Students from the Truro and Camborne areas have won places at the prestigious Oxford and Cambridge universities.

They are among 20 Truro and Penwith College students that have been offered conditional places at Oxford and Cambridge this year, with 11 offers coming in from Cambridge and nine from Oxford.

With competition for these highly selective institutions as intense as ever, staff and students have been left delighted at the result, which represents the highest number of Truro and Penwith College students ever to have received offers in a single year.

Kayley Gilbert from Truro will read history at St Hilda’s College, Oxford. She said “I am thrilled. I applied to Oxford for the teaching and tutorial style which is really intense and sets it apart from other universities. They push you to be the best you can be.”

Noah Rogerson from St Agnes will read mathematics at Queens’ College, Cambridge and agreed: “I am relieved at getting my first choice. The supervision on offer is the best in the world, being able to talk to people who are interested in my subject.”

Emily Sporik from Truro will read geography at Newnham College, Cambridge. She said: “I am very excited and looking forward to hopefully getting in. I went to Cambridge for an open day and a summer school, staying at the college I now have an offer for, and loved it.”

The college hopefuls come from all over Cornwall, studying on both A-Level and International Baccalaureate programmes.

Mark Wardle, director of curriculum, said: “Twenty Oxbridge offers is an outstanding result and reflects the enthusiasm, motivation and commitment of the students and staff involved.”

Truro and Penwith College principal David Walrond described the number of offers for Oxbridge as “fantastic.”

He said: “It requires much hard work and determination from even the most able students, and we make sure they get committed specialist support and advice from college staff.”

Students with Oxbridge offers are: University of Oxford: Kayley Gilbert (Penair School) history, Rachael Ince-Kitson (St Piran’s School) history, Grace Waterhouse law, Charles Hardstaff (Truro School) economics and management, Kit Devine (Truro School) oriental studies (Egyptology), Sam Whitby (Cape Cornwall) chemistry, Rosa Dean (Roseland) geography.

University of Cambridge: Emily Sporik (Truro School) geography, Tamsin Hichens (Cape Cornwall) veterinary medicine, Kelly Bowden (Truro High) education with physical sciences, William Barker (Truro School) natural sciences (physics and maths), James O’Shea (St Ives) natural sciences (biological/ geology), Alex Bate (Wadebridge) computer science with maths, Tom Bottomley maths, Noah Rogerson (Truro School) maths, Samuel Symonds (Mounts Bay) maths, Joe Wilkinson (Humphry Davy) maths, Aonghus Sutherland (Bolitho) languages (Spanish and Portuguese).