Saturday 2nd August 2025
Blog Page 1438

#copsoffcampus London protests: Live Blog

Samuele Volpe
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#copsoffcampus London protests: Live Blog

19:16 – To sign off with a modicum of clarity, here are a few quick facts from today’s protest:

  • It began at 14:00 outside the University of London Union’s buildings.
  • During the protest, Senate House (the administrative HQ of the University of London was briefly occupied. 
  • The blanket injunction on protest on the UoL’s Bloomsbury campuses has been breached.
  • The demonstration lasted around 4 hours, taking in locations such as Whitehall, Picadilly, and Buckingham Palace, before returning to the ULU building. 
  • Some vandalism of bins has been reported, but at this time there is little news of arrests. 
  • The demonstration was largely peaceful, despite isolated pockets of ‘over-excited’ protesters.

That’s about that then, I’ve been @samuelevolpe.

18:35 – Reaction to the BBC Six O’Clock news has been somewhat mixed too though, with many on twitter attacking the corporation for being slow to pick up on the protests, and then for focusing upon isolated examples of vandalism. We at Cherwell will leave you to make your own minds up about today’s coverage, but we have done our best to provide some!

18:30 – Now reaction is beginning to trickle in, and it’s not all supportive I’m afraid. The usual establishment-types are tweeting about damage to bins – perhaps fairly – whilst it comes to my attention that various twitter accounts masquerading as policeman have enjoyed using patronising references to “mummy and daddy” in response to our reporting…  On a more positive note, here is a nice summarising tweet from Max Long:

17:54 – Estimates that there are only around 150 protesters remaining really do suggest that today’s events are on their last legs. Which is a shame because as some tweeters on the hashtag have suggested, there was definite potential for the protest to merge with a screening of the new Hobbit film. To be serious for a second though, it seems worthwhile to let Michael Chessum – courtesy of C4 – explain why he, and everyone else, has spent the day protesting. 

17:42 – It appears that the protest has now turned into a tour of the West End. No bad thing according to this correspondent…

17:32 – Spoke too soon, the splinter group is heading down Picadilly, and confused celebrities have been spotted. 

17:28 – There’s a definite sense that things are winding down out there. More as we get it. 

17:16 – As intimated below, it seems that the protest has split into two, with one group now back at ULU, and the other continuing on past Buckingham Palace. 

17:09 – We’re hearing that the protesters are attempting to regroup. With University of London Union president Michael Chessum instrumental in rallying the troops. Chessum was of course intimately involved in the controversy which kick-started this whole affair, as he was arrested last month having organised a protest against the closure of the University of London union. 

16:59 – A potential candidate for ‘chant of the day’ has emerged. “Lamborghinis for the masses not just for the ruling classes” will take some beating. (Although that level of luxury for all is potentially quite unrealistic?)

16:58 – Apparently the protest has spread, with sit-in ‘occupations’ taking place in both Manchester and Aberdeen.

16:45 – Twitter is buzzing with reaction to the demonstration today. Most of it on the hashtag #copsoffcampus seems supportive.

16:31 – As the protest bears down upon Whitehall and Downing Street, anti-government feeling is obvious from chants of “here we come Tory scum”. Understandably there is a huge police presence around government buildings.

16:24 – The protest is now moving towards the Strand, and thankfully Max Long is reporting that the majority of protesters are showing restraint. 

16:02 – Things are taking a sinister turn as police vehicles are attacked. 

15:55 – Cherwell’s correspondent on the ground is reporting that protesters are now occupying both sides of Southampton Row, and vociferous anti-police chanting can be heard.

15:45 – The effects of the protest are being felt by Londoners throughout the city, with Cherwell alumni voicing worries about the effect upon public transport.

15:42 – As the demonstration moves from SOAS towards Russell Square by all accounts the crowds are massive, and leaving an impression:

15:36 – Cherwell’s very own Max Long is now on the scene as the protest continues. 

14:55 – Reports indicate that Senate House is currently being occupied by protesters. Here at Cherwell we have an incline that this occupation may be rather brief however…

14:24 – As the protest gathers steam around London, our attention has been drawn to this piece by the union Unite, who show overwhelming support for the protesters. http://www.unitetheunion.org/news/student-demos-crackdown-condemned-by-unite/

14:00 – Demonstration begins at University of London Union, Malet Street. 

