form of education, while in Oxfordshire only 53 per cent do so.

And despite the inspirational dreaming spires of Oxford University on their doorstep, only one per cent of children secured Oxbridge places, in line with the national average.

Melinda Tilley, Oxfordshire County Council cabinet member for children, education and families, said she believed newer figures – the data relates to 2010-2011 – would paint a brighter picture.

She said: “It's not good enough and I can only think it is lower aspiration – or it was, as I think things have changed quite a bit.

“We, generally as a county, should have high aspirations for our children.

“If we are not aspiring to get our children there, why are we bothering?”

At the other end of the scale, the county also has two schools which are in the top ten for proportion of pupils going to Oxbridge, with both Fitzharrys School in Abingdon and The Cherwell School in Oxford seeing five per cent of the year group heading to Oxford or Cambridge.

Half the pupils at Larkmead School opted to go on to higher education, but none went to Oxbridge.

Headteacher Chris Harris said: “The number of students staying on to sixth form is increasing and has increased steadily, therefore the number of students who go to university has increased.”

Many pupils at Larkmead come from families where no previous relatives have been to university, and the school has a programme to address that.

Mr Harris said: “We would certainly not give the impression if you don't go to Oxbridge you haven’t achieved and likewise for Russell Group universities.

“Because of the complexity of the school I don’t want to create that kind of social apartheid, however there is a complete focus on excellence.

“What we have to do is raise the profile of Oxford and Cambridge so children can think it is the right thing for them.”

Across the county, Key Stage 1 and 2 results – the earliest indications of how our pupils are doing – have been steadily rising after a slump which had seen Oxfordshire perform poorly compared to similar areas.

Mrs Tilley was confident those improvements earlier down the system would have an impact, with more children heading off to university and to the best universities in the longer term.

She said: “I think we need to be making it an assumption – you assume that you will get a good proportion of children into any university let alone Oxbridge.”