Opportunity

AS an MP you occasionally come across some sobering statistics. Here's one that I find particularly painful.

In recent years less children in receipt of free school meals won places at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge than those who won places from just two of our top performing public schools. And in case you are wondering how many children receive free school meals — it's 800,000.

My view is that many bright pupils from poorer backgrounds or more generally from non-private schools fail to win places at Oxbridge because they never apply in the first place, because they inappropriately feel that it might be beyond them or a place where they will not fit in.

So a while ago I got in touch with the three excellent state-funded secondary schools in my constituency; South Dartmoor College (Ashburton), QE in Crediton and Okehampton College and offered to take students up to St Edmund Hall, Oxford, to meet tutors, some previous students and tour the college.

Students at these schools come of course from a variety of backgrounds but I wanted them all to have an opportunity to discover through familiarisation that the place is not quite as daunting as some assume and to hopefully pick up tips on how to maximise the chances of success.

Around 50 students made the visit and many commented on how much less intimidating the place was than they had expected.

I am very grateful to the teachers from Okehampton College, South Dartmoor and QE, who supported this initiative in such a positive way, and hope that we can build on this approach and work together in the future to give our local students every possible encouragement to aim high.

Mel Stride's other news and articles are at http://www.melstridemp.com">www.melstridemp.com