Oxford students support “Cops Off Campus” day of action

Cameron Quinn
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Oxford students support “Cops Off Campus” day of action

A demonstration began at 2pm today in central London, attended by a number of Oxford students, to protest against the violence of police towards university students, as well as showing solidarity with university staff and opposing the privatisation of student debt.

Recent reports suggest that student protestors from around the UK have joined the march through central London, and a large number of similar protests are set to take place in university towns and cities in the rest of the country.

Some of the protestors have reportedly attempted to enter Senate House, a research library near Russell Square, despite occupiers of the building last week being evicted by the police last Wednesday.

A group of Oxford students has also issued a statement to show solidarity with students across the UK who have been the victims of repressive policing in recent days.

The statement, signed at press time by 83 students and staff members from 27 Oxford colleges and Oxford Brookes, was issued in advance of a national “Cops Off Campus” day of action called today. One notable name among the signatories was new OUSU president-elect Louis Trup, who could not be reached for comment.

The open letter states that Oxford students and staff are “deeply disturbed by the disproportionate and violent reaction of the police, security and university managements to student protests over the last week during national strike action against pay cuts”.

The national protest, which is being attended by nearly 3000 people according to its Facebook event, was organised in response to a series of violent police crackdowns on student protests and occupations in a number of universities across the country. It is unclear how many Oxford students are among them, though a small group of Wadham students had organized a solidarity Facebook group.

Last Wednesday, private security employees stormed the University of London’s Senate House building in order to evict an occupation in support of better pay and working conditions for university staff, seizing protesters and handing them over to police. A day before the occupation began, a High Court judge had granted a six month injunction banning occupation-style protests at the University. Video later surfaced on the internet of a police officer punching a student, and police made five arrests in a crowd of scarcely more than 100.

In a demonstration against police brutality held the following day, between 34 and 43 students, including the editor of the University of London’s student paper, Oscar Webb, were arrested amidst violent confrontations between police and protesters. London police officers were recorded striking protesters with batons and dragging them by the hair.

According to the Oxford activists, the issues at play go beyond the role of university administrations and security forces in squelching dissent. The statement by Oxford students and staff links the struggle against police repression to broader issues facing universities.

It reads, “The freedom to protest is a healthy part of any society, but is particularly important for students and staff now facing an unprecedented assault on public higher education. In the context of the sell-off of student loans, sweeping cuts to pay and conditions, cuts to courses and student numbers, privatisation, and talk of raising the tuition fee cap yet again, there is every reason for those who value education to voice their dissent loudly and clearly.”

Edmund Schluessel, a member of the National Union of Students’ Executive Council, confirmed to Cherwell that the increased reliance on police and security forces to counter protest was directly related to lecturers’ campaigns for fair pay. “Vice chancellors are attacking students as a proxy because they can’t make lecturers and other staff back down in their demand for fair pay,” he said.

While the centre of gravity of the Cops Off Campus movement presently lies at other universities, Oxford activists maintain that the issues are nevertheless deeply relevant to the collegiate University. Nathan Akehurst, a third-year History and Politics student at Lincoln and organiser in the recent lecturer strike, told Cherwell, “Oxford has one of the largest security apparatuses in the country, has victimised protesters in the past, and until 2001 had a full-scale private police force.”

Akehurst stressed that Oxford students should be doing more to support the Cops Off Campus cause. “Strengthening the campaign here sends a clear message to the University that suppressing dissent will not be tolerated by the student body,” he said.

“Protest rights are not negotiable, and now more than ever the student body needs to be standing together against issues such as low staff pay, the sell-off of our loans and the spectre of £16,000 tuition fees.”

 

JCR VP apologises for "inappropriate" link in email

Jack Prescott
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JCR VP apologises for "inappropriate" link in email

The outgoing Magdalen JCR Vice President has apologised for sending out an email which contained a hyperlink to an image of self-harm last Thursday. The email sought to address bullying in Magdalen College, but nonetheless attracted criticism from students for the graphic image.

