LEARNING CENTRE’S 10TH BIRTHDAY IN OXFORD

A learning centre in Oxford, operated by the national charity IntoUniversity in collaboration with the University of Oxford and Christ Church, Oxford, has marked its tenth anniversary of supporting local young people to realise their full potential.

A special event was held at the Oxford South East centre in Blackbird Leys on Thursday 24 April, bringing together community leaders, school children and families, as well as representatives from the University of Oxford, IntoUniversity, and Christ Church.

The Oxford South East centre officially launched in February 2014 to address educational disparities and provide lasting opportunities for young people in the region. Since then, IntoUniversity’s programme has supported more than 5,000 young people from the local area by offering access to new opportunities and continuous guidance with their education; 58% of IntoUniversity Oxford students have progressed to higher education, compared to 20% of students from the local area.

IntoUniversity centres work with young people from the age of 7 until 18, providing holistic support throughout their educational journey. Through academic support, mentoring, and aspiration-raising workshops and visits, the programme aims to enhance students' academic achievements, broaden their awareness of future possibilities, and nurture essential life skills to help them make well-informed decisions about their futures.

The partnership has grown significantly, allowing the programme to reach a greater number of students than ever before. To date, the centre has delivered over 1,340 workshops and organised more than 193 trips to universities, including over 160 visits to the University of Oxford and close to 100 visits to Christ Church, where students have explored college life, gaining a deeper understanding of higher education, as well as taking part in their very own 'degree ceremonies'.

The centre supports six primary schools: Windale, Rose Hill, Orchard Meadow, St Christopher’s, John Henry Newman Academy and Church Cowley St James, and works with four local secondary schools: Cheney School, Greyfriars Catholic School, The Oxford Academy and Wheatley Park.

Students from the age of seven receive after-school academic support, including homework, coursework assistance, and help with literacy and numeracy from trained tutors. One-to-one guidance is provided for GCSE, A-level, and degree-level subject choices, coursework, revision, exam techniques, UCAS forms, interview preparation, and gap year planning.

Professor Irene Tracey CBE FRS FMedSci, Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University, said: 'I am delighted that the IntoUniversity centre in Blackbird Leys has reached this significant milestone. This anniversary marks ten years of inspiring young people from the local area to think about their future and to support them in whatever direction they choose.

'Oxford University's partnership with IntoUniversity is a valuable part of the work we do to support young people from disadvantaged communities to improve their educational outcomes and successfully access higher education. The IntoUniversity team, colleagues across the collegiate University, and the many volunteers that give their time to the programme, should be rightly proud of the impact they have had over the past decade.' 

Dr Rachel Carr OBE, Chief Executive and founder of IntoUniversity, said: 'We are immensely proud to celebrate the tenth anniversary of our Oxford centre, and the continued success of our partnership with the University of Oxford and Christ Church. Over the years, we’ve been fortunate to help many talented young people in Oxford achieve their goals and unlock their full potential. We’re incredibly grateful to the University of Oxford for their continued support, and we look forward to many more years of working together to make a positive difference.'

The Very Revd Prof Sarah Foot, Dean of Christ Church, said: 'Christ Church is proud to continue to play a lead role in supporting IntoUniversity Oxford South East, a centre tackling educational disadvantage in our local community. As well as co-funding the centre in Blackbird Leys together with the University of Oxford, Christ Church hosts IntoUniversity events in college, where pupils find out about university and Oxford from our current students and members of staff. In our 500th anniversary year, we congratulate IntoUniversity Oxford South East on their significant achievements over the past decade.'