How can we prepare pupils for Oxbridge entry?

Mr Richard Finch, Oxbridge Coordinator, looks at how WHS works with partner schools to develop effective Oxbridge admission support programmes.

We all have a responsibility for widening access to Oxbridge

These days, any article you read about Oxbridge entry focusses on widening access. The Sutton Trust[1], for example, recently reported that Oxbridge currently recruits more students from eight leading public schools than it does from 3,000 state schools combined. Few disagree (not least the universities themselves) that this needs to change. But it is not just the universities that have a responsibility for widening access.

At Wimbledon High, we work with our partner schools to share ideas and activities to develop our Oxbridge support programmes. These programmes seek to dispel myths about studying at these institutions and ultimately support students to be as well prepared as they can be for the application process. At the heart of any successful support programme is the ability to galvanise enthusiasm and guide independent exploration of their chosen subject.

 

How we help pupils decide if Oxbridge is right for them

In order to help pupils decide if Oxbridge is right for them, our introduction to Oxbridge starts in Year 10 with a day trip to either Oxford or Cambridge. As well as the tourist hot spots, we visit individual colleges (hosted by Wimbledon High alumnae) and receive a lecture from our link college admissions tutor to understand the realities of living and studying in these historic university cities. The purpose is to plant the seed for the right candidates to pursue an application in the future.

For those that do decide to take part in the programme, the real preparation starts in Year 12. Despite encouraging the girls to learn independently, the opportunity to discuss ideas with likeminded people is possibly the most valuable part of the programme. Each girl is therefore linked with a personal mentor (a teacher at the school) whom they meet regularly from the spring term of Year 12. Sessions vary greatly by department but the common format is a guided discussion using a particular stimulus (perhaps an artefact in Classics or a graph in Economics) chosen by the student. The idea is to allow the girls to forge their own path of academic discovery.

Building links with departments is vital

Pupils are also encouraged to engage with Oxbridge departments as much as possible. Cambridge, for example, offer subject “master classes[2]” which enable students to experience typical undergraduate teaching. Entering essay prize competitions are also a great way to engage directly with departments. Oxford, for example, offer a range of essay prizes[3] across a number of departments. We also link candidates with Wimbledon High alumnae studying their subject. Current undergraduates are well placed to suggest current reading lists and give specific advice on how to prepare for their application.

Confidence is key

Jasmine delivering her WimTalk entitled, “who legally owns your dead body?”

A common misconception among students, whichever type of school they attend, is that are not “clever” enough to go to Oxbridge. Of course, these institutions are highly competitive but girls especially often underestimate their abilities and fail to acknowledge that a deep academic interest in their chosen subject is possibly more important than a stellar set of GCSEs. The WimTalks programme is there to encourage WHS girls to express their love for their subject with confidence. Girls are required to present a series of short presentations to their peers on a topic of interest. They then have to field questions from subject specialist teachers. Encouraging the girls to develop expertise in a range of topics has proven a great way to boost self-confidence and prepare for interview.

 

The results

Percentage of cohort securing offersThese are just some of the ways in which our programme supports and empowers our girls. In an increasingly competitive environment, we have managed to increase the percentage of the cohort securing offers year on year. This bucks the national trend for independent schools and we think our support programme has helped our Oxbridge success grow. We continue to work with our partner schools to develop our programmes to encourage candidates to pursue an application and to support them wholeheartedly throughout the process.

Further reading:

https://www.nace.co.uk/blog/8-myths-oxford-university-busted – Myths about Oxford and Cambridge entry

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/oxford-cambridge-white-students-university-poverty-deprived-areas-diversity-a8779081.html – Oxford and Cambridge need to broaden access.

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2016/oct/06/how-to-survive-a-cambridge-interview – How to prepare for Oxbridge interviews.


References:

[1] https://www.suttontrust.com/newsarchive/oxbridge-over-recruits-from-eight-schools/

[2] https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/events/masterclasses

[3] http://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/applying-to-oxford/teachers/academic-competitions-schools-and-colleges