In his final email to the JCR before the end of his tenure, Jamie Miles listed the failures and successes of his time as VP. In one section, which was addressed “to the bullies”, he highlighted a recent bullying problem in college and quoted an email he had sent to someone who had been reported for bullying. It read, “Just remember that one day, one of your vindictive or sarcastic remarks might be enough to push someone over the edge. People have enough stuff to cope with in this place.”

Miles has been criticised for embedding a hyperlink in the text, linking the phrase “over the edge” to a graphic image of a slashed wrist, thus exposing anybody who clicked on it to violent imagery without any warning.

He immediately sent an apologetic follow-up email, expressing regret over what he described as “a foolish act” and requesting that anyone who had not clicked on the link should not go back and look at it.

Miles told Cherwell that his email had been trying to address an all-too-prevalent bullying problem in the Magdalen JCR that had been present over the last term. When asked to expand upon the nature of the incidents, Miles said that he could not comment on these incidents because they are currently being investigated by the college.

Cameron Quinn, a fourth year at Magdalen, said, “Some people in the college find it personally amusing to antagonise others for sport. This is, as Jamie said in his e-mail, a disgrace, and it was both brave and necessary to bring it up. Unfortunately, Jamie chose to make this very important point in a way that perhaps wasn’t completely thought through, and that’s a shame, because it may mean that the people in college who bully people escape attention and blame.”

Another student added, “I understand that he wanted to send an important message out but he did so in a completely inappropriate way.”

When asked about the possibility of bullying culture at Magdalen, a spokesperson for OUSU’s Mind Your Head campaign stressed the importance of students recognising the psychological impact of bullying. They told Cherwell, “We know that bullying is linked to a number of negative outcomes, including increased rates of depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and suicide, particularly when it occurs alongside existing mental health conditions.

“In the event that a student is feeling abused in any way, there are a number of resources available for them in Oxford including peer supporters, welfare reps, and the counselling service.”

Introduction to… Lieder

William Pimlott
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Introduction to… Lieder

German “Lieder” (“songs” normally sung by one singer with a piano accompaniment)  are one of the most intense and successful examples of music and poetry mixing in Western Civilisation. If the words “Western Civilisation” put you off, or the mention of classical music causes an impending sense of hopelessness before an inevitable boredom, that is exactly why you should give them a chance. Lieder offer a chance to listen to classical music in the format of 3 minute long pop songs, a format that helps break down many of the barriers that can get in the way of enjoying classical music. The melodies are often set to poems from a golden age of German poetry, spreading from Sturm and Drang write through to late Romantic poetry. It is as if Miley Cyrus were channeling Elizabeth Bishop. Or it is as if Beethoven wrote a song and got Elizabeth Bishop to do the words, or vice versa, a song about a young boy pricking his hand on a rose or an evening by the fire, and Miley Cyrus stunned by how excellent this song was, and indeed how shallow her oeuvre in comparison up to that point had been, took a long and rewarding and with retrospect life-redeeming look in the mirror and developed a life long interest in Lieder and their best singer Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau. In such a case let us all be Miley Cyrus’s.

1. Seligkeit (Text by Ludwig Heinrich Christoph Hölty, Music by Schubert, sung by Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4muPgyvInE

My favourite Lied, the opening words “Joys without number bloom in heaven’s hall” are an expression of the “Seligkeit” (blissfulness) of the title of the song. But it is really the refrain and the yearning of “O da möcht’ ich sein, Und mich ewig freun!” (“O there I’d like to be, and endless rejoice”), the only sentence I could understand when I first heard the song, that I really love.

2. Die Taubenpost (Text by Johann Gabriel Seidl, Music by Schubert, sung by Heinrich Schlusnuss)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IM-yHRqRsg

The tale of a carrier pigeon, the song builds until the repeated statement that the pigeon is called “Sehnsucht” (“longing”) and is the emissary of the loyal lover. Perhaps the last song Schubert ever wrote before his early death, the song seems somehow too joyful.

3. Der Doppelgänger (Text by Heinrich Heine, Music by Schubert, sung by Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKVnL9JvuO8 

Showing the emotional versatility of Lieder, one of Heine’s most famous poems is put to music capturing the narrator’s horror and misery, as he sees his “Doppelgänger” before the house of his beloved.

