In January, a group of Year 11 students travelled to Worcester College, Oxford, for our annual visit as part of our Preparing for Excellence scheme. On the day, they enjoyed tours of the college and its grounds followed by Q&A sessions with undergraduate student ambassadors about their experiences of living and studying at Oxford. One student, Rosie, commented that the tour of the college was her personal favourite part of the day, as “the college and grounds were visually beautiful.”
They then had a presentation from the college’s Senior Admissions and Outreach Officer, who spoke to them about the wide range of courses available as well as financial support and extra-curricular societies at Oxford. They were encouraged to ask questions and share their talents on the day and grasp all of the opportunities available to them at school and beyond. As always, a key theme of the visit was enthusiasm and love of learning, with students strongly encouraged to choose to follow their passions and choose subjects which reflect their own unique talents and interests. This links closely with our mission statement as we inspire excellence through empowering students to become the people God has called them to be.
Following lunch in the college’s beautiful Georgian dining hall, students enjoyed their choice of 2 guided tours of the city – focussed on Oxford as the inspiration for a range of film, television and literary works or Oxford’s historic architecture. One highlight of the literary tour was the door knocker and other carvings found in St Mary’s Passage between Brasenose College and the University Church of St Mary the Virgin, which is believed to have inspired C.S. Lewis to create the character of Aslan in The Chronicles of Narnia with the story of Hartford Bridge, also known as The Bridge of Sighs owing to its similarity to the Venetian landmark, was a particular favourite element of the architecture tour.
Thank you to Worcester College for hosting us and giving our students such valuable insights into the options available to them for further study at Oxford and beyond. The continuing impact of this ‘best tradition’ can clearly be seen in the fact that two previous participants in the Preparing for Excellence programme have recently received offers to study at Oxbridge colleges next year. We hope that this year’s students will be inspired by their success.
