FOUR students from Truro School have been offered places at the University of Oxford and University of Cambridge.

To help prepare the Oxbridge candidates, a specialist Oxbridge Programme has run for its first year and is directed by Oxbridge mentor, Eleanor Collinge.

She said: "It is exciting to know that students have been offered a place for a course at a university that enthrals and inspires them."

The programme involves visiting the University of Oxford and University of Cambridge with overnight stays in Oxbridge colleges to get a feel for the universities.

Similarly, pupils attend subject taster days throughout the year to help to support their application.

Further guidance has also been provided by our linked colleges of Exeter College, Oxford and Downing College, Cambridge.

The Oxbridge Programme has also been responsible for the development of the Oxbridge Tea and Oxbridge workshops that are run in unison with Cornish Sixth Forms.

With the support of the outreach teams at aforementioned link colleges, the Truro School Oxbridge Programme has partly focused on making Oxford and Cambridge universities more accessible for students from Cornish schools.

Katherine Gregory, who is going to Cambridge for Theology, Religion and Philosophy of Religion, said: "When I received my offer, I was pretty surprised. Upon reading the email, it sunk in quickly that I had been accepted. I am incredibly excited and honoured, and especially looking forward to potentially being able to continue singing as a soprano in a Cambridge College choir."

Head Girl Georgia Stone, who will be studying French and Arabic at Magdalen, Oxford, said: "I’m both incredibly excited and nervous about studying in such an ancient and beautiful place, but I’m also looking forward to tackling this new challenge, including spending my second year studying Arabic in the Middle East."

Helena Paish will be attending Trinity College, Cambridge to study Music. She said: "I was utterly stunned and surprised when I found out that I had an offer to study. It certainly took a while for it to sink in, but the initial ecstasy has just about worn off now, replaced with an increased motivation to meet my grades as I’m certainly not out of the woods yet."

Clemmy Scott will be undertaking English at Oxford. She added: "I am ecstatic about the prospect of studying English in such an incredible atmosphere and the idea of being able to discuss my favourite texts with people of such high experience is very exciting."

It is not expected that all pupils who take part in the programme will go on to apply to study at Oxford or Cambridge, but the personalised approach ensures that students are able to make an informed decision on which degree path and university is best for them.

All pupils who took part in the programme have received offers for some of the most competitive courses in the country.