4. An Syliva/Heidelröslein

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHas4Fss1fA / http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QG-B8inb9YE

The two most feel-good and catchy of the Lieder. “An Syvia” takes a song from Shakespeare’s Gentlemen of Verona and immortalises it for a German audience, while Goethe’s “Heidelröslein” is a simple and yet hypnotising take of a young boy who pricks his hand on a rose.

5. Dörthe

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQRXu8pKUIo

It is difficult to trace a link between these songs and German songs today. Nonetheless, and ever if this song defiles the aforementioned German songs just by its presence on this list, Dörthe, a parody of a heartfelt love song by comedian Rainald Grebe is irresistable. It also proves to all those xenophobes out their who have nevertheless clicked on an article about German classical music and read to this point, that the Germans have a sense of humour.

This website has to be recommended for all Lieder fans http://www.recmusic.org/lieder/

Why this is a golden age of journalism

William Pimlott
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Why this is a golden age of journalism

Don’t listen to the reactionaries and don’t listen to (many of) the journalists themselves: today is a golden age for journalism and we should be happy about it. There has been a broadly successful transition for most newspapers from print to being online when it comes to maintaining readership and more newspaper articles are read than ever before. Yes, none of the newspapers are making money yet from the internet. But newspapers have nearly always been funded by a combination of patronage, advertising and consumer fees and we are now just in a transition phase. There has always been censorship in newspapers, and whether it is dictated by the patrons, advertisers or the consumers, the internet will probably do little to change that balance.

No-one in our age group seems to buy newspapers, or to have ever really bought newspapers, certainly not daily, but everyone now reads newspapers online. Engagement with newspapers among young people is more thorough now that it was. And through social media more articles are being read, shared and discussed than ever before. Editors exercise the same influence in selecting and prioritising content as they always did, only now it is not by choosing which page the scoop goes on, but how often and where it is posted with social media.

It is also better for journalism, a medium that until recently was relatively transient, that everything is now archived and easily accessible to everyone (bar the incoming threat of pay-walls). Analysing attitudes over a time period, or tracing media bias, is now far easier. This rise in public discussion of articles also seems to be positively affecting student activism. The ability to discuss or share articles that portray or react to events that are important to certain causes means that journalism is as close now to the centre of political and social developments in the public consciousness as it ever was. The difference now is that the media is under more scrutiny than ever and factual errors and heinous insults are more quickly outed. We can hope then that newspapers working with activists, or rather activists working through andagainst newspapers, might play a broadly progressive role

A widely spread fear exists that the internet will simply splitter into endless erroneous blogs. But the popularity of websites which provide a variety of content from different authors still seems to be vastly higher than any blogs belonging only to an individual. Clive Martin writes for Vice, Guido Fawkes writes a column for the Sun. Even the most successful individual blogs or most idiosyncratic writers want to work with traditional collective news platforms.

The troubling form of employment in the industry is a problem. Even senior journalists seem to struggle to earn enough. Only two equally blind hopes seem to combat this negative image of the state of affairs. The first is that the current impasse on the profit side of newspapers is overcome as a new balance is found, hopefully one that does not involve Paywalls but more lucrative advertising. The second is that a different culture of journalism develops, a journalism where most people work as journalists outside of their times spent doing other jobs, a bit like students working for student newspapers. Journalist and activist, journalist and lecturer, journalist and social worker, maybe that will be the new professional journalist of the future. This does not mean that established journalists have the right to pull the ladder up beneath them by not offering any employment schemes, nor should they offer internships that do not assist those without financial support or who do not live in London. That is a kind of professional self harm.

There is much nostalgia for newspapers that used to come out daily as if the world was somehow slower before. Of course even then there were morning and evening papers, telegrams etc. But the real point is that newspapers have always been connected to delivering news speedily. Journal comes from jour, they were out as quickly as possible. This increased speed of delivery of news content is another positive element in the world of journalism, one that builds its popularity and increases demand. 24 hour news should create three times more jobs.

