DATA PERSPECTIVES ON

HERTFORDSHIRE

IN THE CONTEXT OF THE

EAST OF ENGLAND

Updated

February 2011

1

HERTFORDSHIRE DATA PERSPECTIVES

Introduction

  1. This report follows on from the Data Perspectives on Hertfordshire in the context of the East of England produced in February 2010. It uses data on GCSE attainment rates for 2009/10[1] and UCAS applicant and accepted applicant numbers for 2009[2] thus updating the previous report[3]. In addition, some different interpretations of the data are made, with a look in more depth at gender differences in UCAS application rates and data on UCAS applications by people who have been in care of their local authority is analysed.
  1. The methodological statements and commentary on the Area and the region in the earlier report should be taken to stand for this current report[4].

GCSE attainment

  1. This section considers trends in GSCE attainment across local authorities in the region. In all cases, the measure used is five A* - C GCSEs including English and Maths and IDACI 2007 is utilised as the indicator of deprivation. Note that these tables refer to the results of 15 year olds who are domiciled in each area and attend a local authority maintained school and academies, rather than the combined results of the schools and academies in an area.

Table 1: Percentage of 15 year olds attaining five A* - C GCSEs including English and Maths by Aimhigher Area and extent of deprivation(IDACI 2007) in 2009/10

IDACI Decile Group / Beds & Luton / Cambs & Peterboro / Essex / Herts / Norfolk / Suffolk
0 – 10 % most deprived / 40.0% / 21.4% / 33.7% / 39.6% / 22.5% / 29.3%
10-20 % / 39.7% / 32.8% / 39.9% / 34.1% / 30.5% / 30.7%
20-30 % / 39.2% / 39.1% / 42.0% / 46.5% / 36.3% / 33.6%
30-40 % / 48.6% / 43.1% / 46.6% / 47.1% / 44.2% / 39.0%
40-50 % / 50.2% / 49.2% / 53.5% / 55.1% / 52.5% / 50.1%
50-60 % / 54.9% / 58.2% / 56.6% / 59.9% / 54.2% / 52.9%
60-70 % / 61.7% / 61.0% / 62.4% / 70.1% / 59.1% / 55.4%
70-80 % / 65.9% / 64.7% / 64.9% / 72.5% / 61.3% / 59.6%
80-90 % / 62.9% / 69.6% / 68.7% / 76.5% / 66.4% / 58.6%
90 - 100 % least deprived / 65.3% / 71.9% / 71.6% / 81.9% / 65.0% / 66.3%
Average (2009/10) / 52.9% / 55.0% / 55.8% / 63.0% / 51.3% / 51.1%
Average (2008/09) / 48.8% / 51.4% / 51.2% / 57.7% / 49.6% / 48.8%
  1. Table 1 demonstrates how GCSE attainment rates of those living in the 10% most deprived LSOAs nationally increase steadily to those in the 10% least deprived[5]. It also compares the average for each area in 2009/10 with the previous year and it can be seen that the average has increased in all areas, from 1.7 percentage points in Norfolk to 5.3 percentage points in Hertfordshire.
  1. In 2009/10, the average attainment rate for 15 year olds from neighbourhoods among the 40% most deprived nationally in Hertfordshire (44.8%) was the highest in the region and, therefore, well above the regional average (40.1%). Similarly, the average attainment rate for 15 year olds from neighbourhoods among the 60% least deprived nationally in Hertfordshire (69.7%) was also the highest in the region and compares with the regional average of 62.3%.
  1. Table 2 compares the total 2009/10 populations of 15 year olds in Hertfordshire and the Region and the sub-set of these populations that attained five A* - C GCSEs with English and Maths according to extent of deprivation

Table 2: Populations of 15 year olds by deprivational extent of domicile in Hertfordshire and the East of Englandin 2009/10

Hertfordshire / East of England
All 15 year olds in state schools / 15 year olds in state schools attaining 5 A*-C GCSEs with English & Maths / All 15 year olds in state schools / 15 year olds in state schools attaining 5 A*-C GCSEs with English & Maths
% in the more deprived areas (by IDACI 2007) / 27.1% / 19.3% / 30.5% / 22.0%
% in the less deprived areas
by IDACI 2007) / 72.9% / 80.7% / 69.5% / 78.0%
Population size / 12,354 / 7,783 / 65,257 / 36,248
  1. Table 2 illustrates that Hertfordshire is relatively more affluent than the region as a whole, that is, a smaller proportion of the total 15 year old population come from more deprived areas. The corresponding distribution of the population attaining five A*-C GCSEs with English and Maths in Hertfordshire appears to be characteristic of the region.

