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Oxford for West Midlands

At the University of Oxford, we have a long history of working with schools and students from across the West Midlands. Oxford for West Midlands is a collaborative approach to improve how the university engages with these schools and to encourage more students from the West Midlands to make successful applications to Oxford and other top UK universities.

The Library of Birmingham

This area is currently under redevelopment. Please get in touch directly with the relevant college forming part of your regional consortium if you have any questions about our work in your area.

About us

What is Oxford for West Midlands?

Oxford for West Midlands brings together three Oxford colleges with established links in the region: Keble, Oriel and University. Together, we work with pupils, teachers and families to provide bespoke support where it’s needed, from helping raise attainment to offering professional advice about applying to university.

The local authorities supported by Oxford for West Midlands are:

  • Birmingham
  • Coventry
  • Dudley
  • Herefordshire
  • Sandwell
  • Shropshire
  • Solihull
  • Staffordshire
  • Stoke-on-Trent
  • Telford and Wrekin
  • Warwickshire
  • Walsall
  • Wolverhampton
  • Worcestershire

Aims

Our aims are ambitious and focus on supporting students from backgrounds that are underrepresented at Oxford, and their schools. Oxford for West Midlands will develop outreach programmes which:

  • Support raising primary level, GCSE and A-level attainment of students
  • Offer educational opportunities to explore big ideas, current educational goals and ambitions,
  • Offer information and skills development to support studying in FE, HE and the University of Oxford
  • Encourage more students from underrepresented backgrounds to aim for top universities and to achieve their goals
  • Support increasing the number of students from under-represented groups from 15% to 25% of Oxford's UK undergraduate intake.
  • Promote the University of Oxford as a realistic goal for anyone with academic talent and commitment.

For more details on the research underpinning these targets, please read the University of Oxford's Access and Participation Plan.

Working together

Please note that if you or your school do not fall into our access categories, there is still plenty of advice and support available for you here and on the University website.

All schools, sixth form and further education colleges have a point of contact within University of Oxford who will be happy to provide information and advice on admissions and outreach.

Impact

We do not expect to make radical changes overnight, but hope to build lasting partnerships across the region which will benefit the whole school community as well as our University. We will evaluate the impact of our outreach across the West Midlands.

Read more about outreach at Oxford.

Get in touch

The three colleges which make up Oxford for West Midlands collaborate in planning and evaluation to ensure a consistent approach across the whole region. To make communication timely and manageable, they each have a direct responsibility for a number of Local Authorities within the region – if you’re a student or teacher from the West Midlands, you should get in touch with your ‘linked’ college below in the first instance.  

Birmingham, Coventry, Sandwell, Solihull, Warwickshire

Dudley, Herefordshire, Walsall, Wolverhampton, Worcestershire

Shropshire, Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, Telford and Wrekin