Widening Participation & Outreach
We recognise that there are barriers which deter students from applying to the University of Cambridge, and we believe that outreach and the provision of accurate information is essential to challenging this. At Girton, our Admissions team works to ensure that all prospective applicants, supporters and schools have access to the information they need to make an informed decision about applying to Cambridge.
We welcome contact from all schools and are happy to provide support where we are able, but maintain particularly strong relationships with schools in our College Link Areas (Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Wolverhampton and the London Borough of Camden). For schools in these areas we hope to go back to offering visits to schools and visits to Girton soon. We also work with selected schools in Cambridgeshire through the Connect to Cambridge Scheme.
- The link areas for all Cambridge colleges can be viewed here.
- Information regarding events being run across the University can be found here.
Please see below for further information on the outreach and widening participation events and schemes we run at Girton.
Girton College’s Pathways to Higher Education (HE) is a long-term outreach programme that works with students from Year 7 until they leave secondary school. The scheme began in 2016-2017 academic year. With this programme of sustained engagement, we collaborate with schools in our West Midlands and Cambridge Link Areas to raise academic aspirations, inform and guide students about the impact of their choices at key transition periods and to support students at the point of applying to HE. The Girton College Pathways to HE scheme is in line with government priorities as there is a growing body of evidence that emphasises the importance of a long-term strategy for widening participation to HE, particularly to the most selective institutions.
We have recently launched the scheme for the 2024 academic year. If your school is part of our link areas and would like to join in on the scheme, please contact us.
| Year group | Activity | Who | Where | When |
| 7 | Aspiration Day | Whole year group | Schools | Upon request: October, November, January |
| 8 | Postcard competition | Whole year group | Hosted by schools and judged by School Liaison Officer | September |
| 9 | High attainers short essay competition | 40 students per school | Hosted by schools and judged by School Liaison Officer | December |
| 10 | Visit to Cambridge | 40 students per school | In person, Girton College | October and February. Dates confirmed closer to timings. |
| 11 | 1. Subject Matters talks
2. Parent and Supporter sessions | 40 students per school | 1. In-person and online
2. Online | 1. Upon request: September, October, and November
2. September, January, and July |
| 12 | 1. Masterclasses (arts sessions and science sessions)
2. Application and personal statement workshop
| 20 selected students from each school | 1. In-person, Girton College
2. Online | 1. October and February
2. June and July |
| 13 | Interviews workshop | Students with university interviews | Online | November |
If you are planning to apply to Cambridge next October (2025) and want to test out multiple subjects before deciding which to apply for, this event is one to put in your diary!
This event is open to schools in our link areas (Wolverhampton, Dudley, Solihull, Sandwell, Camden, and schools in Swavesey, Cottenham, and Northstowe) where teachers can bring up to 20 students to experience subject-specific masterclasses with our Academics as well as have tours of the College. It will run from 10:00-16:00.
Teachers can book their space by contacting access@girton.cam.ac.uk.
In a growing global economy, based on efficient communication and intercultural exchange, the ability to speak more than one language has never been more important. A Modern Languages degree not only develops language skills to the highest level, but offers the possibility to explore and understand other cultures, through their history, writing, art, film, thinking and language development. Studying a language at university is not just an intellectual endeavour but also develops many skills highly valued by employers, including the chance to spend a year in another part of the world.
Girton College and the Faculty of Modern & Medieval Languages will be running a Taster Day aimed at pupils who are currently studying Modern Languages at GCSE, aimed at introducing the study of these courses at university level. The programme, which will take place at Girton College, will include workshops by University academics designed to inspire and enthuse Year 10 and 11 students who will already be considering languages within their A Level choices and possibly studying this vibrant subject at university.
The day will:
- Encourage students to keep and develop their interest in Modern Languages
- Demonstrate the value of studying these subjects at university
- Seek to allay any fears about starting a language ‘from scratch’ at university
- Inform them about their A Level choices and how this will affect their university applications
- Encourage students to enter our post-event competition.
Students will have the opportunity to meet with current undergraduate languages students, and experience both culture and language workshops in a language of their choosing. There is no charge for attending the event. Lunch is provided, but we regret we are unable to cover travel expenses or offer overnight accommodation. The event will run from 10:00-16:00.
We invite schools and colleges to nominate up to two students for our Taster Day in Modern Languages open to students currently in Year 10 or 11 at schools in the UK. Nominations are now open and close on Monday 23 September. To nominate a student, please complete our online form. Do contact the Schools Liaison and Outreach Officer for further information. When nominating students please note that:
- Students must be nominated by their schools, with no more than two nominations per school.
- Students should be taking a GCSE in at least one modern language and be on track to achieve good GCSE scores, with an intention to study Languages at A Level.
- Students do not need to be studying the language of the workshop they wish to attend.
- Please would teachers check that nominated students are available to attend the Taster Day.
