Access Update: Michaelmas 2024
Last term was a busy and exciting one for Access at St John’s. It was a joy to work with the fantastic pupils at our link schools, from Year 2 all the way to Year 12!
Between September and December 2024, we hosted a total of 14 Access Visits for secondary schools, 5 Inspire Scholars visits, and 3 visits for our Inspire Primary Programme, as well as the inaugural Primary Literacy Day in October.
Access Visits saw pupils from Year 9 to Year 12 enjoy introductory sessions to university study, tours of College with our Student Ambassadors, lunch in Hall, and trips to our partner GLAM institutions such as the Natural History Museum and the Ashmolean. We received really positive feedback from staff and pupils. One teacher commented:
“Thank you so much for hosting our Year 9 trip, they absolutely loved it […] these trips are really useful to the school as our pupils would not otherwise have the opportunity of visiting such inspirational places.”
As part of our Inspire Primary Programme, local primary groups had great fun learning about Oxford through a scavenger hunt in the College Gardens. Year 2 from Windale Primary School – our youngest visitors yet – even caught sight of the resident fox!
Our close relationship with Bayards Hill Primary School has also continued to grow. A new group of Student Ambassadors have been instrumental in leading weekly activities in the school library, as well as providing one-to-one support with guided reading. Plans are now in the works for an after-school club for 2025.
Since October, over 20 new Student Ambassadors have been trained at St John’s – many of whom are freshers. We are really grateful to be working with lots of returning Ambassadors from over the last few years, too. The tours, Q & As, and primary work delivered by Ambassadors make a huge difference to the pupils we work with. Thank you to all our Ambassadors for your work last term!
In the two weeks before Christmas, the Access Team was joined by four Interns from across the University. The work they completed on Digital Development and planning for Summer Schools is being taken forward by the team as the new year begins. Providing inreach opportunities for current students has been hugely beneficial to everyone involved, and we look forward to recruiting for our Easter Internships. Thank you to the Interns!
Moving into 2025, there is plenty to look forward to: a fully booked-up term of Access Visits; the launch of our online Inspire Critical Thinking Programme; and Year 12 Study Days, which will kick off in February. More information on what’s on for Access this term can be found here.
Happy New Year from all of us in the Access Team!