Disadvantaged students’ hopes of securing a place at elite universities are being harmed by teachers providing poor advice on writing personal statements, a study has suggested.

Following their recent condemnation of the Oxbridge admissions process, the Sutton Trust has released research showing that teachers are hindering students’ chances of securing Oxbridge offers due to poor advice concerning personal statements.

A study analysed the personal statements of 44 state school pupils, 27 of whom received teacher support, while the remaining 17 served as a control group. Both sets of statements were reviewed by teachers and university admissions tutors, who graded them based on their likelihood of acquiring a place.

The study exposed stark differences between what teachers and academics understood to make an excellent personal statement. Only 10 of the 44 personal statements were awarded the same grade by teachers and admissions tutors, while 20 were one grade different and 13 were two grades different.

In many cases, the study found that teachers often believed reflective and detailed analysis of an academic topic was too “long”, “impersonal” or “essay-like.” Therefore, many students were repeatedly told to remove the key paragraph of independent research and reflection that Oxbridge academics encourage.

The Sutton Trust maintain that “a worrying aspect of the study’s findings is that the teachers’ views about what makes a good personal statement are far from consistent with admissions tutors’ views”.

The study concluded that the advice and guidance received by many young people “may not reflect the content and style expected by admissions tutors”. However, they assert that, with the right support, the playing field between state and private schools can be levelled.