How Far Backwards Are Oxford and Cambridge Bending For State 6th Formers Where You Are?

[SeekEveryEveryKnownHidingPlace]

The last time Oxford and Cambridge were in the news for their largely white and privately educated student body, I remember a lot of talk about how they 'bend over backwards' to widen participation.

So I am surprised that the session where I live (how to apply, what it's like, secrets of successful interviews etc) delivered by an Admissions Tutor from Oxford is happening at the most expensive and exclusive private school in the city. Other sixth formers can go, and our school has let anyone interested know about it, but something about this doesn't scream 'WP' to me.

I know there's an argument that this school probably has the Oxford contact, it works fine this way, if everyone can go then what's the problem... there are three private sixth forms, one state college and four state 11-18 schools here: it had to be somewhere.

But the message this gives out is - private schools are where you go, to go to Oxford and Cambridge, and Oxford and Cambridge are where you go from private schools. The link gets made. The very vast majority of state sixth formers here will never have been through the doors at this private school before: for some of them, it might actually be quite intimidating. The whole thing just suggests an inextricable link between private education and these universities.

So I wondered whether this is the norm, or just us? Anyone?

[Piggywaspushed]

Bold fail...

[Carriemac]

DD is in first year in oxford, she is quiet, not massively confident but very well read.
State school, then private for secondary and at her private 6th form she was mentored by a former oxford fellow who encouraged her to apply. They were supported by a former teacher who the school employs just to mentor the oxbridge applicants and had lots of prep and peer support. She got into a very competitive course with A* A B so must have impressed them at interview.
Her school had an oxford outreach evening, which invited the local state schools, and perhaps 2 or 3 students came. No teachers attended from the state schools.
Her school had 18 offers and 16 subsequent places out of a year of about 120.
We are northern, but my point is without the enormous support and encouragement from her school, and us as her parents, she wouldn't have got in.
She has no courage or chutzpah but has a very quiet confidence
and she loves the place. absolutely loves it.

[ReelingLush18]

Piggywaspushed I'm with you. Responsibility to read around one's subject should be a given (whether one is applying to Oxbridge or not!), surely, if one is serious about doing a degree?

And a love of learning and a curious mind should be a given in anyone capable of getting top A Level grades surely?

I suspect this is what separates the wheat from the chaff for Oxbridge?

[ZBIsabella]

Yes, I read all the works written by all of the authors of my A level English books. No one else in my year did that. No one forced me to do that. The teacher would have suggested it and everyone else ignored it. My parents did not make me or suggest it or even ask about it. It is this question of what we should make allowances for at age 17 to students given a particular background and what we are right to expect (eg high grades or fairly high grades is rightly a requirement from applicants of all backgrounds and in decent subjects)

[boys3]

It is often shocking how little teenagers of all backgrounds read

As observations go, absolutely spot on. With my own DC the difference between DS1 and DS3 is startling, and this in a house full of books (possibly the problem?). I'm choosing to avoid mirrors and blame Netflix.

On a serious point though lack of extended reading, possibly less wide ranging vocabulary, less compelling and / or naturally written PS, less confidence in essay writing (for appropriate subjects)........ Although quite how to address this I'm not sure.

[ReelingLush18]

It is often shocking how little teenagers of all backgrounds read Very much the case here too, sadly. We also have loads of books - so many that most of the DCs' friends comment on them when they visit. AND we read to ours from when they were babies.

I kind of get the N/S division (although I'm sure in the past it won't have been so apparent) because London is where most of the opportunities are. Of DSib's Oxbridge group of friends, most came from Midlands/North but all are now settled in London (with no notion of going back to their roots). So the bright 'northern', working class kids of yesteryear become middle class professionals and part of the 'Establishment' and have the children who will in years to come go to Oxbridge.

[ZBIsabella]

That's true although my Oxbridge sibling works in a profession in Leeds after a stint in London so some people do go back and their children's school there (private) does send a good few to Oxbridge. I think they have about 14 Oxbridge offers (14x my children's London private schoo llast summer) this year but that's a private school and Leeds is not the Sunderland area where my family were from - even my parents' move into Newcastle following university was a similar move from relative poverty to a bigger city with higher pay.

[Piggywaspushed]

The North South divide thing though was a big thing in Thatcher's Britain : always talked about. it seemed to go away as a phrase under Blair etc right through to Cameron and now made a comeback : perhaps austerity? Who knows, but it does seem to be a thing again.