Access For All...
At the height of the vac, when most of us undergraduates had fled Oxford, as many as 240 students spent a week here on Oxford's fourth summer school, as part of the university's campaign to increase the number of applications from state schools, invalidating the recent attack against Oxford for being elitist. The summer school was open to state school students in year 12 all over the country.
Tutors selected students, who have at least five A* or A grades at GCSE and have parents in non-professional occupations or whose schools have not sent pupils to Oxford in the past two years. The students got an idea of what a typical undergraduate's week would be like first hand, by living in college, attending lectures and seminars on their chosen subject (11 art and science subjects on offer) and they did not escape a challenging tutorial at the end of the
week. As for the social life, they could choose activities, ranging from seeing a Shakespeare play in an Oxford college to trying their talent at karaoke. The summer school agenda was set for them and since they were only 17 they could not be given the full freedom of an undergraduate to go on a pub-crawl or explore the Oxford clubbing scene!
However thirty-four Oxford undergraduates were on hand to tell them unforgettable memories (usually alcohol-induced!) and to provide pastoral care.
Most of them were from state schools themselves, five of them attended the summer school two years ago, and so were in an ideal position to shatter disillusions. The students asked them anything that they felt they could not ask the tutors or that the tutors could not answer. Rachael Durrant, the organiser of the summer school, hopes
that it will 'demystify Oxford and motivate them to consider applying
here.' Sure enough, by the end of the week many students were heard to say that they would never have dreamt of applying beforehand, but now felt that they could apply and would give it a try.
There is no doubt that the summer schools held since 1997 have had a positive impact in changing the stigma that surrounds the application process at Oxford. Statistically speaking 60% of the students who attended the summer school in 1999 applied to Oxford and of these 62% were offered a place, from a total of
26 Oxford colleges, before receiving their 'A' level results. In the past three years since the summer schools have been running, state
school studen applications have risen from 45.5% to 46.9% and acceptances from 43.8% to 48.5%.
The summer schools are generously funded by the Sutton Trust, set up by Peter Lampl. He approached Jane Minto, head of admissions, and offered to fund such summer schools four years ago. He felt compelled to do so after he made his fortune in the US and returned to his college Corpus Christi to find it dominated by public school students. He believes that universities should be more active by reaching out to state schools and selling themselves to the students.
He commented that the Laura Spence affair was unfortunate, but if anything, it had raised awareness about the problem of admissions, which he has been trying to improve
for years. He is delighted that it played a part in the government reacting by devoting £20 million to be spent on such summer school
schemes and he will advise the government how best to spend the money. At the formal dinner, he told the students 'Oxford needs you as much as you need Oxford' and encouraged them 'please apply, have a go.' On another occasion Andrew Hobson addressed the students in Magdalen's dining hall. He told them not to be intimidated by the grandeur of the college's surroundings and said concerning admissions 'we'll take the best that apply.'
The Access Scheme also held summer schools this year, one at Oxford for arts subjects, sponsored by Goldman Sachs and a science-based one at Milton Keynes, sponsored by BT. In contrast with the Sutton Trust Summer School, these helped 80 students, mainly from inner-city and non-traditional backgrounds, with their 'A' level courses, but also heavily encouraged them to consider applying to Oxford. The Access Scheme is also backing the Oxford Revolution (www.oxfordrevolution.com), a ball-type event next summer, to which academically outstanding sixth formers will attend free of charge, in the hope that they will apply to Oxford.
12th Oct 2000