Record number of Oxford and Cambridge offers for Oldham Sixth Form College
Date published: 07 February 2025
Pictured (left to right) are: Emily Higham, Cassie Copple, Daisy Greenwood, Aamirah Khaled, Miranda Lowe, Lemaa Alisha, James Walsh, Cole Mullally and Nathen Shaw
Oldham Sixth Form College has revealed that a record number of nine students have received offers from either Cambridge or Oxford University.
Over the last 12 months, as part of OSFC's Oxbridge Group, these students have attended support sessions and lectures by visiting Oxbridge academics, engaged in an extensive array of super-curricular activities, had an overnight stay in Oxford, and endured mock and real entrance exams, alongside mock and real interviews.
Competition for places at Oxford and Cambridge is fierce, with only one in six applicants succeeding.
This year, one in three of OSFC’s applicants have received offers.
This includes two students who have secured places on two of the most competitive courses - Medicine and Law.
Emily Higham, formerly of The Blue Coat School, has an offer to study Medicine at Pembroke College, Cambridge, while Lemaa Alisha, formerly of The Radclyffe School, has a place at Mansfield College, Oxford for Law.
Two more Radclyffe alumni have also succeeded in their applications, with James Walsh heading to Magdalene College, Cambridge, to study Engineering, while Daisy Greenwood will be reading English at St Peter’s College, Oxford.
Adrian Walsh, father of James, was thrilled to hear of James’s offer and appreciative of the support his son has received, saying: "We are so very grateful for everything the entire team at OSFC has done for James; they are all exceptional teaching professionals."
Daisy is highly excited at the prospect of studying at such a prestigious university.
She said: "It feels too good to be true and I won’t really believe it until I’m actually there."
Two former students of Saddleworth School are also off to the ‘dreaming spires’ of Oxbridge.
Cole Mullally participated in the renowned OxNet outreach programme run by Pembroke College, Oxford, and is now joining Pembroke to study Chemistry.
Miranda Lowe was also selected for OxNet, but has gained a place at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, to expand her knowledge of History.
Another student who will be exploring History is Cassie Copple, previously of Newman RC College, who will be joining Miranda at Cambridge, but at Lucy Cavendish College.
Finally, Nathen Shaw, who joined OSFC from Co-op Academy Failsworth, will be studying Engineering at Christ Church College, Oxford, while Hathershaw College alumni, Aamirah Khaled, has an offer to read Psychology, at King’s College, Cambridge.
Mark Giles, Headteacher at Hathershaw, described Aamirah’s place as ‘brilliant news’ and expressed his pride in her achievement.
Dr Richard Lee, Assistant Principal and Oxbridge Coordinator, is equally proud of all nine students.
He said: "They have worked incredibly hard, over a prolonged period, taking advantage of all opportunities to enhance their knowledge and skills, and they fully deserve their offers."
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