Another year of Oxbridge success for Ashton Sixth Form College

Ashton Sixth Form College is celebrating another outstanding year of Oxbridge success, with eight students receiving offers to study at the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge.

All eight students are members of the college’s XL Academy Programme, an initiative designed to challenge, support and stretch high-achieving learners. The programme offers dedicated tutor groups, opportunities for wider academic study, specialist trips and regular guest speakers, providing tailored guidance to help students achieve their ambitions.

Students also benefit from the Oxbridge Scholars Programme, launched in 2024 as part of the XL Academy. The programme connects students with expert mentors and offers focused preparation for the highly competitive Oxbridge application and interview process, giving students invaluable insight into what is required to succeed.

The range of courses students have secured offers for this year reflects a breadth of academic interests, including History, English and Law, alongside more specialist subjects such as Materials Science and Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic.

One of the successful applicants is Hanna Jadzinska, a former Fairfield High School student, who is one of two Ashton Sixth Form College students to receive an offer in Geography this year. Hanna is the first person in her family to go to university and a first-generation immigrant. She credits the XL Academy with playing a vital role in preparing her for the application and interview process.

Hanna said: “The XL Academy staged mock interviews, which were very helpful. I had no clue how I’d react under that sort of pressure, so getting a trial run eased my nerves. I’m the first in my family to go to university and a first-generation immigrant, so I didn’t really have anyone outside college to ask for support. My parents moved here so that my brothers and I could have better opportunities than they had and the college has been very supportive in this process. The Oxbridge Scholars scheme has been extremely supportive and some of the concepts we learned there I was asked to apply in my interview.”

Ashton Sixth Form College has also hosted The Goldsmiths’ Sutherland Centre for Philosophy and World Religions, in partnership with Pembroke College, University of Oxford, for over ten years. This long-standing collaboration provides students with exceptional enrichment opportunities, including participation in the OxNet Access Programme, further enhancing their academic development.

Robert Murray-Green, Head of the XL Academy, praised the students’ achievements. He said: “Our eight offer-holders for Oxford and Cambridge have demonstrated exceptional dedication, resilience and ambition throughout their academic journeys. Their success reflects consistent hard work, intellectual curiosity and a commitment to pushing beyond expectations. Each student has balanced demanding study with wider academic enrichment, showing maturity and discipline of the highest level. We are immensely proud of everything they have achieved and the example they set for our college community.”

Centre Principal Lisa Richards also congratulated the students on their success. She said: “A huge well done to all of our students who have been through the rigorous Oxbridge admissions process; they did themselves and the college very proud. I am so pleased for our eight students who have received offers; they are set to join over 30 former Ashton Sixth Form College students already studying at Oxford and Cambridge and I know they will thrive on their respective courses.

“Across college, hundreds of offers are flooding in for our A2 students from universities the length and breadth of the country, as well as some fantastic apprenticeships being secured at this early stage. Whatever their ambitions, our students are paving their way and standing out in competitive environments. Well, done to all – we are very proud of you.”

Alongside these eight Oxbridge offers, a record number of Ashton Sixth Form College students have submitted university applications this year. A total of 52 students have already received offers from Russell Group universities nationwide, with more offers continuing to arrive, while many others have secured apprenticeship opportunities across a wide range of sectors.