Attainment of five A*- C GCSEs compared to five A*- C GCSEs with English and Maths

Table 3: Proportion of 15 year olds attaining 5 A* - C and 5 A* - C GCSEs with English and Maths by broad zones of deprivation and by Area in 2009/2010

0 - 40% / 40 - 100%
5 A* - C / 5 A* - C with Eng and Maths / 5 A* - C / 5 A* - C with Eng and Maths
Beds & Luton / 67.1% / 41.3% / 78.0% / 60.3%
Cambs & Peterboro’ / 60.9% / 36.0% / 79.6% / 62.4%
Essex / 66.1% / 42.5% / 79.4% / 62.3%
Hertfordshire / 67.9% / 44.8% / 83.1% / 69.7%
Norfolk / 52.4% / 34.9% / 72.3% / 58.2%
Suffolk / 55.2% / 34.5% / 75.2% / 56.8%
East of England / 63.0% / 40.1% / 78.5% / 62.3%
  1. As Table 3 shows, students attaining in the latter category are a sub-set of the first category and thus there should be a strong co-relationship between the two. However regionally, the relative size of the sub-set with good passes in English and Maths GCSEs is considerably greater among students from more affluent areas with 79.4% of those with any five A* - C GCSEs having English and Maths among these compared to only 63.7% for 15 year olds from more deprived areas. This is even more starkly shown at a regional level by comparing students from the 10% most deprived areas to those from the 10% least deprived nationally as shown in Table 4.

Table 4: Comparison of GCSE performance of the 15 year olds from the 10% most and least deprived SOAs in the East of England in 2009/10

All 15 year olds / Students with any 5 A*-C GCSEs (A) / Students with 5 A*-C GCSEs with English and Maths (B) / Proportion of (B) to (A)
Students from the 10% most deprived SOAs nationally (IDACI) / 2,304 / 1,281 / 698 / 54.5%
Students from the 10% least deprived SOAs nationally (IDACI) / 6,202 / 5,333 / 4,549 / 85.3%
  1. Whereas a substantial majority of 15 year olds from the most affluent area neighbourhoods who attain any five or more A* - C GCSEs include those in English and Maths, only a little over half of those from the poorest areas manage to do so. That is, not only do as few as 55.6% of 15 year olds from the poorest areas (and those in the 10% most deprived nationally are relatively scarce in the East of England) pass any five or more A*-C GCSEs, only 30.3% manage five or more A* - C GCSEs with English and Maths. In comparison, for 15 year olds coming from the 10% nationally least deprived SOAs (of which the region has a disproportionate high share), 86.0% attain any five or more A*-C GCSEs and 73.3% five or more A*-C GCSEs with English and Maths.
  1. The attainment rates for any five A* - C GCSEs by 15 year olds from both less and more deprived areas in Hertfordshire unsurprisingly mirror the high rates for five A* - C GCSEs with English and Maths. Hertfordshire had in 2009/20 the best rates in the region for both categories of GCSE attainment and for both more and less deprived 15 year olds.

Table 5: Proportion of 15 year olds in state schools attaining any five A* - C GCSEs also attaining five A*- C GCSEs with English and Maths in the East of England in 2009/10

Beds & Luton / Cambs & Peterboro / Essex / Herts / Norfolk / Suffolk / East of England
15 year olds from the 40% most deprived SOAs / 61.6% / 59.1% / 64.2% / 66.1% / 66.7% / 62.6% / 63.7%
15 year olds from the 60% least deprived SOAs / 77.3% / 78.4% / 78.5% / 83.9% / 79.4% / 75.5% / 79.4%
All 15 year olds (attending state schools) / 71.7% / 74.0% / 74.4% / 79.8% / 75.3% / 72.9% / 75.3%
  1. Table 5 shows that Hertfordshire overall has the highest proportion of 15 year olds with any five A* - C GCSEs having five or more A* - C GCSEs with English and Maths in the region and that this is driven in particular by those 15 year olds from more affluent areas. Although this might be explained by the lower levels of deprivation in the county, Norfolk with the second best conversion rate is one of the more relatively deprived Areas in the region. It is perhaps a function of the local education policy in both these authorities to stress the attainment of English and Maths at GCSE.

