For Students
Schools Access Programme - all year groups
The Oxford Cymru team visit state schools throughout the academic year to deliver a range of activities for students of different ages: from advice on choosing GCSEs and A levels through to university applications. The events are hosted by a school and are often open for students from other local schools to attend. Please ask your teacher about whether your school is involved with such events.
Competitions for students
- Jesus College organises an annual Essay Competition in association with Oxplore. This is for Welsh state school pupils in years 8 – 11. You can find out more here.
Higher Education Fairs
We regularly attend UCAS Fairs in Wales. We look forward to speaking to prospective applicants about applying to Oxford and university in general. Visit the UCAS website for updates on future events.
Oxbridge Student Conferences (Year 12)
These events are aimed at Year 12 students who are studying for their A Levels (or equivalent) and are beginning to consider their options for study beyond sixth form. The conferences are designed as Open Days on the road, and bring experienced admissions staff, subject specialists and current students from the universities of Oxford and Cambridge to venues around the UK. These full day events provide up to date information about our courses, clearly outline the admissions process and provide students with the opportunity to hear first-hand how our current undergraduates find life at Oxford and Cambridge. See here for more details of these events. Please ask your teacher about attending one of these events.
Oxford Cymru is currently reviewing the support it delivers to students and soon we hope to extend this offer to include an event for Oxford offer holders and their parents in Wales – so they can meet each other, ask questions of Oxford undergraduates and make the most of the support offered by the university. Further details will follow in due course.
For Teachers
Schools Access Programme
We visit a large number of state schools throughout the year and deliver sessions to different year groups on a range of topics. Some sessions are about university in general, whilst others focus on the University of Oxford, for example:
For Years 12 and 13
- Making a Competitive Application to University, Oxford and the Application Process
- Personal Statement Workshop
- Admissions Test Workshop
- Interview Workshop (suitable for Oxbridge applicants)
- Support for Oxford Offer Holders
For Years 9, 10 and 11
- University and Future Choices. GCSEs, A-Levels and how they link to university courses
- Why University? Why Oxford? The purpose of university, myth-busting, the cost, and a brief introduction to the Russell Group and the University of Oxford
For Years 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10
- Higher Education Explained: Exploring university and what it might be like to study there.
- Oxplore workshops: interactive sessions with Oxford University's home of Big Questions!
Catalyst Programme
St Catherine’s College is looking to establish links with a group of schools in Wales as part of their Catalyst Programme. The Catalyst Programme is a sustained contact partnership that provides pupils with tailored support at multiple points in their school career, as well as an opportunity to visit Oxford. It is recognised that the success of this programme relies on significant support from teachers, and a key element of the programme is an annual Teachers’ Conference held at St Catherine’s each September.
A key aspect of this programme is that we have adopted a novel model, where we work with a network of several schools in close proximity to each other. This approach allows for more effective use of resources and time as schools take turns to host pupils from the other schools for each event. If your school is interested in taking part in the programme or wants more information, please let us know at [email protected].
Taster Days
We can also deliver age-appropriate academic taster lectures and guidance workshops so your students can experience university style academic learning along with skills development or admissions guidance advice. Taster Days can be held in Oxford or in your region, with the Oxford based programme usually including a city and college tour and with lunch provided.
Hub Schools and Teacher Champions
In order to build the longer-term, community-focused support we can offer to students and prospective applicants, we have teamed up with schools to operate a ‘hub school’ system. Hub schools act as a central point from which we can deliver academic sessions and guidance workshops to pupils from a variety of schools. We have so far established hubs within two areas of South Wales: Blaenau Gwent and Newport. We aim to expand this system to other areas of Wales in due course.
In the 2020/2021 school year, we will be developing a Teacher Champions Scheme. The scheme will seek to engage and work with state school teachers across Wales on a sustained and regular basis. We want to support and equip teachers to help their students make competitive applications to Oxford. Details of the scheme will follow in due course.
Teacher/Careers Advisor sessions
Jesus College also offers support to external agencies such as the National Association for Able Children in Education (NACE) by hosting conferences and delivering webinars offering advice and guidance to teachers and schools on developing skills for university. NACE members can find out about all NACE events here. For information on NACE events supported by Oxford Cymru, please contact the Jesus College Access Fellow.
We also attend events across Wales aimed at advising teachers supporting university applications, for example, Seren network events and the University of Wales Teachers and Advisors Conference.
For Families
Supporting Higher Education
Oxford Cymru often attend parents and carers talks that are hosted by state schools as part of our school access programme. We are happy to talk with you about how you can support your child to make a competitive application to universities like Oxford, as well as answer any specific questions you might have. Schools will advertise any parent and carer talks that they are hosting, but if you have any specific questions about Oxford, you are welcome to get in contact.
If you are supporting/advising an applicant without family support (e.g. an estranged student or a mature applicant) please do get in touch with us if you have any questions.