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Oxbridge

The Winstanley College Oxbridge Programme is designed to give our students the best possible chance of gaining a place at Oxford or Cambridge University. 

16 Winstanley College students received Oxbridge places for 2024. More than all our local rivals combined!!

In the state sector Winstanley is:

  • Best in Greater Manchester & Lancashire for Oxbridge progression
  • Top 2 in North West
  • Top 3 in the North
  • Top 15 in the United Kingdom
  • We have more students attending Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge than any other college (state or private) in the UK with 8!

The basis for our success is the hard work and academic rigour of the students, aided and abetted by our programme we have put together for you based on the twin principles of bespoke support and excellent opportunities for all applicants.

Our full Oxbridge programme includes:

  • Academic Challenge Tutorial Programme
  • Specialist Oxbridge admissions tutors with a track record of success
  • Mock Oxbridge interviews
  • Opportunity to complete an Extended Project Qualification
  • Aptitude & Admissions Tests Preparation Tutorials
  • Winstanley Oxbridge alumni mentoring scheme
  • Oxbridge Personal Statement writing groups
  • Oxford & Cambridge universities residential trips
  • Cambridge HE+ Consortium Hub Lead

Oxbridge Launch Meeting

 

 

 

Aptitude Test

Have you emailed Lauren to request a form to register for an aptitude test: To do this email her on aptitude-test@winstanley.ac.uk. Then fill in the form and email it to her back.

To double-check if you must sit one, please use: 

Oxford admissions test

Cambridge admissions test  

Oxbridge Offers 2024

First name

Last name

University

College

Subject

Holly

Bardsley

Oxford

Christ Church

Spanish

Claire

Brownsey

Cambridge

Pembroke

Design

Mateusz

Ciesielski

Cambridge

Lucy Cavendish

Medicine

Heidi Grace

Dibben

Cambridge

Murray Edwards

English

James

Fraser

Oxford

Christ Church

Ancient history and archaeology

Zack

Gordon

Oxford

St Anne's

Earth Sciences

Ester

Hattingh

Oxford

St Hugh's

Medicine

Lily

Hewitt

Cambridge

Sidney Sussex

Classics

George

Little

Oxford

Regent's Park

English lang / lit

Xander Luca

Murphy-Glaysher

Cambridge

Robinson

Computer science

Dylan

Osman

Oxford

St Catherine's

Geography

Hannah

Pilkington

Oxford

Magdalen

Classics and english

Angelica

Ratcliffe

Oxford

Christ Church

English lang/lit

Katie Alison

Rigby

Oxford

Worcester

Physics and philosophy

James

Segarajasinghe

Cambridge

Pembroke

Medicine

Charlotte

Thornber

Cambridge

Peterhouse

History of art

Oxbridge Role of Honour 2023

First Name University Course
Thomas Cambridge Natural sciences
Josephine Oxford Law
Milly Oxford Eng lang/lit
Kira Oxford Eng lang/lit
Lucy May Cambridge Natural sciences
Molly Cambridge MML
Will Cambridge Economics
Leon Cambridge Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic
Eleanor Cambridge Law
Cecilia Oxford Music
Harry Cambridge Law
Bethany Oxford Biology
Katie Cambridge Vet
Megan Oxford Theology and religion
Lucy Oxford Chemistry
Shawn Cambridge Medicine
Amy Oxford Spanish and portuguese
Ellie Cambridge Music 
Nicholas Cambridge Geography
Molly  Oxford Biology
Samara Oxford Psychology

 

Oxbridge Role of Honour 2022

First Name

University

Course

Josephine

University of Oxford

Law

Lucy May

University of Cambridge

Natural Sciences

Ellie

University of Cambridge

Music

Megan

University of Oxford

Theology and Religion

Lucy

University of Oxford

Chemistry

Eleanor

University of Cambridge

Law

Cecilia

University of Oxford

Music

Vijay Hitesh

University of Cambridge

Medicine

Martin

University of Cambridge

Computer Science

Harry

University of Cambridge

Law

Molly

University of Cambridge

Modern and Medieval Languages

Will

University of Cambridge

Economics

Thomas

University of Cambridge

Natural Sciences

Kira

University of Oxford

English Language and Literature

Molly

University of Oxford

Biology

Amy

University of Oxford

Spanish and Beginners' Portuguese

Oxbridge Roll of Honour 2021

Forename
University
Course 
Campus 

Isabel

University of Oxford

Law with French Law

New College

George Howard

University of Cambridge

Chemical Engineering (via Engineering)