Improvement in GCSE attainment rates

  1. There has been an upward trend in attainment from 2004/05 to 2009/10, as summarised by Table 6 showing for each local authority the increase by percentage points in attainment (five A* - C GCSEs including English and Maths). This updates a table used in the previous report and additionally shows the increase over the last year. It is ranked by the size of increase over the six year period.

Table 6: Increase in percentage points of 15 year old students attaining five A* - C GCSEs (including English and Maths) from 2004/05 to 2009/10 by local authority

Local Authority / Increase in percentage points by students from the 40% most deprived LSOAs (IDACI 2007)
2004/05 to 2009/10 / Increase in percentage points by students from 60% least deprived LSOAs (IDACI 2007)
2004/05 to 2009/10 / Increase in percentage points for all 15 year old students
2004/05 to 2009/10 / Increase in percentage points for all 15 year olds
2008/09 to 2009/10
Thurrock / 21.9 / 21.2 / 21.6 / 9.1
Luton / 18.6 / 11.7 / 16.2 / 5.5
Southend-on-Sea / 14.6 / 13.2 / 13.4 / 4.4
Hertfordshire / 13.4 / 12.6 / 13.0 / 5.3
Essex / 13.0 / 10.1 / 11.2 / 4.1
Bedfordshire / 6.5 / 12.0 / 10.7 / 3.4
Cambridgeshire / 9.9 / 9.3 / 9.3 / 2.9
Norfolk / 7.9 / 9.3 / 9.1 / 1.6
Peterborough / 3.5 / 9.5 / 6.2 / 5.2
Suffolk / 5.3 / 4.5 / 4.9 / 2.3
  1. Table 6 shows considerable variation in the growth in attainment rates between local authorities in the region. Whereas Thurrock exhibits an increase in GCSE attainment from 35.2% in 2005 (regional average 44.9%) to 56.9% in 2010, above the regional average of 55.5%, Suffolk has only increased from the above average 46.3% in 2005 to below average 51.1% in 2010. There are undoubtedly local explanations for both the more and less successful stories of improvement. For example, there has over the period been considerable school re-organisation in Thurrock with the creation of two academies. The older academy (The Gateway) does show an improvement from a 12% pass rate (five A*-C GCSEs with English and Maths) in 2007 to 42% in 2010, but other schools can boast equal and better improvement rates[6].
  1. Table 6 also suggests that the increase in attainment in the five most improved authorities, including Hertfordshire, is driven by the performance of students from the 40% most deprived neighbourhoods nationally, although only in Luton is there a substantial difference in the improvement of these students in comparison with those from more affluent areas. The picture with the less improving authorities is mixed.

Progression from GCSE to UCAS application

  1. Table 7 examines progression from success at Key Stage 4 to applying through UCAS for a higher education place two years later. The 2007 GCSE cohort studied is the latest for which complete data is available[7]. The ‘conversion rates’ shown here should be treated with some caution as whilst both the GCSE figures and the UCAS applicants refer to learners domiciled in each Area there could be some slight move of residence between the GCSE year and UCAS application two years later. More importantly, the GCSE figures are for students attending local authority maintained schools and academies only, those who have attended independent schools will be included as UCAS applicants but not counted in the GCSE attainment figures. The decision to consider both 18 and 19 year olds rests on the assumption that there will have been a relatively consistent proportion of applicants deferring their application such that whilst the 19 year olds applying in 2009 are from the 2006 GCSE cohort it can be assumed that a similar proportion of the 2007 GCSE cohort will have applied through UCAS in 2010[8]. This, of course, excludes those who delay application for two or more years which can be characteristic of more deprived and, probably, rural areas. This may explain the low conversion rates in Norfolk.

Table 7: Progression from GCSE to UCAS Application (2007 – 2009)

