Pembroke College

Outreach programmes

OxNet

Led by Pembroke College, OxNet is an established Access initiative run collaboratively between participating colleges at the University of Oxford, as well as other higher education institutions and a network of Hub secondary schools/colleges in West London, the North West and North East of England.

OxNet’s national network of Hubs work with multiple Link Schools in their respective areas of the UK and maintain long-term strategic relationships. This direct relationship enables OxNet to sit at the heart of local communities, championing local interests and needs.

OxNet delivers six academically intensive programmes for a group of the ‘most academically able’ Year 12 pupils from across our target regions, with the aim of:

1. Challenging pupils to think beyond the curriculum in a critical, flexible and independent manner
2. Raising academic resilience, confidence and curiosity
3. Developing pupils’ skills in time management and multitasking
4. Preparing pupils for the realities of undergraduate-level study at a research-intensive institution
5. Showcasing the variety of subjects on offer at degree-level and the importance of interdisciplinary learning
6. Demystifying the tutorial method and preconceptions of College life.

OxNet’s six academic programmes for Year 12 pupils are:

1. Humanities & Social Sciences
2. Languages
3. English
4. Science
5. Philosophy & World Religions
6. Heritage-360.

Participation in one of the year-long programmes includes:

• a parent/carer event;
• a Study Skills Day;
• a 6-week Seminar Series;
• an Easter Essay Competition;
• a Twilight Talks Series;
• and a week-long residential at Pembroke College known as Access Week, which seeks to emulate ‘a week in the life of an Oxford undergraduate.’

In the North West, we also maintain the OxNet Youth Scholars programme from Key Stages 2-5, which aims to cultivate pupils’ academic curiosity through a sustained programme of enriching academic activities. The programme is designed to broaden academic horizons, subject knowledge and perceptions of education. This work is delivered collaboratively between the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, as well as a number of local schools across Rochdale, Bury and Bolton, and is supported by a range of local companies, including the Rochdale Development Agency.

OxNet also works closely with its sister organisation, CredOx, which aims to ensure a data-driven, evidence-based approach to both our access work and our admissions strategy, in addition to focusing on delivering defined outcomes rather than preserving existing process.