Oxford is an example of this golden age of journalism. We have three substantial and interesting student news outlets that deliver daily content, news broadcasting sites, magazines (some connected to activism networks), all of which interact with themselves and with a fair share of the student body. They also influence our student politics, with the Tab recently notably claiming they crowned Trup. Journalism is going through a financially rough time, but money aside, this may be the start of a golden age. And it’s our responsibility to be optimistic, as we student journalists might well be the journalists of the future, in whatever guise journalism then takes.

Port Meadow death confirmed as student

Cherwell News Team
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Port Meadow death confirmed as student

The man found dead in a tent at Port Meadow on Sunday afternoon has been named as Andrew Kirkman, a student at Balliol College.

Sir Drummond Bone, Master of Balliol College, said in a statement this afternoon, “It is with deep sadness that we can confirm that Andrew Kirkman, a second year undergraduate at Balliol College reading Physics and Philosophy, died on Sunday on Port Meadow. Our thoughts and condolences go out to Andrew’s parents and his family and close friends at this extremely difficult time.

“Andrew was a friendly and thoughtful student and a valued contributor to the life of the College. We are offering support and counselling to all those at the College who have been affected by this tragedy.”

Kirkman, 20, was discovered by a passer-by at around 12.30pm on Sunday. A police spokesman said there were no suspicious circumstances and officers were treating the death as unexplained. He is belived to have mixed together chemicals to make the lethal compound hydrogen sulphide.

Within an hour of the discovery, Port Meadow had been cordoned off and six people were treated at the scene by paramedics after being exposed to the dangerous chemicals.

A statement on behalf of Andrew’s parents reads, “Andy was loved by everyone who knew him. He was a kind young man who took great pleasure in helping other people. He will be sorely missed. We ask for the privacy of his family to be respected.”

Port Meadow was re-opened to the public earlier today.

Interview: Dr Timothy Hands

Rowan Borchers
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Interview: Dr Timothy Hands

Just over Magdalen Bridge, Magdalen College School’s gates face the porters’ lodge of St Hilda’s. Students use Christ Church’s recreation ground for PE; their cross country pitch overlooks Merton. With such proximity to Oxford University, it’s no surprise that MCS’s Oxbridge success rate is so high: this year, a record 47 pupils left for Oxford and Cambridge.

Much of the academic success of MCS has been attributed to its headmaster, Dr Tim Hands. Known for his criticism of government education policy over the last 30 years, this year he was elected chairman of the Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference, which represents many independent schools in the UK. For Hands, one of the main outcomes of increasingly centralised education policy has been decreased access to the UK’s top universities for students from state schools.

He explains his objection to the government’s education policy. “I work in the independent sector now through a belief that a politicised state is a restrainer of and meddler with education. You ask me, why does this school do well? We avoid change. Governments by and large have, whether a red or blue colour, introduced diverse and confusing educational initiatives.”

This is one of the main barriers to university access, Hands claims. “If you’re constantly having to teach a new exam, you can’t get stability and rhythm in what you’re doing. All teachers are currently preparing for exams they don’t know the shape of, they don’t know the mark scheme for, they don’t know the specification for. It’s very wearing.” These changes favour independent school candidates because, “the more complicated you make systems, and the more you change them, the more disadvan taged those without advice are.”
He is critical of the coalition’s education reforms. Addressing the Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference last month, he said that the last half century has been characterised by, “the intrusion of the government and the disappearance of the child” through education reform. Today, he is similarly scathing.

“Essentially the way Michael Gove wants to move the syllabus is to how it was when I was an undergraduate at Oxford — Middlemarch and so on. And you know, Middlemarch isn’t the best fare for everyone doing English at A-Level. There should be options that allow pupils to differentiate.”

Hands’ belief in improving access rests on his life experiences. He was a “state school educated Cambridge reject”, only coming to Oxford for postgraduate study at St Catz and Oriel. His father grew up “in what was then condemned as a slum, and isn’t there anymore”. His family’s experience has influenced his understanding of how background can influence academic attainment. He speaks of how his father “couldn’t work in his home, because he didn’t have his own room, and the sound of the piano and guitar playing penetrated everywhere. So although he’s fantastically philosophical about things, you can see your background has to help.”