Number attaining 5 A* - C GCSEs 2007[9] / Number attaining 5 A* - C GCSE with E & M 2007 / UCAS applicants aged 18 & 19 in 2009 / % of 18 year old applicants in 2009 to students with 5 A* - C 2007 / % of 18 year old applicants in 2009 to students with 5 A*-C with E & M 2007
Beds & Luton / 4629 / 3525 / 3709 / 80% / 105%
Cambs & Peterborough / 5254 / 4067 / 3977 / 76% / 98%
Essex, Southend & Thurrock / 13406 / 10258 / 8,927 / 67% / 87%
Hertfordshire / 8825 / 7175 / 7,720 / 87% / 108%
Norfolk / 5420 / 4311 / 3,607 / 67% / 84%
Suffolk / 5022 / 3703 / 3,683 / 73% / 99%
East of England / 42556 / 33039 / 31623 / 74% / 96%
  1. The conversion rates of over 100% from those attaining five A* - C GCSEs including English and Maths to those applying to UCAS two years later in Bedfordshire and Luton and in Hertfordshire, as well as the very high regional average of 96%, requires explanation. One factor is the inclusion in the UCAS applicant figures of those who attended independent schools:about 13% of 15 year olds in Hertfordshire schools in 2007 were attending independent schools[10]. A second is that some UCAS applicants may not have achieved the standard of five A* - C GCSEs including English and Maths, or may have rectified this whilst in the sixth form or at college.
  1. Whatever the difficulties and possible explanations, Table 7 does appear to raise a number of questions. If the low conversion rate of Essex is explained by 17 and 18 year olds leaving before or following A levels to find work in the City why does this also not apply to young people from the equally proximate to London Hertfordshire?

UCAS Applicants by age

  1. From 2008 to 2009, the number of applicants to UCAS from Hertfordshire increased by 794 (8.4%), a rate of growth a little below that of the previous year. This was different to the regional and national averages for which growth from 2008 to 2009 was the greatest of the period presumably as a function of the contracting labour market encouraging people to seek better qualifications. It is unclear why Hertfordshire experienced a different pattern of application. Table 8 shows the number of applicants by category over the period.

Table 8: UCAS applicants from Hertfordshire by category of applicant 2003 to 2009

Category of applicants / 2003 / 2004 / 2005 / 2006 / 2007 / 2008 / 2009
All applicants / 7,573 / 7,671 / 8,254 / 7,913 / 8,440 / 9,410 / 10,204
Young applicants (19 & under) / 5,928 / 5,963 / 6,439 / 6,214 / 6,603 / 7,244 / 7,720
Older applicants (20 and over) / 1,645 / 1,708 / 1,815 / 1,699 / 1,837 / 2,166 / 2,484
Young apps from target neighbourhoods / 363 / 351 / 446 / 417 / 466 / 503 / 562
Older apps from target neighbourhoods / 197 / 192 / 241 / 254 / 225 / 324 / 364
  1. Between 2003 and 2009, Hertfordshire had the fourth highest rate of growth in UCAS applicants in the East of England, a little below the regional average but greater than the national average as shown in Table 9. If numbers had grown at the regional rate over the period, there would have been 95 more applicants in 2009.

Table 9: Year-on-year growth rates in UCAS applicants 2003 to 2009

All applicants / Growth 2003 to 2004 / Growth 2004 to 2005 / Growth 2005 to 2006 / Growth 2006 to 2007 / Growth 2007 to 2008 / Growth 2008 to 2009 / Growth 2003 to 2009
Hertfordshire / 1.3% / 7.6% / -4.1% / 6.7% / 11.5% / 8.4% / 34.7%
East of England / 1.4% / 9.1% / -5.3% / 9.3% / 7.3% / 10.6% / 36.0%
England / 0.7% / 8.4% / -3.6% / 6.3% / 7.0% / 10.9% / 32.6%
  1. The growth in applicants throughout the region and nationally, though, was driven by an increase in older applicants. As suggested by Table 10, the growth in older (20 and over) applicants in Hertfordshire was lowest but one in the region, although closer to the regional average for older applicants from target neighbourhoods. The growth over the period of young applicants was second highest in the region (after Essex) and third highest for young applicants from target SOAs.

Table 10: Year-on-year growth rates in UCAS applicants in Hertfordshire 2003 to 2009 by category of applicant

Applicant category / Growth 2003 to 2004 / Growth 2004 to 2005 / Growth 2005 to 2006 / Growth 2006 to 2007 / Growth 2007 to 2008 / Growth 2008 to 2009 / Growth 2003 to 2009
All applicants / 1.3% / 7.6% / -4.1% / 6.7% / 11.5% / 8.4% / 34.7%
Young applicants / 0.6% / 8.0% / -3.5% / 6.3% / 9.7% / 6.6% / 30.2%
Older applicants / 3.8% / 6.3% / -6.4% / 8.1% / 17.9% / 14.7% / 51.0%
Young apps from target neighbourhoods / -3.3% / 27.1% / -6.5% / 11.8% / 7.9% / 11.7% / 54.8%
Older apps from target neighbourhoods / -2.5% / 25.5% / 5.4% / -11.4% / 44.0% / 12.4% / 84.8%
  1. Although there has been a higher rate of growth in older applicants compared to younger applicants over the period 2003 to 2009 in Hertfordshire, the difference rates have been less distinct than found across the region and nationally. Table 11shows that Hertfordshire has had significantly higher proportion of young applicants than the regional and national averages. This is typical of more affluent areas.

