Working in collaboration with St Anne’s College and Trinity College, the residential welcomed a group of 44 enthusiastic young people for firsthand experience of Oxford. 

The week-long residential in Oxford marked the culmination of a wider outreach programme that began earlier in the year, with academic sessions, workshops, and events held in Newcastle and Durham. In their five days here, the participants had the unique opportunity to work with tutors specialising in subjects that they are keen to study. Throughout the week, they worked in groups on projects of their interest and presented their research on the final day. They were also able to benefit from a wide array of workshops and guidance sessions, covering topics such as Admissions Tests and effective research presentation. 

Christ Church hosted the participants interested in pursuing higher education in various Humanities subjects – ranging from History and English to Law and Modern Languages. On the final day, participants presented on topics as varied as Sylvia Plath’s poetry to censorship in Italy. Not only did the groups demonstrate immense effort and remarkable teamwork, but they also engaged with each other’s research, sparking lively, insightful debates on subjects such as ethical duties of museums and the challenges posed by natural resources.  

The rigorous research week was also peppered with fun activities. Our wonderful student helpers organised a much-loved Quiz Night and organised games at the University Parks. The week concluded with a delightful celebration and barbecue, marking the end of an intellectually stimulating experience.  

As one of the participants put it, ‘The whole experience has been quite transformative’. Another participant leaves with the hope, ‘I hope I will return to Oxford next year to study here’. With such positive feedback, Aim for Oxford continues to play a key role in widening participation, nurturing academic ambition and intellectual curiosity, and making Oxford feel truly within reach. 

Madhurima Sen, Access & Schools Liaison Officer

Christ Church Admissions & Access Highlights (Aggregated Data 2022–2024)*

The proportion of UK-domiciled female students admitted at Christ Church was of 50.6%;

The proportion of admitted students who applied from the state sector was of 66.3% (increased from 55.9% between 2019 and 2021);

The proportion of Christ Church admitted students eligible for Free School Meals was of 9.1%, above the Oxford average of 7.7%;

Christ Church was the college with the highest proportion of UK-domiciled admitted students from Black, Asian and Minority ethnic groups (34.7%).

*Individual colleges receive varying numbers and proportions of applicants from these groups, which has an effect on the final proportions of students admitted. Oxford’s latest annual admissions report can be read here.