The Rt Hon Paul Murphy, MP for Torfaen, visited the Gorseinon campus of Gower College Swansea for the launch of the HE+ programme for 2013/14. He was there in his capacity as the Welsh Government’s Oxbridge Ambassador, with the purpose of generating interest amongst young people in progressing to Oxford or Cambridge. “I am delighted to be making my second visit to the college”, he said, “and to see at first hand the magnificent work which is taking place within the HE+ programme. It is an example of best practice which I hope to replicate throughout Wales.“
Gower College Swansea is the “hub” institution in the Swansea HE+ Consortium, a collaboration between the college, the seven state sixth-form schools in Swansea, and the University of Cambridge. HE+ is currently only available in Wales to students who attend Gower College Swansea or one of the state sixth-form schools in the City and County of Swansea. Nearly 300 have elected to join the programme this year. Dr Felicity Padley, who co-ordinates the programme, explained: “HE+ aims to help students develop academic skills and inspire them to aim as high as possible when making university choices. The programme also supports students in preparing competitive applications to highly selective universities and encourages them to challenge themselves and each other in an academically supportive environment. The programme is a natural extension of our Oxbridge Programme which has assisted our students in progressing to Oxford, Cambridge and Russell Group universities over the past two decades.“
During the launch, college Principal, Mark Jones, emphasised that the programme had been devised to stretch students and to complement their studies. “There has been fantastic feed-back following the first year of the programme and students have reported that it raised their aspirations. All the young people who embark on this programme are able to access monthly extension classes after college some of which are taught by lecturers from the University of Cambridge as well as the opportunity to visit the University and explore its constituent colleges.”
Mr Murphy expressed his concern that fewer people from Wales are now going to Oxbridge colleges than was the case 40 years ago. “The total number progressing from Wales in 2013 is just 75, compared with 80 being accepted from Eton, and I plan to see the number of entrants from Wales doubling over the next two years. Gower College Swansea and the schools in the City & County of Swansea are the exception to this trend”. He encouraged students to aim high and not feel intimidated by the prospect of applying to top flight universities, including Oxford and Cambridge, which rank in the top ten universities in the world.
Dr Jonathan Padley, the Widening Participation Officer for Churchill College, Cambridge, is the link between the University and the HE+ programme in Swansea and he outlined the various activities which would be happening over the coming year before students went to their specialist tutorial groups to meet the college staff delivering the programme.