Nevertheless, he says, the impact of a students’ social background is exacerbated by the way Oxford approaches admissions. At other universities, bright students with the right grades would get in — at Oxford, the dependence on aptitude tests undermines this. When Cambridge introduced the A*, “Oxford said, we want aptitude tests. And you can see the advantage of that, you can strip down background and teaching and so on, but I’ve never been convinced that there’s such a thing as an exam you can’t prepare for.”

This, says Hands, has handed success to independent schools. There remains opposition to the A* grade, but the new grade is the only guarantor that intelligent state school students will be identified. For example, Gordon Brown opposed the A* because, “he felt that it would highlight achievement in the independent sector. Well, there’s only one way to make things better, and that’s confront problems and sort them. This was just him burying his head in the sand.”

Despite the importance of grades, schools must provide more than academic success. If schools are defined by league tables, they will encourage students to do useless, “easy” subjects. “The reason people do General Studies is to ratchet up another A-Level. That’s another high grade, which means your league position is higher. The Department for Education uses league tables as a mechanism, whereas we don’t believe in league tables. They tell you nothing about its pastoral care, its extra curricular activities, which are two of the tripos you need.”

There is a lack of aspiration in many schools, which further undermines access. “Before working in Oxford, which is by and large a middle class city, with higher educational aspiration, I worked in Portsmouth — it’s a poor area, which outputs peace or war depending on your reading of the Royal Navy. I had two students in my independent school who had places at Cambridge to read Maths, who turned them down to go to Warwick. They were suspicious of Cambridge and they thought Warwick was more friendly, a better deal. So raising aspiration has got to be an important thing, and all schools should be doing that.”

The problem exists across the country. As Hands notes, “The Sutton Trust [an educational research charity] has shown that some schools will not recommend people to go to Oxford and Cambridge. Now these are fantastic universities, and the idea that you wouldn’t recommend people that were suitable to have a look or to take a try, that seems to me something that is regrettable.”

With these odds stacked against state school applicants, how do students from MCS compare? Are private school leavers over-prepared for Oxford, whether they deserve a place or not? Hands says not. “The flaw is that this idea presupposes that Oxford tutors are stupid people. It’s a very simplistic view that you can prepare for interview, and you know when you sit down with your tutor they go through that. They have minds that go right to the heart of the issue. It’s good to have help, but to have interview after interview is just counterproductive.”

Yet the press frequently suggests that independent schools heavily prep their students. He explains this through the fact that newspapers “want to sell”.

“There’s a stated policy of one newspaper, which I won’t name, that it wants to make you worried if you have your child at an independent school, or worried if you have your child at a state school… There are two myths in the press: one that Oxford discriminates in favour of independent schools, and one that it discriminates against them. Both of them can’t be true, and in reality, neither is.”

This expression of faith in the admissions process goes further than most teachers, and is surprising considering Hands’ broader critique of access. However, considering MCS’s success in Oxbridge admissions, it’s understandable.

Investigation: are schools failing Oxford applicants?

Rowan Borchers
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Investigation: are schools failing Oxford applicants?

Under half of comprehensively educated students at Oxford think their school did enough to encourage their application.

An investigation by Cherwell shows that 34 per cent of students at non-selective sixth forms thought they were “not offered enough encouragement”, with another 18 per cent “unsure”. 

For schools whose students normally achieved grades lower than BBC at A-Level, over two thirds said they were not encouraged to apply.

The results were in stark contrast to respondents who had attended independent schools. Less than one fifth of independent sixth form alumni said they were not offered enough encouragement.

Results from selective grammar schools were similar: 72 per cent said they received enough encouragement, against 16 per cent who did not.

The results come as part of a Cherwell investigation into how schools promote university applications. 318 Oxford students responded to questions about their past school and its attitude to Oxbridge.

Overall, the survey shows a striking contrast between the support available in non-selective state schools and independent schools. When asked to give a rating out of five for their school’s support during applications, only 36 per cent of state school attendees gave a four or five, against 68 per cent of independent school alumni.

A spokesperson for the University of Oxford emphasised Oxford’s access work. “Oxford tries hard to ensure that all those with the potential to succeed apply — regardless of background — and devotes more energy and resources to outreach activity than just about any other university in the country.”

