Josh MacAlister MP meets Cumbria students aiming for Oxford
Josh MacAlister OBE, MP for Whitehaven and Workington and Minister for Children and Families, visited The Whitehaven Academy on Friday 8 May to meet talented students aiming for university success.
The visit was set up to celebrate the partnership between national education charity, The Access Project, and The Queen’s College, University of Oxford. This partnership was established to support under-resourced students in Cumbria to aspire to study at a top university and give them the support to achieve their aspirations.
Young people eligible for free school meals are three times less likely to attend university compared to those not on free school meals. In addition, Cumbria sends far fewer Higher Education (HE) entrants than most other English regions, with only 0.55% of enrolments to UK HE providers in the last academic year coming from Cumbria. The Access Project, supported by The Queen’s College, Oxford, is working with The Whitehaven Academy and Workington Academy, both members of Cumbria Education Trust, to address this imbalance.
Josh MacAlister, Whitehaven and Workington MP, visits The Access Project students
The Access Project provides an impactful programme of personalised support and mentoring for students from under-resourced areas, alongside university trips to top universities such as the University of Oxford – trips which may not otherwise be possible for some pupils. Students receiving this support are 50% more likely to go to a top university, according to research from the University and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).
The Queen’s College, Oxford was originally founded for students from the north west, and it has been supporting The Access Project to deliver mentoring and tutoring support to 194 students from Whitehaven and Workington since the programme was launched in 2022. This support has included facilitating visits to the college, providing volunteer tutors, and helping to resource the charity’s core programme.
Josh MacAlister OBE MP, Whitehaven and Workington MP and Minister for Children and Families, said: “Every young person in West Cumbria deserves the chance to fulfil their potential. I’m proud to see initiatives like this opening doors for students in West Cumbria and raising aspirations. Partnerships between schools, charities and leading universities like Oxford are vital in breaking down barriers and ensuring that talent and hard work are what determine success.”
Paul Johnson, Provost from The Queen’s College, Oxford, said: “The Queen’s College has strong historic ties with the north west. It was founded by a Cumbrian and over the years has welcomed many students from the region. Through our partnership with The Access Project we continue to demonstrate our long-standing commitment to the region. Coming to Oxford from a comprehensive school changed my life. We are committed to ensuring opportunity for all students, irrespective of background, to come and study at Oxford and at Queen’s. I hope we can welcome many more students from Whitehaven and the wider north west over the coming years”.
Nigel Youngman, Headteacher of The Whitehaven Academy, said: “Since 2022, we have worked with The Access Project to highlight to our students that geography need not be a barrier. Young people in Cumbria overwhelmingly study in this region, and we want to ensure that our students know that other universities, including the University of Oxford, are accessible to them. We aim to set them up for success, giving them the tools to make informed choices about their future.”
Anna Searle, CEO of The Access Project, said: “It is a privilege to work alongside our partners at The Queen’s College, Oxford and The Whitehaven Academy to support these talented students. These young people deserve the opportunity to explore all higher education pathways, and we aim to break down educational barriers so that they can do just that. We are grateful to The Queen’s College, Oxford for their continued support of our programme in Cumbria, and to the teams at both Whitehaven and Workington Academies for joining with us on this important mission.”