VISIONS
Visions is an access event specifically tailored for African and Caribbean students in years 9 to 11.
The event aims to encourage and inspire these students to consider pursuing higher education, with a special emphasis on showcasing the possibilities available at the University of Oxford. Our goal is to provide valuable information, dispel misconceptions, and foster a supportive environment that nurtures academic aspirations.
Watch our Visions Birmingham 2023 Documentary!
What does the Visions Programme hope to achieve?
With the Programme, we hope to bridge the gap between the position secondary school students are currently in and their future educational and subsequent career aspirations by providing them with a clear plan, vision and guidance. We believe that students benefit most from receiving a route that is tailored to both their aspirations as well as taking into account the barriers they may face in relation to their state school background, socioeconomic status, among other factors. By providing students with this vision early on, we hope that they become much more focused on succeeding in their GCSEs as well as striving to attain work experience placements in their areas of interest in order to put them in the best possible position to succeed later in their education.
What lasting legacy do we want to leave with the Programme?
We aim to establish a long-lasting relationship between the students, parents and the ACS through demystifying the institutions like Oxbridge as well as universities in general, debunking myths about what the path to higher education requires and providing them with an insight into what exactly it takes to reach higher education and how they can jump-start their journey as soon as possible in order to maximise their potential. We hope to follow up with students after the Programme and ensure they are able to secure placements in their chosen fields to ensure they become well-rounded and are able to get an insight into the doors higher education can open for them. Additionally, we will encourage students to keep in contact with the Society and attend other events the ACS holds throughout the year so they can continue to hear from individuals who are in the positions they aspire to be later on in life and add to their visions of what their ideal education path can look like.
FAQs
-
We encourage all Year 9–11 students of African and Caribbean Heritage to apply, but here are some of the factors which we do prioritise:
• Economically disadvantaged backgrounds
• Attending a state-comprehensive school in the UK
• Students intending on being the first in their family to attend university
-
The Visions programme specifically targets students of African and Caribbean heritage, as we have identified and wish to actively tackle the specific barriers hindering progress to Oxford and other Higher education institutions. In 2016, the success rate for Black applicants in 2016 was 16.7% compared to their White counterparts (25.3%).
We believe in engaging and empowering students from a young age with the tools needed to progress in Higher Education institutions and beyond. Representation is key for students attending university, but even more essential for students considering application. We have identified problems such as the lack of connection to relatable role models, the psychological perception of alienation at university and the lack of support preventing students of African and Caribbean heritage from aspiring higher and making confident applications to institutions.
Contextualised student engagement has always been at the centre of the access and outreach philosophy at Oxford ACS. While our long-term goal is to help develop structural solutions to issues of diversity within Higher Education and wider society, we also recognise that different groups face different barriers. As an ACS we can add the most value by focusing on the areas we are best equipped to engage with – the nuances of the black student experience. Diversity in education benefits everyone, but for us to achieve it we need tailored solutions that operate on both a personal and structural level.
Apply Now!
Contact Us…
For any questions about our other Access and Outreach initiatives:
For any questions about the University of Oxford’s admissions process: