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Working with schools and colleges

We believe that our academic excellence is a reflection of our open and welcoming academic community. Whatever your background, we think that you could feel at home at Hertford; this is somewhere to fulfil your potential and realise your ambitions.

We have a long-standing commitment to widening participation in higher education and a well-established policy of open access. We are proud that we were one of the first all-male colleges to admit women in the 1970s. And we’re proud that we took the lead in withdrawing from the entrance examination system that disadvantaged applicants from the state sector through the revolutionary Tanner scheme. Today, we have a diverse and vibrant undergraduate community, most of whom come from UK state schools.

We are determined to build on this tradition of fairness and equal opportunity, and have recently committed to a significant increase in our access and outreach activity. Our Outreach & Communications Officer, Nathan Stazicker, and STEM Outreach Officer, Dr Kathryn Boast, manage the day-to-day running of our outreach programme, working closely with teachers and students from state schools.

Nathan and Kathryn work closely with our Registrar & Director of Admissions, our Senior Tutor, and individual subject tutors to encourage students from all backgrounds to apply to Hertford. They’re supported by over fifty undergraduate Student Ambassadors and volunteers from our graduate community, who play a significant role in encouraging potential applicants through sharing their personal experiences.

Essex, Southend-on-Sea, Medway and Camden

Oxford University has developed a programme of ‘link colleges’ to simplify communication between UK schools and the University. Hertford has special responsibility for Essex, Southend-on-Sea, Medway and the London Borough of Camden. We aim to build and maintain close relationships with all schools in our linked areas.

We also have links with schools all over the country through our current students, alumni, staff and fellows. We welcome approaches from any school that feels that Hertford would be a sympathetic environment for its students.
Online resources for students and teachers

It’s a good idea to explore the subject you’re interested in beyond your school or college curriculum, deepening your knowledge and engagement and preparing you for university-level study. We call this kind of academic exploration super-curricular enrichment. The best kind of super-curricular activity is usually reading around your subject, in books, journals and newspapers. But there are lots of other ways you can engage with challenging ideas – listening to lectures and podcasts on Apple Podcasts or BBC iPlayer, exploring big ideas with Oxplore, or following the links provided by Staircase 12 from University College, Oxford.

There are lots of ways to find out more about life at Oxford University – from specific courses to online resources. You can find out more about experiencing Oxford before applying and about our diverse student societies below:

Class Act Campaign

Oxford African and Caribbean Society

Oxford First-Gen

Oxford Pathways

Oxford SU Target Schools

Target Oxbridge

UNIQ