State school pupils from Walsall will be exploring Oxford this week as part of an outreach push to get more state schools from the area to send students to the university.
As part of the day’s event the students and their teachers will take part in a special activity at Oxford’s Botanic Garden – the oldest botanic garden in Britain. And while students spend the day learning about Oxford from current undergraduates at Oriel and St Hilda’s Colleges, teachers will have access to Oxford admissions tutors to ask questions and get advice about preparing their pupils for the Oxford application process.
The ‘Exploring Oxford’ day is the last in a series of ten events run from January to June of this year. Nearly 300 students from 30 state schools including those in Dudley, Wolverhampton and Walsall have attended the events, all of which feature Oxford undergraduate ‘student ambassadors’ offering advice and an inside look at college life at Oxford.
The special day of activities is targeted at high-achieving students from state schools who have the potential to succeed at Oxford and includes sessions on choosing subjects, writing personal statements, and learning about life as a student at Oxford – including lunch in college hall.
Ian Forrest, Tutor for Admissions at Oriel College, said: ‘We really want more students from our outreach regions to apply to Oxford, and we hope that by seeing the university and meeting students first-hand, pupils will be encouraged to give it a go. For example, the latest figures show that in 2010, 87 students from Walsall got 3 A grades or better at A level, but only 24 applied to Oxford that year. We want to see that number go up, and hope the Exploring Oxford days will give bright students and their teachers the encouragement they need.’
Lucia Nixon, Tutor for Admissions at St Hilda’s College, said: ‘We really want more high-achieving state school students to apply to Oxford, so our goal is for the Exploring Oxford days to give bright students – and their teachers – the encouragement they need. We hope that by visiting Oxford and meeting and talking to current undergraduates, students will be encouraged to give it a go. Plus I really enjoy learning from the teachers about how we can do more to encourage their students.’
The schools attending on Friday 1 June include Shire Oak Academy and Barr Beacon School in Walsall.
Student Ambassador Adam Bozson is a first year student at Oriel College studying Physics. He said: ‘Being a student ambassador is a fun and rewarding experience. We want to show prospective students what Oxford is really like, and bust lots of myths on the way! I became a student ambassador because I believe applicants should have more information about the application process and what it’s actually like to live and learn in Oxford. Exploring Oxford days are a fantastic taster of the University and colleges, as well as a great opportunity to meet current students.’
Student Ambassador Eve Kells is a first year student at St Hilda’s College studying French and Spanish. She said: ‘For me, being a student ambassador is about letting people see beyond the ‘institutional’ image of universities like Oxford, which is so often projected by the media or by people who have never studied here. Many people that I have met on the Exploring Oxford Days seem to arrive with negative expectations but are then pleasantly surprised by what they find.’