They noted that the University spends £4.5 million on outreach work, and is in contact with 78 per cent of all sixth forms, “virtually all schools with students capable of making a competitive application to Oxford”.

They continued, “The University over the past several years has focussed an enormous amount of effort in working with teachers, allowing Oxford to help many cohorts of students via their teachers rather than individual students in any given year.”

Nevertheless, many state school students had negative preconceptions of prestigious universities when they applied. When asked for the word or phrase they most associated with Oxbridge, the most common answers related to academia, especially the words “elite”, “academic” and “prestige”.

But the fourth most cited word was “posh”, with 18 uses, followed by “elitist” with 11. The words “intimidating”, “exclusive”, “toff”, “snobby”, “stuck-up”, “privilege”, and “daunting” were chosen by a further 15 current students.

The survey implies that most comprehensive schools take a back-seat in encouraging students to apply. 64 per cent of non-selective state school students said their family was more important than their school in motivating them to apply. One comprehensive school alumnus said the main encouragement for their application was “God”.

Students had a huge variety of experiences during their applications. Many were discouraged before applying. 

One respondent described being told by a Year 11 Careers Advisor that “there was ‘no point’ in applying to Oxbridge: the implication — ‘people like us never get in.’”

One respondent was told that Oxbridge “was elitist and I wouldn’t fit in.” Another said Oxford was presented as an “elite and snobby institution.” 

Many comprehensive school students were told inaccurate information about the qualifications required. Several students were told that not having solely A*s at GCSE disqualified them from the process.

As one respondent wrote, “Multiple teachers told me that I wouldn’t get in and so it wasn’t worth applying: this was well intentioned insofar as they didn’t want to waste my time, but obviously had the potential to be incredibly harmful to my prospects.”

A different student described a similar problem. “The thinking was that you had to be academically perfect to get into Oxford. If you were you would be encouraged”. One undergraduate said their school was “run by people who had no idea about the application process and used admissions statistics to scare students into feeling inadequate.”

According to some respondents, these problems were exacerbated by the presentation of Oxford. One current graduate student, who did not apply to Oxford for undergraduate study, described a physics open day: “All my prejudices were confirmed, mostly by other students I met at the open day, many of whom had a strong sense of entitlement.”

In one student’s eyes, Oxonian institutions were unappealing: “The emphasis on the long history and elaborate customs discourages comprehensive school students.” These problems were increased by the “choice of open day representatives” who reinforced “a particular image of an Oxford student.”

Even among non-selective state schools that did encourage Oxbridge applications, misconceptions were common; in the words of one pupil, the school “had the right intentions throughout, but virtually no idea of actual useful advice.” For one person, “the teachers were quite supportive but didn’t really know how to give me practical help and I had no practice interviews at school.”

However, not all non-selective state schools reported such negative experiences. In one case, a student described holding lessons with “specially catered personal statement writing for Oxford, mock interviews, and Oxbridge meetings trying to encourage people to apply.”

Other students praised their comprehensive school. “Teachers suggested I apply and I would never have thought I was capable of making an application on my own,” said one current undergraduate. Another said “before my English teacher in Year 12 suggested I could apply, I would never have thought I could: Oxbridge was too posh and for geniuses.”

Many alumni of independent schools wrote that applications to Oxbridge were considered the norm. One Old Etonian said, “Literally everyone applied so the encouragement was inherent.”

An alumnus of Westminster School said, “It was assumed most of us would want to apply, although my tutor was emphatic that it was not the best for certain things. The school hypes it tremendously… I think it’s quite self-selective — if you go to Westminster you probably have Oxbridge ambitions.”

Grammar school students also said that applications to Oxbridge were normal. One said that it was “far less of a big deal than I was expecting.” Another alumnus said, “I don’t think I had the normal experience — over 50 students applied to Oxbridge from my school in my year, and around 15 got places.”

The outcomes of the survey reflect the demography of the University of Oxford. Although 93 per cent of students nationally attend state schools, only 57 per cent of offers made in 2012 were to state school students. This is largely due to the number of applications made by each sector, with 63 per cent of Oxford candidates in 2012 coming from independent schools. Students from comprehensives and sixth form colleges made up 28 and 11 per cent of offers in 2012.  