St John's

Gabriella

University of Oxford

English and Spanish

Christ Church

Elizabeth

University of Oxford

English Language and Literature

University

Joseph James

University of Cambridge

History

Sidney Sussex

Charlotte Ruth

University of Cambridge

Medicine

Sidney Sussex

Annabelle

University of Cambridge

Medicine

St John's

Katie Louise

University of Oxford

Law

Mansfield

Ella Hope

University of Cambridge

Engineering

Newnham

Nathaniel Julian Edward

University of Oxford

Ancient and Modern History

Merton

Lily Susan Elizabeth

University of Oxford

Mathematics and Computer Science

New College

Agnieszka

University of Oxford

Law with European Law

Trinity

Louis Francis

University of Cambridge

English

Trinity

Thea Nicole

University of Cambridge

Psychological and Behavioural Sciences

St Catharine's

Christopher George

University of Oxford

Chemistry

Worcester

Erica Cara

University of Oxford

Earth Sciences

St Edmund Hall

Emily

University of Cambridge

Architecture

King's

Moemen

University of Cambridge

Philosophy

Pembroke

Nicola

University of Cambridge

History

Selwyn

Bethan Rose

University of Cambridge

Human, Social, and Political Sciences

Pembroke

William

University of Cambridge

Human, Social, and Political Sciences

Sidney Sussex

Benjamin Jon

University of Oxford

Law

Open Application

Adam

University of Cambridge

Land Economy

Selwyn

Anna

University of Cambridge

Human, Social, and Political Sciences

Lucy Cavendish

Thomas

University of Oxford

History

Worcester

Kledion

University of Oxford

Mathematics

Worcester

Aimee

University of Oxford

Physics (4-year MPhys)

Oriel

Simon Akiel

University of Oxford

Mathematics

St Anne's

Samuel James

University of Oxford

English Language and Literature

Exeter

Eve

University of Oxford

French and Beginners' Russian

Lady Margaret Hall

Jessica

University of Oxford

PPE

Mansfield

 

Cambridge Universities’ HE+

We are also in the privileged position to be the hub college for the area for Cambridge Universities’ HE+ project and due to this have a direct link with Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge. This project involves academic tutorials from staff both in college and from Cambridge University, along with a residential in Cambridge, and topped off with a competition to produce an academic piece of work, judged by Cambridge staff and special guests!

Oxbridge Timeline

Spring Term

  • university and degree choice
  • college choice  
  • additional university choices
  • choice of Extended Project Qualification
  • importance of extra-curricular work

Summer Term

  • resources for pre-interview assessment test
  • supplementary application requirements
  • introduction to UCAS application
  • introduction to UCAS Personal Statement
  • resources for extra-curricular development

Summer Vacation

  • completion of Personal Statement
  • completion of Extended Project Qualification
  • completion of UCAS application
  • pre-interview assessment preparation
  • extra-curricular development

Autumn Term

  • submission of application
  • submission of supplementary application material
  • pre-interview assessment test support
  • interview practice

Support is also provided after the autumn term, in January when applicants receive the outcome of their application.

What is the application schedule?

Application deadline

Mid-October

Pre-interview assessment test

Last week of October

Interview

Early to mid-December

Notification of outcome

Mid-January

Oxford or Cambridge?

As applicants cannot apply to both universities, an informed decision must be made regarding which of the two universities offers the most suitable course. This requires the applicant to think carefully about their personal interests and long-term goals, and to study the course structure and content of potential courses at both universities, in order to arrive at a decision that is well informed and considered.  Here is a complete list of the undergraduate courses provided by each university.

Application Process

An important aspect of Oxford and Cambridge that distinguishes it from other British universities is the application process. This is distinct in several ways.

  1. Exclusive Choice
    Firstly, an applicant cannot apply to both universities – they must choose either Oxford or Cambridge. This means that applicants must have a very good knowledge of course structure and content, in order to make a very informed decision as to which course at which university is best suited to their interests and long-term goals. This process is made slightly more complex by the fact that each university offers different courses, sometimes with very subtle differences.

 

  1. College Choice
    Secondly, applicants must select a college to which to apply, as the admissions assessment process is handled by the colleges. While applicants can make an ‘open’ application, whereby they are randomly allocated a college, most applicants will want to take the time to select a college, which will involve preliminary research of several colleges, and their resources and facilities, and attending college open days in addition to university, faculty, or department open days. 