Table 11: Younger (19 or under) UCAS applicants as a proportion of all applicants 2003 to 2009

2003 / 2004 / 2005 / 2006 / 2007 / 2008 / 2009
Hertfordshire / 78.3% / 77.7% / 78.0% / 78.5% / 78.2% / 77.0% / 75.7%
East of England / 74.8% / 74.1% / 73.7% / 73.9% / 74.6% / 71.9% / 70.8%
England / 69.4% / 69.5% / 69.1% / 68.9% / 68.9% / 66.9% / 65.4%

UCAS applicants from target neighbourhoods

  1. Younger applicants from SOAs that are among the 40% more deprived nationally (by IMD 2007) can be taken as the target group for Aimhigher[11]. In 2003 and 2004, prior to the establishment of Aimhigher Hertfordshire, there were 363 young applicants (4.8% of total UCAS applicants) from more deprived neighbourhoods in 2003 and 351 (4.6%) in 2004. Since 2005, the first year that Aimhigher may have influenced, the number of applicants only increased to 503 (5.4%) by 2008 and 562 (5.5%) by 2009. The changing proportion of young target applicants can be seen in Table 12.

Table 12: Proportion of young applicants from target SOAs 2003 to 2009

2003 / 2004 / 2005 / 2006 / 2007 / 2008 / 2009
Hertfordshire / 4.8% / 4.6% / 5.4% / 5.3% / 5.5% / 5.3% / 5.5%
East of England / 9.5% / 9.3% / 9.2% / 9.5% / 10.2% / 10.0% / 10.1%
England / 18.7% / 18.8% / 19.0% / 19.7% / 19.7% / 19.5% / 19.3%
  1. There appears to have been an increase in the proportion of applicants in 2005, after which it remains largely consistent, the actual number of target applicants gradually increasing but as a function of the overall growth in applicant numbers. Table 13 shows that target applicants from Hertfordshire have constituted the smallest proportion of all applicants in the East of England throughout the period. However, this is the result of there being the smallest percentage of SOAs that are among the 40% most deprived nationally.

Table 13: Young (19 or under) UCAS applicants from target SOAs in 2003 and 2009

% of target applicants to all applicants 2003 / % of target applicants to all applicants 2009 / % of target SOAs / No. of applicants per target SOA 2003 / No. of applicants per target SOA 2009
Beds & Luton / 17.3% / 15.9% / 29.2% / 6.49 / 8.05
Cambs & Peterborough / 8.5% / 8.6% / 20.3% / 3.93 / 5.03
Essex / 10.1% / 12.3% / 26.7% / 3.19 / 5.34
Hertfordshire / 4.8% / 5.5% / 11.6% / 4.59 / 7.11
Norfolk / 12.2% / 11.1% / 27.4% / 3.39 / 4.23
Suffolk / 6.9% / 8.3% / 20.4% / 3.10 / 5.25
East of England / 9.5% / 10.1% / 22.5% / 3.90 / 5.64
England / 18.7% / 19.3% / 40.0% / 4.80 / 6.59
  1. Table 13 also gives the number of target applicants per deprived SOA for 2003 and 2009[12] and indicates that applicants per target SOA in Hertfordshirewere the second highest in both 2003 and 2009. It is assumed that the high number of applicants from target neighbourhoods in Bedfordshire and Lutonderives from the area having the largest proportion of Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) people in the region and a local access HEI. Similarly, that Hertfordshire has the second highest proportion of BME people in its population, anHEI which has been an access institution and ready access to access HEIs in Londonwould seem likely factors.

Young UCAS applicants by gender

  1. Table 14 shows how the proportion of female young applicants has increased nationally and in all but one Area in the East of England from 2003 to 2009. In 2003, there were 18,405 more young female applicants nationally increasing to 26,629 more in 2009. Regionally, there were 2,557 more young female applicants in 2009 (1,655 in 2003).