Access: I was lucky to recieve the little help I did

Natalie Hallam
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Access: I was lucky to recieve the little help I did

I attended a comprehensive school in a working-class area, and applying to Ox- ford in the future never crossed my mind; I had never heard about anyone from our local area getting in. It was only after a compulsory careers service meeting that I was lucky enough to be encouraged by an enthusiastic advisor. On the ride home that day, I expressed my new ambitions to my mother. She said she thought “Oxford is beyond our reach”, but it had set the seed in our minds. We started to explore the possibility of Oxbridge together.

I attended a different sixth-form college. It was considered one of the best post-16 further education institutions in our area, but only one to three students gained an offer from Oxbridge each year — and each year group contained 900 students. As a result, there was not nearly as much encouragement to apply. During a parents’ event, one teacher attempted to dissuade me. They expressed a belief that Oxford was not part of the ‘real world’, and that a student from a comprehensive school would not fit. Other teachers were encouraging, but did not believe that I could receive an offer. I was told “not to be too upset” if I didn’t get one.

There was a small service designed to help their students with applications, but I did not find it useful. Most of the information we received could be found by searching on the university website. At a later stage, my history teacher did help me with my application by checking drafts of my personal statement, but I soon got an email stating that this placed too much of a burden on the staff, and that we should only discuss these issues with our personal tutor. My personal tutor was new, had very little experience, and taught Music Technology.

There was an issue with the essay that needed to be submitted with my application. Of the few essays that we had previously been set, none met the university requirements. I reminded my tutor constantly about this problem and by the time my work got submitted I was very close to the deadline, along with another three History applicants. Mostly I had to rely on my parents, but they did not know anyone who attended Oxford and didn’t know where to start.

At one point another teacher gave me a rushed practice interview. This was done in front of the classroom during lesson time. I spent five minutes answering questions which were nothing like those in my actual interview. My reference was also weak, put together from quotes taken from my college report which had been compiled six months previously.

However, with such a large student body, why would I have expected extra help, just because of my ambition? I guess I was lucky to recieve the little help I did.

Access: we’ll get there step by steady step

Rachel Pickering
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Access: we’ll get there step by steady step

Oxford University has come a long way in their admissions process to ensure that today they accept applicants on academic merit alone.

Whilst we as a student body should take pride in the admissions process, it is clear that there is still a long way to go. Yes, Oxford only accepts the brightest. But do the brightest apply to Oxford? I can’t answer definitively but I would argue no.

Investment in outreach and access has dramatically increased in recent years, with the University providing the most generous financial support package to those from the lowest socio-economic backgrounds of any university in the country. The recently published Outreach Database Report calculates that across last academic year 5,870 hours and 18 minutes were spent on outreach activity, amounting to delivery of 22 hours and 30 minutes of activity every working day of the year! This is an incredible number. Compared to other higher education institutions it is clear that we — colleges, the central Univer- sity, departments and students — put more time and resource into our outreach than just about any other university in the coun- try. We should celebrate this success.

However, it is clear that a lot more still needs to be done. It’s true the greatest limiting factor to changing Oxford’s mix of undergraduate students is attainment in schools. However, this fact should not stop us from investing in outreach and being part of the national movement fighting to ensure that educational success is not limited by socio-economic background. We need to broaden our view of outreach work to ensure that the brightest do apply. We can do this by evaluating the current activities we invest in to meet our outreach targets, ensuring that every penny we invest is effective and that our access activities are robust, measurable and targeted. We need to engage prospective students through targeted programmes, whether students are mature learners, BME, student parents or disabled. Only by engaging through targeted programmes can we ensure the message, that academic merit alone determines an Oxford place, is heard and that financial situation is not a barrier to studying here.

In October, OUSU signed up as a partner with Future First to encourage students to #gobackgiveback in their old schools. What’s clear from the week, in which we signed up more students, staff and alumni than any other SU partner, is that we are engaged and committed to ensuring Oxford is an accessible University to which the brightest, irrespective of any other factors, apply. We are committed to meeting our access targets (http://goo.gl/XJ2miJ) and step by step I think we’ll get there. 

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