Daniel Powell, Head of Outreach and Communications at New College, Oxford, shares an introduction to Oxford University’s school outreach work, including an opportunity to join the college’s own Step-Up-Programme.

Founded by William of Wykeham in 1379, New College is one of the oldest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford. Occupying a large site in the centre of the city, the college is a diverse and welcoming institution which is made up of roughly 430 undergraduates and 360 graduate students. We are looking forward to hosting a NACE member meetup next month on the theme “Rethinking Assessment”, and to working with NACE on future projects.

How is outreach organised at Oxford University?

Oxford University operates a regionalised approach to its outreach work. Each broad region of the UK will have a dedicated consortium of colleges, who hold responsibility for delivering outreach opportunities to schools in those regions. The central university team will also support schools in certain parts of the UK. You can read more about the regionalised approach to outreach here.  

New College is excited to be part of the consortia responsible for outreach provision in Wales. If you are a Welsh state school and are interested in finding out about how New College and the Wales Consortia can support your school, then please do get in touch via oxfordcymru@admin.ox.ac.uk

What outreach initiatives does New College offer?

Since its foundation in the 14th century, New College has been a pioneer for outreach work. As one of the few Oxford colleges to have a motto written in English, rather than Latin, we have always wanted to be known as an institution that is available and accessible to all, regardless of background.  In the last few years, the college has been able to expand the work that we do and we now have a team made up of Daniel, Shelby (the College’s Outreach Officer), and Stephen (the College’s Outreach Fellow).  

In 2020, we formed the Oxford for Wales Consortia with St. Catherine’s College and Jesus College, to support the University in its regionalised approach to outreach. Daniel and Shelby, as a South and North Walian respectively, are aware of the potential barriers that Welsh students may face when considering Oxford, and are extremely keen to support Welsh teachers, students, and parents in any way that they can.

In addition to regionalised work in Wales, New College also delivers its own sustained-contact initiative, the Step-Up Programme.

What is New College’s Step-Up Programme?

Launched in 2017, New College’s Step-Up Programme is a sustained-contact initiative that is designed to inspire and support state school students throughout Years 11, 12 and 13. It is a non-regionalised outreach initiative with state schools and sixth form colleges from across England and Wales currently enrolled on the programme. Broken into a series of steps, the programme aims to ensure that students with high academic potential recognise that Oxford can be an achievable and realistic goal.   

After beginning in a pilot phase with nine schools in 2017, the programme has gradually grown and New College currently works with 30 state schools and sixth form colleges across England and Wales.  As a fully funded programme, there are minimal costs for schools, and sessions take place either in a school setting or at New College.  

As we recognise that applying to Oxford can sometimes feel like an overwhelming prospect, each step of the programme focuses on a different aspect of the application process. We aim to dispel myths, reassure students, and support schools, so that Oxford University begins to feel like a realistic and achievable ambition.

With a group of New College students to support and offer their own ideas and advice, our outreach team works with schools to break down the barriers that students may be concerned about, providing them with the ‘step up’ they might need.  

If you think that New College’s Step-Up Programme would benefit your school and students, you can read more about the programme on the New College website.

How can schools join the Step-Up Programme?

We are potentially looking to expand the Step-Up Programme. If you would like your school to be considered, please register your interest by emailing stepup@new.ox.ac.uk. Interested schools should be state-funded 11-18 schools or state-funded sixth-form colleges.  

Find out more… Visit the New College website, or follow our Twitter (@NewCollegeOx) or Instagram (@newcollegeoxford) accounts for regular updates about life at New College, Oxford.

Plus... We look forward to meeting some of you in person at the NACE member meetup on 23 March 2022. Read more and register here. 

This month Episkopi Primary School in Cyprus became the second school outside the UK to gain the NACE Challenge Award – following in the footsteps of Malta’s Chiswick House School. Assistant Headteacher Rebecca Ross explains how the school has worked collaboratively within a cluster to develop high-quality provision for more able learners, in the context of challenge for all.

There is a shared partnership agreement across the six UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) schools based in Cyprus. We work in collaboration to achieve joint goals and most recently have been developing provision further for the more able. All the MoD schools on the island have followed the NACE Challenge Framework, which has ensured consistency in approaches, and has had a huge impact on provision for more able learners across the curriculum.

Below are five areas of collaboration we’ve found effective:

1. Whole-cluster meetings for more able leaders

While there is quite a distance between the schools, collaboration is of high importance and regular meetings for more able leaders has been essential for developing consistency. Investing in whole-day meetings allows quality time to focus on moderation, assessment and enrichment opportunities. More able leaders each take turns in hosting the meetings at their school. This has been a great opportunity for leaders to tour each school and share best practice. Subject leaders have also collaborated in this way, using the supporting resources provided alongside the Challenge Framework to audit their subjects. These resources have been particularly useful when identifying the characteristics of more able learners in specific subjects and collaborating on strategies to support them to reach their full potential.

2. Building partnerships beyond the cluster

Being on a small island does not limit the opportunities for our learners. All our schools are outward-facing and proactive in seeking a range of partnerships to create innovative opportunities for learning and progression. Budget cuts could limit opportunities, but as a cluster we overcome this by sharing costs and working collaboratively to build quality and sustainable partnerships. Strong links have been made with universities in the UK. For example, Leicester University’s Archaeological Department has been working with our schools for a number of years, providing digs and workshops on the island. Developing links that benefit both parties has strengthened the opportunities provided.

3. Collaborating on enrichment opportunities

A range of enrichment days are regularly run across the island for learners who have a particular talent in a subject or for those who show a true interest. These allow application of skills in new and challenging ways, as well as learning new techniques and strategies with like-minded individuals. It is also good preparation for secondary school and gives our learners the chance to meet some of their future peers. As a cluster, we draw on staff expertise to run these days and pupils travel to the different schools or visit external sites. By not limiting enrichment to just core subjects, many learners with varied talents have benefited from these opportunities.

4. Sharing expertise to support CPD

We do not have easy access to UK training courses; therefore we seek to maximise opportunities for CPD through the use of shared courses, resources, facilities and existing expertise. This is far more cost-effective and encourages staff to actively keep up to date with current research and best practice in their subject. Challenge for all has been a key focus for the Cyprus Schools Consortium and this shared and focused approach has been central to CPD. Regular cross-island subject leader meetings have included both primary and secondary representatives. This has up-skilled leaders in different phases, while strengthening transition links.

5. Collaborating to provide inspiring role models

The cluster works closely to provide opportunities that inspire learners and allow them to consider their futures. Many of our learners have spent their entire lives in a military setting and are not exposed to the same experiences as others their age might be. As a whole-island team, we know that role models are a powerful way to inspire young people about their future possibilities. It is so important for learners to hear real people from their own community and beyond, sharing personal stories of why they do what they do and how they got there – their aspirations, struggles, challenges, failures and how they overcame them. We know that this type of interaction encourages learners to discover their own aptitudes and passions and follow their dreams.

About the NACE Challenge Development Programme

The NACE Challenge Development Programme offers a complete package for whole-school review and improvement in provision for more able learners, in the context of challenge for all. It supports schools, clusters, alliances and trusts already demonstrating good or outstanding provision in this field, as well as those for whom this is a key area for improvement. Schools working with the programme may choose to apply for formal accreditation through the NACE Challenge Award.

Read more or contact us to find out how the programme could support your school or cluster.