Fiona

Fiona attended a mixed comprehensive school in Cumbria

She was not completely sure whether there was a link between social class and aspirations, though she did think that pupils with a higher class background may be more likely to go to university 'because maybe their parents did'.

When talking about upper class aspirations Fiona expressed the view that 'if they have loads of money they might not see the need to have any ambition'.

She believed that it 'certainly seemed' as if top rated universities and selective schools were more likely to select their pupils from the upper classes rather than the working class.

Fiona made autonomous choices of her A Level subjects with the exception of General studies.  No mentoring system was offered at her school.

Fiona believed that there was a possible link between the ambitions of the parent and those of the child and that, as working class children were less likely to have parents who attended university, as a result they themselves were less likely to go on to Higher Education.

She only experienced teaching on different cultures in Religious and Social Studies.

At Fiona's high school no obvious stereotyping of races and no favouritism of a particular gender were seen to occur.

When questioned about subject stereotyping Fiona indicated that 'Home Economics and Textiles were probably seen more as for girls, but that didn't mean anyone was discouraged from doing them'.  Physical Education was 'quite stereotyped' with girls generally doing netball, whilst boys played football.