Dear Teachers and Advisors,

We hope that you all had a wonderful - and restful - Christmas and New Year period, and that the new term hasn’t got off to too hectic a start!

New Year, New Us: As you can see we’ve revamped the way we do these updates. We’re hoping that this new format is easy to read and digest. If you have any feedback please do let us know! Going forward, these updates will be archived at:

Please see below for upcoming Oxford University events and opportunities for your students. Further opportunities can also be found on the University's Outreach Calendar:

www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/increasing-access/events-calendar

Hannah and Dom
St Anne's College, Oxford
[email protected]

Table of Contents

• Pre-Sixteen Opportunities

  • EM Power

  • Access Day: Women of Bangladeshi and Pakistani Her …

  • Exeter College Study Days

• Post-Sixteen Opportunities

  • Materials Science Open Days

  • St John’s College Study Days

  • African Caribbean Society Shadowing Day

  • Rex Nettleford Essay Prize

  • Lincoln College Study Days 2025

  • History Study Day

  • Beginners’ Languages Taster Day

  • Beyond the Classroom: Academic Enrichment Series

• For Teachers

  • Trinity College Teacher CPD

  • English Teachers Conference

Pre-Sixteen Opportunities

EM Power

The EM Power is a completely free programme for anyone who is in Year 10 or Year 11 at a state school in the UK, who identifies as being of Black African heritage, Black Caribbean heritage, mixed Black heritage or other Black heritage. We’re particularly keen to hear from you if you aren’t totally sure if sciences are right for you and want to try some of them out before you chose your A Levels.

EMPower has opportunities for students to try out Physics, Engineering, and Materials sciences - digging deeper into and exploring these subjects.

Access Day: Women of Bangladeshi and Pakistani Heritage, Y10-12

Trinity College, Jesus College, and the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies offer young women Y10-12 with Bangladeshi and Pakistani heritage an exciting day exploring life as a student at the University of Oxford. Students will have the opportunity to visit the Oxford Centre of Islamic studies, both colleges, experience an academic taster, and gain guidance and information on the university.

Wednesday 12 February, 09:30-15:30.

Female state students with Bangladeshi or Pakistani heritage, Y10-12.

Exeter College Study Days

Each year Exeter College, Oxford hosts a series of subject days for year 11 and year 12 students attending UK state schools.

The subject days aim to provide tailored support for students interested in exploring a range of subjects at University level.

The subject days will take place on the following days this year:

Monday 7th April: Humanities and Modern Languages

Tuesday 8th April: Social Sciences

Thursday 10th April: STEM

Post-Sixteen Opportunities

Materials Science Open Days

18th and 19th February 2025

21st February 2025 - Online

18th and 19th March 2025

Day long Materials Science open days where students will experience lectures, tour the department, meet students and more! If you would like to bring a group of students accompanied by a teacher, please email [email protected] 

St John’s College Study Days

This year St John’s College are hosting the following study days (open to Y12 students from non-selective state schools):

African Caribbean Society Shadowing Day

This event for Year 12 students is designed to inspire and support students on their path to Oxford. During the day they will have the opportunity to shadow a current undergraduate from the ACS studying your field of interest, attend interactive taster lectures delivered by world-class academics, get expert application advice to strengthen your Oxford application, tour the stunning grounds of Oxford colleges and experience life at Oxford University first hand. The Oxford ACS aim to give students the chance to connect, learn, and envision themselves thriving at one of the world’s top universities.

Wednesday 19 February 2025, 09:00-16:30. Trinity and Brasenose Colleges.

