Media

Oxford admissions recruits local teachers

12 June 2012

Oxford University’s admissions team is hitting the road to Templepatrick and targeting state school teachers in a bid to help get more bright students from Northern Ireland into Oxford.

The visit today kicks off a series of regional events for teachers that include the chance for teachers to take part in mock Oxford interviews, speak directly to admissions tutors and separate fact from fiction when it comes to Oxford admissions.

The Oxford University Regional Teachers’ Conferences will travel to seven regional cities across the UK over the next three weeks as part of the Oxford’s work with teachers. The one-day conferences covers all aspects of the admissions process, including workshops on personal statements and teachers references, plus two mock Oxford admissions interviews.

Sophie Hurden, Student Recruitment Officer at Oxford University, who organised the events, says: ‘We want to get as many students as possible from Northern Ireland applying, and making the strongest applications they can to Oxford – and we know the difference a supportive teacher can make in encouraging and supporting bright students to apply here.

‘There are lots of myths about what the Oxford admissions process is and isn’t about – and with this event we want to get behind the hype to the facts and people behind the admissions process. It’s important to give teachers the information they need to support their students, but it’s also important for them to see that Oxford genuinely wants bright students from all over the country – no matter what school they’re in or where they come from.’

Jonathan Solomon from Belfast attended Royal Belfast Academical Institution, and is finishing his second year studying law at St Peter’s College, Oxford. He says:

‘I originally wanted to apply to study at Harvard or Yale, but was convinced to give Oxford a go - and I got in and have never looked back. Having a supportive teacher is incredibly important, and teachers can provide support in many different ways:  Some lead by example with teaching to ensure you achieve the grade requirements, other lend a thoughtful ear and some provide mock interviews and general advice. All are equally important.

‘Conferences such as these are extremely important in giving you a flavour of the university. They help you appreciate the kinds of people that are suited to study. The workload is intense and it's not always the brightest but the best suited students that get in. This conferences gives you a chance to see the types of personalities that work.

‘It’s also really important to be able to know what is truth and what is myth about Oxford before you apply - I arrived at interview to hear a rumour that you were given your place at Oxford depending on which chair you sat in during your interview. There are all kinds of rumours about Oxford only accepting private school taught south east English student, or that unless you have high earning parents you won't get in – none of this is true. The only way you can be sure you won’t get in is if you don’t apply – so it’s really important that students are encouraged to go for it, and have confidence in their abilities.’

The day of events for teachers will include information sessions about Oxford and the admissions process for both experienced and new teachers; a thorough discussion of the application process, including subject choice and personal statement; a mock interview session with a current Oxford admissions tutor and student; and a Q&A session with experienced admissions tutors.

Around 400 teachers from across the UK are due to attend the events.

For more information and photographs, please contact Julia Paolitto in the Press Office, Oxford University on 01865 280 531 or press.office@admin.ox.ac.uk

Notes for Editors:

  • The Oxford University Regional Teachers’ Conferences are fun biennially and are funded by the Helsington Foundation, an educational charity. For more information and a full conference programme, see: http://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate_courses/events_and_outreach/information_for_teachers_and_advisors/events_near_you/rtc.html
  • The aim of the conferences is to equip teachers with the best possible advice for their students on applying to Oxford and to break down any misconceptions that might deter students from applying to the University. Around 400 teachers are signed up to attend the events.
  • The conferences are part of Oxford University’s work with teachers and schools as a significant portion of its outreach work; more broadly, the Oxford University admissions team has several areas of activity that are designed to provide opportunities for students from schools with limited HE application support to find out more about what Oxford is looking for in candidates. These are not activities designed to give undue advantage to students from disadvantaged backgrounds, but rather to encourage those students who might be able to make a competitive application to Oxford but do not have the proper support or information about how to apply and give themselves the best chance:

    Working with schools: The University has contact with 78% of all schools offering post-16 education. 

    Working with teachers: The University over the past several years has focussed an enormous amount of effort in working with teachers, allowing Oxford to help many cohorts of students via their teachers rather than individual students in any given year. Activities include a series of annual regional teachers' conferences; a one-day event for Oxford's own PGCE programme (run through Oxford’s school of education), which trains new teachers being sent mainly into comprehensive schools; and similar  programmes working with Teach First participants.

    Summer schools: Oxford’s flagship access programme is its UNIQ summer school,  which takes students from UK state schools who have strong academic backgrounds   and allows them to attend a week-long summer school where they get a chance to study subjects in-depth and learn what living and studying at Oxford is like. The  scheme has been effective: 69% of 2010 participants applied to Oxford, and 39% of  those won offers (against an overall success rate of 21% for Oxford applicants in that year). That means that 27% of all 2010 UNIQ participants hold offers from Oxford. By 2014 there will be 1,000 places on the summer schools (up from 500), covering every course Oxford offers. Several of the colleges also run summer school and outreach activities in addition to those run centrally.
  • The programme for the days covers all aspects of the admissions process from identifying candidates to writing references and preparing candidates for admissions tests and interviews.
  • The conferences are organised by Oxford’s Undergraduate Admissions Office, and sessions are led by academic tutors and central admissions staff, all with extensive first-hand knowledge of the admissions processes. There will also be current undergraduate students who are able to talk about their own experiences of applying and mock interview sessions in which tutors and students demonstrate the kind of questions applicants face in interviews.
  •  The dates and locations of the full series of events is as follows:           

    Tuesday 12 June: Northern Ireland regional conference, Templepatrick           
    Wednesday 13 June: Scotland regional conference, Glasgow           
    Thursday 14 June: North East regional conference, Newcastle           
    Tuesday 19 June: South Manchester regional conference, Warrington           
    Thursday 21 June: South West regional conference, Exeter          
    Tuesday 3 July: South Wales regional conference, Bridgend           
    Thursday 5 July: East Anglia regional conference, Ipswich