Balliol College, Oxford

We took 57 Year 10s and 12s to Balliol College, Oxford on Tuesday 14th May! 

Year 10 students are part of the Outstanding Attainer group, and Year 12 a part of the Oxbridge programme. Both programmes include the aim of introducing students to what further education such as at Oxford is like, and help them consider if they would like to apply.

The Year 10s were given a (literally) explosive taster lecture on volcanoes at the Earth Sciences department, while the Year 12s heard a talk on applications and personal statements.

We then enjoyed lunch at Balliol, a tour of Oxford, and a chance then for Year 12s to explore the museums and colleges while Year 10s had a philosophy workshop.

Most of our students had never been before and none of them had seen inside a college so it was really wonderful to be able to open it up to them. Many of them were excited about Oxford and possible applications afterwards and there was a lot of happy chat on the way home.

“I really enjoyed the tour of Oxford and learning about the history behind the buildings. I also really enjoyed the philosophy workshop and discussing fascinating questions.” Student

“The tour of Balliol was very useful for getting a feel of both the college and the university as a whole. The admissions talk was really helpful, especially the part on personal statements”. Student

“I enjoyed the earth sciences talk as it made me rethink plans for A-level and university courses.” Student