Rex Nettleford Essay Prize

Open to all UK Year 12 students, the prize is intended to encourage students to engage with the legacies of colonialism in all its forms – historical, political, economic, social, cultural. Students can chose from four questions, and may approach their essay from the perspective of any academic discipline (e.g. History, English Literature, Economics, etc.). The only stipulation is that the topic they address is not directly related to their A Level course. There are two equal prizes of £250 awarded to the competition winners. At least one of these prizes will be awarded to a pupil from one of Oriel’s link schools, which are non-selective state schools in Walsall, Wolverhampton, Dudley, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Kensington & Chelsea, and Richmond upon Thames. The prizes will be awarded at Oriel College, on the occasion of an annual lecture also on the topic of 'Colonialism and its Legacies', taking place on Thursday 22 May 2025

Lincoln College Study Days 2025

Lincoln College, Oxford, is offering in-person Study Days for Year 12 students from UK state schools interested in Humanities or Physics/Engineering. The programme includes academic skill development, admissions workshops, and mock interviews. Deadlines are March 3rd for History and the Ancient World, and May 22nd for other subjects. Study Days are scheduled in April and August, with free accommodation and travel support provided.

History Study Day

 Thursday 20th March 2025.

Mansfield College, The University of Oxford

In this study day, we will explore together how people in different times and places have worked together to change the world around them - from popular rebellions in the fourteenth century to the women's liberation movement in the twentieth century. We will analyse their concerns, strategies, and impact - as well as thinking about the sources and methods historians have used to understand and interpret these movements. You don't need to be studying protest in your existing curriculum and no previous knowledge of the specific topics are required - in fact, hopefully, you'll benefit from exploring moments in the past you're not already familiar with.

This event is open to pupils in Year 12 attending UK state schools who are interested in studying History at university. You must be studying History at A Level or equivalent and be on track to achieve AAA or above (or equivalent).

Beginners’ Languages Taster Day

Alongside our usual Modern Languages Open Day (which will take place on Saturday 17^th May), this year we will once again be holding an event dedicated to our beginners’ languages courses. This event offers students from UK secondary schools in Year 12 or equivalent an opportunity to gain greater insight into our beginners' languages degree programmes at Oxford. Students in Year 11 who are starting to consider their options for university are also welcome to attend.

The Taster Day will take place on Saturday 8th March in our main Faculty teaching spaces – the Taylor Institution Library and 47 Wellington Square. After an information and Q&A session in the morning, students will have the chance to attend taster sessions in two of our beginners' languages.

The following languages will be represented at the Taster Day: German, Portugese, Italian, Russian, Czeck (with Slovak), Modern Greek, Polish

The provisional event programme can be found here.

Beyond the Classroom: Academic Enrichment Series

Our online after-school academic enrichment programme is back for 2025 and will feature a new series of mini lectures, Oxplore taster sessions, academic skills talks and advice about preparing for university study and submitting a competitive application to university and the University of Oxford.  

You will get a certificate of participation from Trinity College, Oxford, after attending 7 or more sessions! Plus an extension programme for students in year 12 considering applying to Oxford to study a subject that Trinity College teaches. The Extension Programme includes a FREE one night- two day residential taking place at Trinity College on the 10-11th April 2025, a mini tutorial in chosen subject area, access to the library, free time for revision and private study to explore the subject in more detail and meet other participants on the programme.  

 Any state school student in Year 7 to 12 interested in exploring learning across a broad range of themes and cross subject beyond the classroom and/or applying to Oxford. 

 Beginning 5 March until 9 July 2025.  

Online via Teams. 

For Teachers

Trinity College Teacher CPD

Our CPD programme is made up of six sessions, between January and October each year, that each provide up to date practical information and guidance relating to the Oxford application process and the purpose of each stage, for example, the admissions tests and interviews. ​We also have the broader aim of providing teachers and colleagues with guidance that will help them to support their pupils in all higher education applications, as well as those who may have the potential to apply to Oxford. All sessions are online and run throughout 2025.

English Teachers Conference

The annual English Teachers' Conference, hosted by the English Faculty at the University of Oxford, will be held online on 8th February 2025 from 11am to 3pm. The free event requires booking and will feature lectures, information talks, a resource showcase, and a panel discussion. Questions can be directed to [email protected]