Schools 'play dirty' to keep bright pupils

School heads are poaching the brightest sixth-form students by keeping them ignorant of college opportunities, the Association of Colleges claimed this week. An AoC survey found that at least one in ten colleges claims that local schools routinely employ dirty tricks to stop students going to college. Colleges allege that schools refuse to publicise college open days, misinform pupils that college courses are full, and only encourage the less able to consider college.