Christ Church

College outreach

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Barnet

Outreach programmes

We believe that a diverse student population is the best student population, and that diversity in itself is a rich source of learning. This includes ethnic diversity, geographical range, gender diversity, and we are committed to supporting students from disadvantaged backgrounds and groups that are currently underrepresented at Oxford.

Aim for Oxford

Aim for Oxford is our programme for sixth-formers in the North East of England. Aim for Oxford participants:

• explore subjects with university researchers,
• experience academic and social life at Oxford University,
• receive expert advice on how to apply,
• and are supported throughout the application process.

The programme includes academic workshops and information, advice, and guidance sessions in the North East, as well as a summer school in Oxford.

During the summer school participants:

• live in college accommodation, study in our libraries,
• conduct their own projects,
• have tutorial-like experiences,
• as well as getting to know current students and finding more out about student life at Oxford.

Christ Church Horizons

Christ Church Horizons is our sustained contact programme for state schools in our London link borough, Barnet.

The programme starts in Year 10, when pupils come to Christ Church to explore science or humanities subjects through a series of short academic tasters.

The aims in Year 10 are to increase knowledge of the benefits of higher education, to raise awareness of the breadth of university courses and where they lead post-university, and to help pupils make informed future choices.

We offer events for investigating sciences and also for investigating humanities and social sciences. Each non-selective state school in Barnet can bring ten pupils on an ‘Exploring Humanities’ day and ten on an ‘Exploring Sciences’ day.

The Year 12 strand of the programme consists of after-school sessions in Barnet from January to May, followed by a graduation day in Christ Church.

We aim to support students in exploring beyond the curriculum and in developing key skills required to make competitive applications to university and to Oxford.

Students engage in discussion with Oxford academics through a series of workshops, on topics in the humanities, sciences and social sciences. The academic sessions are complemented by information, advice, and guidance sessions, from ‘How to explore beyond the curriculum’, to ‘Finance at University’ and personal statement workshops.

At the end of Year 12 state school pupils from Barnet who are considering applying to Oxford are invited to attend workshops on admissions tests and at the beginning of Year 13 interview workshops.

Discover Computer Science

Discover Computer Science is a sustained engagement programme for Black and Mixed-Black women led by Oxford’s Computer Science Department and Christ Church. It consists of four online sessions, with an in-person graduation day in Oxford.

The sessions offer students in-depth investigations of topic areas outside of the school curriculum, combining theory with interactive exploration. We aim to help students explore the world of Computer Science and hope to inspire them to continue their engagement with the subject.

Women in PPE

Women in PPE is an annual event aiming to encourage more women to consider applying to study Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Oxford and Christ Church.

The event includes tasters in each of the three disciplines, as well as admissions advice, a chance to have lunch in Hall and to meet tutors and current students.

Other outreach programmes

Christ Church plays a lead role in supporting IntoUniversity Oxford South East, a centre tackling educational disadvantage in our local community. IntoUniversity works with local schools and young people to provide a safe space where pupils feel motivated to learn and inspired to achieve. As well as co-funding the centre in Blackbird Leys together with the University of Oxford, Christ Church hosts IntoUniversity events in College, where pupils find out about university and Oxford from our current students and members of staff.

We are proud supporters of Target Oxbridge, an organisation that supports talented Black African and Caribbean students and students of mixed race with Black African and Caribbean heritage in gaining access to Oxford and Cambridge. We are delighted to be hosting the spring 2024 Target Oxbridge residential at Christ Church.

As part of Oxford for North East, we have extended our collaboration with The Brilliant Club to include a programme for Key Stage 3 pupils, including residential visits in Oxford.

Christ Church has an 'Access Hub' through which we offer support to partner organisations. As well as receiving financial support from the College, our Hub partners can make use of our rooms to host events, and benefit from presentations and workshops run by our Access and Outreach staff. Our Access Hub partners have recently included:

• Debate Mate – an educational organisation that teaches debating in schools situated in areas with high levels of child poverty, as a means of boosting academic attainment and promoting social mobility;
• the Sikh Society – a student society at the University of Oxford, whose Access Conference has been supported and hosted by Christ Church;
• the Oxford Northerners Society – a student society whose aim is to bring together Northern students at the University;
• Onyx Magazine, which seeks to celebrate and platform the voices of talented Black poets, artists and writers, and to increase the visibility of Black students both within higher education and in the publishing industry. 

Contact

Access and Outreach at Christ Church 
Admissions & Access Manager: Ana Hastoy (main contact for Barnet)
 [email protected]

Access & Schools Liaison Officer: Joel Butler (main contact for the North East)
 [email protected]
For schools in the North East: [email protected]

Undergraduate Admissions at Christ Church
Admissions Officer: Alison Porter

 +44 (0) 1865 276196
 [email protected]

Postal address:
Christ Church
St. Aldates, Oxford OX1 1DP

Outreach events