This event is open to schools in Cambridgeshire (Swavesey, Cottenham, and Northstowe) where teachers can bring up to 40 students to experience sessions on raising aspirations to University, Student Life, Admissions and Applying to University, as well as have tours of the College. The event will run from 10:00-14:00.
Teachers can book their space by contacting access@girton.cam.ac.uk.
If you are planning to apply to Cambridge next October (2025), these events are ones to put in your diary! These events will take place on Zoom and are open to students in Year 12 (Y13 NI / S5 Scotland). The sessions will discuss both Personal Statements and Interview advice.
The STEM session will be led by Dr Morag Hunter on Monday 23 September, 17:00-18:45. Please complete our online form to register for this event.
The Humanities session will be led by Dr Seb Falk on Tuesday 24 September, 17:00-18:45. Please complete our online form to register for this event.
On Wednesday 25 September 2024, 18:00-19:00, parents and supporters are encouraged to join a session led by our Head of Student Services, supported by our Financial Welfare Officer and School Liaison and Outreach Officer. The session will detail aspects of the Cambridge application process as well as address any financial queries you may have. Feel free to bring along any questions you may have!
To register for this event please complete this form.
Do you have an upcoming interview for your University application and not sure how to prepare? Then this event might be for you! This event is open to all Year 13 students (Y14 NI / S6 Scotland) and is hosted by our Admissions Tutors and School Liaison and Outreach Officer.
Join us for a session on Tuesday 5 November, 17:00-18:00, which will focus on interview tips for those with upcoming University interviews. This session is ran with Girton and University of Cambridge interviews in mind, so the advice given may not be suitable for students with interviews at other Universities.
To register for this event, please complete this form.
Girton’s Humanities Writing Competition is for students in Year 12 (or equivalent) who have an interest in the Humanities. Students submit an essay based on one or more objects selected from the College’s small antiquities museum, the Lawrence Room.
The competition is an opportunity for research and writing beyond the curriculum using one or more of the six objects as your focus. We accept essays or creative responses (such as dramatic monologues or short stories). Up to date information regarding our Humanities writing competition can be found here, and on our social media platforms.
Girton is also one of the first colleges to participate in STEM SMART, a Widening Participation initiative from the University of Cambridge, in association with Isaac Physics.
STEM SMART will provide free complementary teaching and support to UK students at non-fee paying schools who have either experienced educational disadvantage or belong to a group that is statistically less likely to progress to higher education. It is targeted at students who:
- are considering applying to Engineering or Physical Science (e.g. Physics, Chemistry, earth sciences, materials & science) courses at university
- and are studying A-levels (or equivalent) in maths and science.
For further information, please visit the STEM SMART website.
Girton is one of the first colleges participating in the Cambridge Foundation Year - a free and fully-funded one-year residential course designed to offer a stepping stone to Cambridge for those who have experienced educational disadvantage.
Prospective foundation year applicants who wish to find out more are encouraged to attend the Foundation Year team's webinars, information upcoming events with the team can be found here.
Further information can be found on our Cambridge Foundation Year webpage.
- Inside Uni - a student made resource with tons of great tips on applying to Oxbridge
- Student testimonials, Q&As and more - videos all about Cambridge from a student perspective
- Events being held across all of the Cambridge Colleges can be found here
Visits to and from Girton
School group visits are bookable at Girton College. Get in touch if you would be interested in bringing your school group to Girton. Please note that we prioritise visits with schools in our Link Areas.
We are happy to offer ad hoc visits to schools, but to enable progression please consider signing up to our Pathways Scheme where we offer a range of cohort specific activities, webinars and workshops that in key stage 4 focus on raising aspirations and building familiarity with the University of Cambridge. For Year 12 opportunities tend to focus more on preparing students to make applications to highly competitive universities including Cambridge. We can also work to tailor these visits to focus on areas of interest to teachers/students and assemblies to fit schools’ needs.
Our West Midlands Schools Roadshows are fantastic opportunities for us to visit multiple schools and talk to students about applying to Higher Education. Schools interested in booking this should be in touch. Our next Roadshow has capacity from 26-28 March 2025.
If you would like us to work with you and your students, please do get in touch.
Teachers Mailing List
Girton produces a termly newsletter which includes a variety of resources, events and competitions at Girton and throughout the collegiate community.
Teachers can sign up to our mailing list by completing this short online form. Upon completion you will receive the current newsletter. Sometimes it is best to include a generic schools email address (such as reception, libraries or careers) to ensure your school continues to receive this tailored information.
Meet our Schools Liaison and Outreach Officer
Hi! My name is Lauren Court and I'm the Schools Liaison and Outreach Officer at Girton.
I'm from South Birmingham and I recently graduated from Girton College with a degree in English. As someone who came to Cambridge from a state comprehensive school, I understand some of the challenges students from underrepresented backgrounds face when applying to the University. I want to help students to see Cambridge as an achievable option for their future as a place where anyone can thrive. I'm looking forward to working with some of you this year!
