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Year 12 Oxford Residential

Wednesday 6th - Thursday 7th April 2022

Oxford Trip 2Thirty Year 12 students participated in a residential at Worcester College in Oxford University where they had the opportunity to visit numerous colleges and city sights. A typical itinerary of the trip is below:

Day 1

  • Welcome and introductions with Admissions & Access Officer in Lecture Room B
  • Talk on admissions/studying at the University of Oxford with Admissions & Access Officer in Lecture Room B
  • Walk to the Pitt Rivers Museum
  • Workshop at the Pitt Rivers Museum
  • Return to Worcester for a tour of the College
  • Treasure Hunt around Oxford

Day 2

  • Interview workshop with Admissions & Access Officer
  • Walk to a second college
  • Tour of a second college
  • Academic taster session at the College

Read about Esme Gutch's (Y12 student) experience below:

"Driving into Oxford on the school coach felt surreal and slightly overwhelming. The old buildings and bustling of students made the city feel instantly charged with history, curiosity and thought. Throughout the trip, we had the opportunity to gain an insight into life at Oxford University. The tours of Worcester College and Brasenose College were really useful as they gave us a taste of what studying and living at a university is like. During the tours given by students around each college, we had the opportunity to ask questions on a range of aspects of life at Oxford. We also had the opportunity to take part in various workshops to introduce us to the application process, interviews and the teaching style. Staying in student accommodation at Worcester and meeting other students made us feel very immersed in the experience.

As well as discovering the colleges, we also explored Oxford by doing a Scavenger Hunt to find certain places in the city. Whilst initially seeming slightly intimidating, as we had to venture into an unknown place on our own, we soon gathered awareness of the city. This was very beneficial, as it made us feel comfortable and safe in the university environment. We visited the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, which was a beautiful building holding the history of our world through research of earth, science, and nature. There was an exhibition on biodiversity which brought together and considered organisms in different types of landscapes, while also uniting art and science, giving all students a fascinating afternoon regardless of their areas of interest.  There were bones everywhere – there was even a whale skeleton suspended above us. The colours and contours of the building seemed to at times blend with the bones, perhaps indicating the role of the museum and the university as an ‘artefact’ in itself, playing a part in the preservation and research of the bones which tell us so much about our history.

Some students also paid a visit to the Bodleian Library which as a library of legal deposit holds every book published in the UK – over 13 million so far! The tour allowed us to discover the incredible history of the library including how it grew into the second largest in the UK. Seeing rows and rows of ancient books from floor to ceiling was magical and felt other-worldly. It was detached from the bustle of outside and a centre for learning and researching. This sense of magic could have been heightened by the ‘Hogwarts-like' feeling of the building with certain scenes having been filmed there! It was difficult to comprehend the vast history, knowledge and ideas contained in the buildings which make up the Bodleian. The students were so grateful to have this opportunity."

Photos by Erin Johnson (Y12) & Mr Sykes

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