Oxford dreams for Whitworth High students

Whitworth Community High School students in Oxford, from left, Sebastian Morris, Christopher Mills,Ted Parkes, Enid Fawthrop and Emma Fretwell.

Able, gifted and talented students had their eyes opened to a world of possibilities on a special trip to Pembroke College part of Oxford University.

As part of Rochdale Sixth Form College’s University Partnership Programme, five Year 8 Whitworth students visited the prestigious university.

For Christopher Mills, 13, the trip led him to see the real possibility of him becoming a future scholar in Oxford, where current Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer completed his post-graduate degree in civil law.

He said: “I am looking to go to Oxford to do law or music or science. It is a prestigious university and I had been doing some research into good universities for law students and I found Oxford was a pretty good choice.”

Emma Fretwell, 13, said: “I had heard about Oxford, but didn’t know a lot and didn’t think it was somewhere that I would have the chance to go to. Now I feel I could give it a try.

“It looked like a lot of castles, like a movie set and we got a tour of the chapel which was fantastic.

The students had an introductory lecture on psychology and then an interactive question-and-answer session about the university and how to get a place.

Christopher added: “I am hoping to study law or forensics with a side job playing the trombone.”

Also on the trip from Whitworth Community High were: Sebastian Morris, Ted Parkes and Enid Fawthrop.