Table 14: Young applicants by gender for 2003 and 2009

Geographic area / 2003 / 2009
Female / Male / Female / Male
Bedfordshire & Luton / 54.0% / 46.0% / 53.0% / 47.0%
Cambs & Peterborough / 52.8% / 47.2% / 53.8% / 46.2%
Essex / 54.2% / 45.8% / 54.7% / 45.3%
Hertfordshire / 52.0% / 48.0% / 52.2% / 47.8%
Norfolk / 53.2% / 46.8% / 56.0% / 44.0%
Suffolk / 54.3% / 45.7% / 55.8% / 44.2%
East of England / 53.4% / 46.6% / 54.0% / 46.0%
England / 54.0% / 46.0% / 54.6% / 45.4%
  1. In both 2003 and 2009, Hertfordshire had the lowest proportion of young female applicants (and consequently the highest proportion of young male applicants). In 2009, at the regional average proportion, there would have been 136 more young female applicants (and 136 fewer males).

Table 15: Young applicants in Hertfordshire, East of England and England by gender and quintile of deprivation (IMD 2007) in 2003 and 2009

Hertfordshire / % of SOAs / 2003 / 2009
Female / Male / All / Female / Male / All
20% Most Deprived / 4.2% / 0.3% / 0.2% / 0.3% / 0.2% / 0.3% / 0.2%
21-40% / 20.1% / 5.7% / 6.0% / 5.9% / 8.0% / 6.0% / 7.0%
41-60% / 23.9% / 15.9% / 15.4% / 15.6% / 18.2% / 16.5% / 17.4%
61-80% / 23.0% / 21.4% / 19.7% / 20.6% / 20.6% / 21.0% / 20.8%
20% Least Deprived / 28.8% / 56.7% / 58.7% / 57.7% / 53.0% / 56.1% / 54.5%
All / 3,082 / 2,846 / 5,928 / 4,032 / 3,688 / 7,720
East of England
20% Most Deprived / 9.3% / 2.9% / 2.6% / 2.8% / 3.6% / 3.0% / 3.3%
21-40% / 19.4% / 10.0% / 9.8% / 9.9% / 11.7% / 10.1% / 10.9%
41-60% / 24.2% / 17.8% / 17.4% / 17.6% / 18.9% / 18.0% / 18.5%
61-80% / 25.9% / 26.8% / 25.9% / 26.3% / 26.2% / 26.2% / 26.2%
20% Least Deprived / 21.1% / 42.6% / 44.4% / 43.4% / 39.6% / 42.7% / 41.0%
All / 13,151 / 11,496 / 24,647 / 17,090 / 14,533 / 31,623
England
20% Most Deprived / 20.0% / 12.2% / 11.6% / 11.9% / 14.4% / 13.2% / 13.9%
21-40% / 20.0% / 15.3% / 14.6% / 15.0% / 16.0% / 15.3% / 15.7%
41-60% / 20.0% / 19.1% / 18.8% / 19.0% / 19.1% / 18.9% / 19.0%
61-80% / 20.0% / 23.6% / 23.8% / 23.7% / 22.8% / 23.0% / 22.9%
20% Least Deprived / 20.0% / 29.8% / 31.2% / 30.4% / 27.7% / 29.6% / 28.6%
All / 125,266 / 106,861 / 232,127 / 158,242 / 131,613 / 289,855
  1. Table 15 shows that there is a common distribution of young female and male applicants across quintiles of deprivation regionally and nationally over both 2003 and 2009. In all cases, there were a higher proportion of female applicants from more deprived neighbourhoods with male applicants tending to come from less deprived areas. Note that this considers the distribution of young female and of young male applicants across quintiles of deprivation, not the proportion of female and male applicants from a particular quintile of deprivation. Thus, whilst regionally in 2009, only 39.6% of all young female applicants lived within the most affluent 20% of SOAs nationally compared to 42.7% of all young male applicants, because the total number of young female applicants is greater, this represented 6,773 female but only 6,208 male applicants.
  1. This is largely reflected in the pattern for Hertfordshire, especially in 2009, with male applicants tending to be more distributed in the least deprived quintiles. Arguably, this explains why there are more young male applicants in Hertfordshire compared to other Areas. There are in Hertfordshire a larger proportion of least deprived SOAs where young male applicants are more likely to reside. This can be considered in an alternative way through Table 16.

Table 16: Proportion of young female applicants among all young applicants from target and from non-target areas in 2003 and 2009