Year 11 Visit to Oriel College, Oxford

28th November 2025

25 of our Year 11 students had an inspiring day at Oriel College, Oxford on Wednesday 26th November exploring the university and reflecting on their own future pathways.  Students engaged in a super-curricular workshop, a Q&A with current students and tours of both Oriel and Keble. They asked some superb questions which enabled us all to learn about the practicalities of applying to higher education, daily life within an Oxbridge College, the complexities of student finance and the social side of university life. We also were lucky to enjoy lunch in the spectacular college dining hall and experience first hand what life in the college is like.  As well as visiting Oriel and Keble, we were also able to take in sites of this historic city and talk to current students about their experiences. 

All the students involved were a credit to the school with their enthusiasm and positive attitude throughout the day.  It was a delight to discuss their academic interests, current thinking on their A level choices and how their perceptions of Oxbridge were developing throughout the day. The visit really helped to challenge some of the preconceptions students may have about what studying at Oxford might be like and who the ‘typical’ Oxford student is.  We all agreed that it reiterated the importance of developing independence and curiosity for learning and choosing a subject you love to pursue at university. We hope this experience will continue to inspire them through the coming months and years.   

Miss Grace

A group of the students have kindly shared their reflections on the day below:

Charlotte and Lily

Through this opportunity to visit the University of Oxford, I was opened up to a whole new perspective of the university and what it offers. Throughout the day we took part in both practical activities as well as talks from former and current students of Oxford, which helped to give us a closer insight to what life is like at Oxford. Our guide Carys also helped us students to understand the application process as well as super-curricular learning and the financial sides of university.  This allowed me to start thinking about what I can do more to help create a better chance of reaching Oxford/Cambridge. After this opportunity I felt I have a clearer perspective on the University and it’s definitely encouraged me to aspire to applying within the next few years.

Oliver and Joe

It was good that we could speak to current students and the food was amazing! It has allowed us to understand more about life at Oxford and the application process, with different things you can do to aid your application. It was also helpful to know about all the guest speakers that speak at the university, such as Tom Hanks, Aitch and Mike Pence. The students were really helpful and friendly and the area was nice, which made the University seem even more appealing. The way they spoke about the application process and life there made it seem like a much more realistic option than we had thought before. It was also really nice to see how different Keble and Oriel were because it shows that it’s important to choose the right college for you and that looking into them is very important.

Further comments from students below reinforce how powerful this day was in opening their eyes to the possibility of studying at Oxbridge in the future:

‘I particularly enjoyed the tours, it was nice to see inside the colleges as well as where they are.’

‘I enjoyed the tour and learning about super-curriculars.’

‘I loved seeing the city and viewing the different colleges.’

‘I learnt about how many courses there are and the average day for someone who goes to Oxford.’

‘I learnt how super curricular learning is the best way to educate yourself on subjects to see if you like them.’

‘It makes me think that if I really tried I could go there.’

‘It has made me think differently because it became normalised and made me enjoy the facilities available at Oxford.’

‘I think it seems less impossible to get in now I’ve seen it.’

‘I’d like to study law there.’

‘I’d like to study there because it’s really prestigious.’