Oxford University working with school staff to widen intake

A top British university is using communication with those in teaching jobs in a bid to boost the number of state school pupils studying there.

Oxford University is targeting school staff in its campaign to encourage more bright students from maintained institutions to apply to the prestigious higher education institution.

Director of undergraduate admissions at the university Mike Nicholson noted that teachers "help many students apply to higher education institution each year".

As a result, in a bid to gain access to more students, Oxford has developed a teachers' e-newsletter as well as having organised a series of regional teachers' conferences, which will be continued this summer.

Mr Nicholson was speaking following the publication of new figures indicating that the number of state school pupils at the university has grown by two per cent since last year, now standing at 55.4 per cent.

Later this month, Cambridge University will be hosting a free residential conference for teachers to enable them to pass on first-hand information about the institution to their students.

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