 

  1. Pre-Interview Assessment Test
    Thirdly, a significant and distinct part of the application process for most degree subjects at Oxford and Cambridge is the pre-interview assessment test: a test that is taken under the same formal conditions as an A-level and that is intended to stretch and test the academic and intellectual skills of applicants beyond the A-level curriculum. While some other leading British universities, such as Imperial College and UCL, operate pre-interview assessment tests for certain subjects, they tend to be on a smaller and less formal scale. The pre-interview assessment tests at Oxford and Cambridge have acquired greater significance in recent years since the transition to the A-level linear system: AS-level results can no longer be used as a standardised form of assessment and therefore pre-interview assessment tests have become one of the primary standardised indicators of academic ability. Pre-interview assessment tests take place approximately two weeks after the application has been submitted.

 

  1. Interview
    Fourthly, those applicants whose applications are considered to be worthy of consideration for an offer are put forward for interview. The interview process is designed to model the tutorial process: a dialogue between the applicant and academic/s that allows the assessors to evaluate how well the applicant performs academically and intellectually in the context of a pedagogic dialogue – applicants are often, though not always, also interviewed on a more general basis by the admissions tutor of the college. Interviews take place approximately two months after the application has been submitted.

 

  1. Early Application Deadline
    In addition to all the above highly distinct aspects of making an Oxbridge application, the application deadline for Oxbridge applications is three months earlier than the normal UCAS deadline: mid-October as opposed to mid-January.  This means that applicants have to have their UCAS application, and all the decisions for their remaining four universities, ready by the beginning of the autumn term, and that any other supporting information – such as Year 11 grade transcripts for international students – is ready to be provided along with the application. Applicants are notified of the outcome of their applications generally around 15th January.

Oxford Courses

  • Archaeology and Anthropology
  • Biochemistry (Molecular and Cellular)
  • Biology
  • Biomedical Sciences
  • Chemistry
  • Classical Archaeology and Ancient History
  • Classics
  • Classics and English
  • Classics and Modern Languages
  • Classics and Oriental Studies
  • Computer Science
  • Computer Science and Philosophy
  • Earth Sciences (Geology)
  • Economics and Management
  • Engineering Science
  • English Language and Literature
  • English and Modern Languages
  • European and Middle-Eastern Languages
  • Fine Art
  • Geography
  • History
  • History (Ancient and Modern)
  • History and Economics
  • History and English
  • History and Modern Languages
  • History and Politics
  • History of Art
  • Human Sciences
  • Law (Jurisprudence)
  • Materials Science
  • Mathematics
  • Mathematics and Computer Science
  • Mathematics and Philosophy
  • Mathematics and Statistics
  • Medicine
  • Medicine (graduate entry)
  • Modern Languages
  • Modern Languages and Linguistics
  • Music
  • Oriental Studies
  • Philosophy and Modern Languages
  • Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE)
  • Philosophy and Theology
  • Physics
  • Physics and Philosophy
  • Psychology (Experimental)
  • Psychology, Philosophy, and Linguistics 
  • Religion and Oriental Studies
  • Theology and Religion

Cambridge Course

  • Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic
  • Archaeology
  • Architecture
  • Asian and Middle-Eastern Studies
  • Chemical Engineering
  • Classics
  • Computer Science
  • Economics
  • Education
  • Engineering
  • English
  • Geography
  • History 
  • History and Modern Languages
  • History and Politics
  • History of Art
  • Human, Social, and Political Sciences (HSPS)
  • Land Economy
  • Law 
  • Linguistics
  • Management Studies (Part II course)
  • Manufacturing Engineering (Part II course)
  • Mathematics
  • Medicine
  • Medicine (Graduate Course)
  • Modern and Medieval Languages
  • Music
  • Natural Sciences
  • Philosophy
  • Psychological and Behavioural Sciences
  • Theology, Religion, and Philosophy of Religion
  • Veterinary Medicine

UNIQ - University of Oxford Access Programme

www.uniq.ox.ac.uk/

UNIQ is the University of Oxford’s access programme for state school students. We prioritise places for students with good grades from backgrounds that are under-represented at Oxford and other universities. Every year more students from diverse backgrounds get offered places at Oxford with help from UNIQ.

Oxford and Cambridge student conferences

Below are links at to the recent online Oxbridge Student Conference that took place covering everything from individual subject areas, through to student support and why to apply. 

Oxbridge Student Conference

Oxford for North West

Oxford for North West

Are you a Year 12 state-school student? Are you from the North West, and interested in applying to Oxford? This Seminar Series from is for you!

Oxford for north West Seminar Series 2022