The measure of class

Forget postcodes - a far simpler test can help admissions tutors identify working-class applicants. A conference on widening access to higher education last week heard from Roderick Floud, vice-chancellor of London Metropolitan University and president of Universities UK, who has researched the link between height and achievement. Professor Floud, who is a foot taller than your diarist, told delegates: "The elite are tall, and taller than the middle class, who are taller than the working class. The difference emerges by the age of two. This inequality in physical qualities is mirrored by mental attributes."