Oxford for London

School workshops and presentations

• Over the years many Oxford colleges have worked with schools across London, providing guidance to students and teachers about preparing university applications and the Oxford admissions process through workshops and presentations. 
• During the pandemic, some link colleges also offer live online workshops for students as an alternative to school visits, in addition to recorded presentations.
• Workshops for older students can cover topics such as how school qualifications link to university courses, the Oxford admissions process and how to prepare for interviews and admissions tests. Activities for younger students tend to be more general and consider the purpose of university, myth-busting, and a brief introduction to the University of Oxford.

Visiting Oxford

• Visit Days - Oxford colleges welcome visits from primary and secondary state schools during University term time. These visit days are designed to give pupils a taste of University life and can be adapted for all year groups. An example of a visit might include a talk about the University of Oxford, meeting current undergraduate students and academic taster sessions at a museum or department.
• Taster Days - Many colleges also offer taster days where students from various schools are invited to participate in a day of Oxford lectures and tutorials. Taster days may focus on exploring a particular area of study or on the needs of a particular age group. Some colleges are offering online versions of these events. For details on how to arrange a visit to Oxford or to book places on taster days, please contact your link college.

School-based outreach projects

Some Oxford colleges offer school-based projects that deliver sustained support for students. These projects are generally delivered by link colleges though occasionally by other colleges. Example of school-based projects include:

• St John's College - St John’s Inspire Programme is a series of events, visits, workshops and online contact for pupils in Years 9 to 13 from non-selective state schools in Harrow and Ealing. Pupils with exceptional promise are encouraged to aim high, to stretch themselves academically and to be confident in making well-founded applications to a top university like Oxford. The Inspire programme also provides information sessions for teachers on issues such as supporting university applications and funding.
• Christ Church - Christ Church Horizons is a programme for pupils who attend state schools in Barnet. The programme starts in year 10, when pupils learn about the breadth of university courses available, and how these link to careers, A-levels, and their future choices. The Year 12 strand supports students to explore beyond the curriculum and to develop the skills required to make competitive applications to university. Year 13s are invited to Christ Church for admissions test workshops and interview workshops.
• Pembroke College - The OxNet programme  operates in schools across City of Westminster, Kensington & Chelsea, and Hammersmith & Fulham. OxNet runs intensive academic courses, involving a mixture of Study Days, Seminar Series, Easter Conferences, Summer Schools and Twilight Talks. The London Centre for Languages and Cultures (LCLC) was established by Pembroke College and The Open University to work with schools in these same  boroughs to promote the study of languages. The centre works with over ten partner institutions, both within Oxford and Cambridge, as well as regionally and nationally. 
• Wadham College  -  Operating across Newham schools, Wad-HAM is a pilot sustained academic programme designed to help students from Newham into university. Academically able year 12 students take part in a series of seminars over the course of a year, write essays and attend a three-day residential visit to Wadham. The programme is designed and delivered in partnership with Newham Sixth Form College and Marx Memorial Library and aims to re-evaluate black history and its wider significance for modern Britain.  
• St Anne's College - Aimed at students in Year 10-13 in schools across Southwark and Hillingdon,  St Anne’s Super-Curricular Club introduces a new topic each week, presented by expert researchers. The Super-Curricular Club is online and each week includes a pre-recorded short video on the topic, quizzes, discussion points and further resources, as well as a short livestreamed discussion, where possible. This project aims to introduce students to new subjects of interest, to explore university-level research and to support critical thinking.
• Jesus College - Jesus College has teamed up with St Gabriel’s College in Camberwell to create its first ‘hub school’ in London. Hub schools act as a central point from which Jesus College can deliver academic sessions and guidance workshops to pupils from a variety of schools across Lambeth. In addition, the college supports the Little Stems initiative for primary schools in Oval. The aim is to raise student aspirations and help students develop the skills required for post-16 education choices. 
• The Queen's College-  The Lewisham Programme is an annual series of events run by Queen's College in collaboration with Lewisham Borough Council and Gonville and Caius College, University of Cambridge, for academically capable Year 12 students who attend state schools in the borough. Students involved in the programme will be supported throughout Year 12 and into Year 13, with a series of sessions that will allow them to find out more about life at Oxbridge, attend subject taster sessions, meet current undergraduate students and visit both universities.
• St Catherine’s College - The Catalyst programme sees staff and students from St Catherine’s working with ‘hubs’ of schools in Lewisham and Haringey to raise their pupils’ aspirations for higher education. Catalyst offers sustained contact, giving school students tailored support, at multiple points during their school career. The schools also have the opportunity to visit Oxford. Each year teachers from hub schools are invited to attend a teacher’s conference at St Catherine’s College.
• New College - New College's Step Up programme is designed to inspire and support state school students of high academic ability, throughout Year 11, 12 and 13. Step Up runs throughout the UK and includes several schools from London. The programme attempts to ensure that these students of high academic potential recognise Oxford as a realistic and achievable option for them, and are effectively supported to make a competitive application. Students have regular, consistent contact with the college's outreach team over three years. 

For information and contact details of the Oxford college linked to your school or college, please select your local authority from the list below.  

Barking and Dagenham, Barnet, Bexley, Brent, Bromley, Camden, City of London,  Croydon, Ealing, Enfield, Greenwich, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Haringey, Harrow, Havering, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, Kingston upon Thames, Lambeth, Lewisham,  Merton, Newham, Redbridge, Richmond upon Thames, Southwark, Sutton, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Wandsworth, Westminster