Our Year 11 Step Up students enjoyed an inspiring visit to New College Oxford, designed to show them what university life at the very top can really look like.

From the moment we arrived, we were warmly welcomed and expertly guided by Georgie, who helped students challenge common myths about Oxford and reflect on how easy it is to form assumptions without first-hand experience.  A real highlight was speaking with current Oxford students while having a full tour of the college.  We saw the historic buildings, discussed the city setting, ate in the dining hall and had a glimpse of academic life through a lecture.

Some of our Year 11s contributed their impressions of the trip below:

Many of my assumptions were inaccurate.  Speaking to these students enlightened me about the less visible aspects of the university, which encouraged me to consider Oxford as a possible future university choice.  Mourielle W, 11 Bow

I found the trip to be an extremely enriching and enjoyable experience.  I found myself going home raving about how much fun I had on the day.  Natalie H, 11 Piccadilly

It felt surreal knowing that students actually live and study in such an old and prestigious environment.  My favourite part was eating in the dining hall.  It felt incredibly grand and the food was delicious.  Rosa H, 11 Strand