What our experiences illustrate is the toxic power of expectations. It’s not a question of intelligence; many people are very smart but unable to thrive in a university environment, while others simply have no desire to. But the expectation that they will go is so strong they never get to really choose. My friend should have been advised of alternatives to university, offered something that would better suit her learning style and help her progress into the professions. No wonder 6.2 per cent of students fail to complete their university degrees.

Yet the negative expectations placed on lower-income students are even more powerful. Far fewer will have family members who have gone to university, so they may lack role models, and therefore do not consider it a viable option. Even if they do consider it, they are more likely to focus on lower-tier institutions out of a misplaced sense of inadequacy. The results are stark: children eligible for free school meals achieve grades 20 to 30 per cent lower at GCSE.

The truth is that everyone learns and progresses in different ways. Some people, rich and poor, would be better suited to higher level apprenticeships; some to on-the-job training; some to specialist schools (such as arts or drama); and, yes, some to university. Why should that question be decided by class rather than ability and affinity? This “class ceiling” is morally wrong, but also bad for the country: educational inequality costs us an estimated £1.3 trillion a year.