Online
Oxford for West Midlands colleges offer a wide variety of online materials, resources and other support to supplement our regional outreach programmes, which you can access free from home.
For students: Oxplore | Ask Oxford Students | Staircase 12 | Applying to Oxford | Keep in touch
For teachers: Teachers' webpages | Ignite | Teachers' Conference | The Access Project | Newsletters
For families: Supporting university choices
For students
Keble College Summer Admissions Webinars
Keble College is running a series of webinars on the Oxford admissions process to support and guide students from UK state schools during May and June. You will have opportunities to hear from and ask questions of Keble's outreach staff. Please note that some webinars in this series will be repeated to enable more prospective students to access them. A full schedule and registration form can be found here.
Oxplore: The Home of Big Questions
Oxplore is an innovative digital outreach portal from the University of Oxford. It aims to engage those from 11 to 18 years old with debates and ideas that go beyond what is covered in the classroom. Big questions tackle complex ideas across a wide range of subjects and draw on the latest research undertaken at Oxford. Oxplore aims to realise aspirations, promote broader thinking and stimulate intellectual curiosity.
Ask Oxford Students
Put your questions about admissions and student life to current students at Keble College, using a secure messaging application which allows you to speak directly to Oxford undergraduates. To ask your question, chat to Keble students using our platform.
Staircase 12
Staircase 12 is an online hub of resources developed by University College, Oxford for students aiming high at school and thinking about applying to top universities. You'll find plenty of resources to help develop your interests, book reviews from current undergraduates to give ideas about where to start 'reading around' the subject and ideas for stretching yourself beyond the school syllabus.
Applying to Oxford
The main university website has a wealth of information and support if you choose to apply to Oxford. Here are links to some pages which may interest you:
Keep in touch
Make sure to keep in touch with Oxford for West Midlands via our social media channels:
Oriel College: Instagram & Twitter
Keble College: Instagram & Twitter
For teachers
Teachers' webpages
Choosing where to go to university can be a life-changing decision, and whilst this is exciting, it can also be daunting. We hugely value the supporting role that teachers and careers advisors can play in encouraging students to consider their options and make informed decisions.
The University of Oxford’s webpages for teachers aim to give you all the information you need to help your students. We encourage you to explore our website widely but hope that you will find the resources here particularly useful. We welcome the chance to talk with teachers and advisers about supporting your students through all aspects of considering, and applying to, Oxford.
Ignite: Oxford’s free careers education programme for schools
Ignite is a career confidence programme for schools and colleges from the Oxford University Careers Service. It aims to help develop pupils’ assertiveness and confidence in academic, extra-curricular, family, social and eventual career activities.
The programme is aimed at secondary school pupils (ages 11-18) and is to be delivered within the school by teachers / PSHE tutors. It is available in modules to be applied and used as appropriate.
West Midlands Teachers' Conference
Oxford for West Midlands has previously hosted a collaborative teachers’ conference in Oxford, and a digital version of this event in February 2022. An in-person Teachers' Day for state school teachers from West Midlands schools and colleges is planned for 1st July. Please contact [email protected] to find out more.
The Access Project
Keble College is working in partnership with The Access Project to provide online and in-school tutoring support and mentorship to assist students with GCSE & A-Level work.
Newsletters
There are a number of different e-newsletters to which you can subscribe to keep up-to-date with the events and programmes on offer.
- Oriel College: Please email [email protected] to be added to Oriel’s teacher mailing list. Oriel’s mailing list is for state schools and colleges in the college’s link areas, but all queries about applying to Oxford and opportunities available are welcome. Oriel also has a Virtual Outreach programme for schools, developed as a result of disruption to in-person Outreach events due to Covid-19.
- Keble College: Please email [email protected] to be added to Keble's teacher mailing list, which is designed for teachers at state schools in the college's link areas.
- University College: More information on Univ's teacher mailing list can be found on the college's website.
This University e-newsletter features updates about our admissions process, events that teachers and students can attend, and updates regarding our access and widening participation programmes, including UNIQ. Feedback from teachers has been very positive, with many reporting that they forward the email to students interested in applying to Oxford.
For Families
Supporting university choices
The University website has a dedicated section for the parents, relatives and carers of students who are interested in applying to Oxford. It offers advice and guidance on finance, the application process, and some of the reasons why studying at Oxford can be a life-changing experience.
Parent/carer webinars
Keble College is offering a dedicated webinar session for parents and carers of prospective applicants to Oxford from state school backgrounds. The session will be hosted by a member of the Keble College Access & Outreach team, and will provide practical information on the application process and how to support applicants, alongside offering the opportunity to have your questions answered.
The webinar will take place on 23rd June 2022, 6-7pm. Register here. Oxford for West Midlands are investigating how they can work more with families in your region in the future.