Admiral, whose head office is in Cardiff, is generously donating £120,000 in support of the College’s outreach programmes across Wales; support that will enable its Access & Outreach team to develop new access activities, enhance existing programmes and reach more academically-gifted young people in the country, who are currently under-represented at Oxford and other leading universities in the UK. This work will include outreach partnerships with several Welsh primary and secondary schools, careers and interviews advice workshops for secondary students and bring additional support to the College’s prestigious Seren Summer School programme and the University of Oxford’s Oxford Cymru consortium.
The new Admiral Partnership will support a wide range of access initiatives, such as the Seren Summer School Programme
Dr Matthew Williams, Jesus College Access Fellow, says “We are incredibly grateful to Admiral for their generous support of our Welsh access programmes. About seventy percent of the ten thousand young people we work with annually through our outreach and access activities come from Wales, and we are committed to inspiring, encouraging and enabling academically-gifted young Welsh students, regardless of background, to apply to Oxford and other leading universities in the UK.”
He adds, “This new support will open the door for more young people across Wales to explore the opportunities available through a university education. We’re excited to be working with Admiral on a range of innovative and informative access programmes that will have a hugely positive impact on the school pupils we work with.”
Rhian Langham, Head of People Services (HR) at Admiral, says “We’re thrilled to announce our partnership with Jesus College on their Welsh access initiative for the next three years, and feel passionately about removing the barriers in access provision. We know first-hand the young talent that exists in Wales, so helping to reach that talent through new, and enhanced existing activities, is particularly exciting for us.
We’re looking forward to playing a part in building a curriculum that provides talented students with the skills, confidence and capacity they need to succeed.”
Jesus College has maintained a strong connection with Wales since its founding in 1571 by a group of Welshmen led by Hugh Price, Treasurer of St David’s Cathedral. Its first Fellows were mostly Welsh lawyers and as a result, for centuries Jesus was known as Oxford’s ‘Welsh college’. Today, Jesus College welcomes undergraduate and graduate students from across the globe, but its links to Wales continue through a unique model of collaborative activities with the University and other Oxford colleges, dedicated to improving access and equity in opportunity for school students across the country.
This work includes a partnership with the Welsh Government’s Seren programme, which supports the brightest year 8-13 students from Welsh state schools and FE colleges to help them achieve their full academic potential. The College is also part of the Oxford Cymru consortium – a group of three Oxford colleges (Jesus, New College and St Catherine’s College) with responsibility for delivering Access and Outreach programmes for the whole of Wales on behalf of the University of Oxford.
In addition, earlier this year, Jesus College announced the Michael Sheen Bursary – a new bursary scheme that will provide much-needed financial support for Welsh undergraduate students. The Michael Sheen Bursary has been developed in collaboration with, and is generously supported by, eminent Welsh actor and activist Michael Sheen, and will support disadvantaged students from across Wales.
The Jesus College/Admiral partnership will begin this October.
For more information on this announcement, please contact Jude Eades, Jesus College Communications Manager at jude.eades@jesus.ox.ac.uk or call 07884 584609.
For information on all the College’s access and outreach work, click here.
Jeremy Miles MS, Minister for Education and the Welsh Language in the Welsh Government, is visiting Jesus College today, to learn more about the University of Oxford’s strong links with young people and educational institutes of Wales, and the innovative programmes in place to encourage and support academically-gifted school students in applying to top universities in Wales and across the UK.
Jeremy Miles MS, Minister for Education and the Welsh Language in the Welsh Government, with Dr Matt Williams, Jesus College Access Fellow, our 2021 Seren Residential Summer School participants and support staff.
The College has maintained a strong connection with Wales since its founding in 1571 by a group of Welshmen led by Hugh Price, Treasurer of St David’s Cathedral. Its first fellows were mostly Welsh lawyers and as a result, for centuries, Jesus was known as Oxford’s ‘Welsh college’. Today Jesus College welcomes undergraduate and graduate students from across the globe, but its links to Wales continue through a unique model of collaborative activities with the University and other Oxford colleges, dedicated to improving access and equity in opportunity for school students across the country.
In 2020, the College, in partnership with St Catherine’s College and New College Oxford, took responsibility for delivering Access and Outreach programmes for the whole of Wales on behalf of the University of Oxford; a consortium called Oxford Cymru. The consortium has been working closely with the Welsh Government to expand its reach – especially in the largely rural and coastal communities of mid and North Wales which experience the greatest disparities in educational attainment.
In particular, Jesus College works in partnership with the Welsh Government’s Seren programme, a model unique to Wales which supports the brightest year 8-13 students from Welsh state schools and FE colleges to help them achieve their full academic potential; a historic collaboration that dates back to 2016. The College delivers two flagship Seren summer schools for hundreds of Welsh state school students each year: over a thousand have participated in the competitive study experiences since 2016, with 406 attending two events in 2021.
The Minister’s visit coincides with the annual Seren-Jesus College Residential Summer School, delivered and hosted by the College, which is now in its 5th year. Mr Miles, who is himself an Oxford alumnus (BA Jurisprudence, New College, 1989) will attend Jesus College to meet Dr Williams and colleagues, and some of the 76 summer school participants. The fully-funded one-week residential school aims to provide year 12 students with an immersive university experience that gives them realistic taste of what studying at Oxford is like, and to encourage them to apply by showing that they have the ability to make applications to leading universities including Oxford. The week includes tutorials, seminars and lectures that place an emphasis on academic engagement, and aim to equip participants with the information, resources, inspiration and motivation to make competitive applications.
The Minister chats to Seren learners during his visit to Jesus College
The summer school series also includes the Seren International Online Summer School, hosted in conjunction with partners Equal Education, which is designed to introduce Year 12 Seren students to the critical ways of thinking required in higher education and demanded by leading universities both in the UK and overseas. Many previous summer school attendees are now studying in the US at leading institutions including Yale, Harvard, and Stanford.
Jesus College’s strong connection to Wales has been further enhanced thanks to the support of several Welsh alumni and one very famous Welsh actor. Last year, the summer school series was secured in perpetuity by the generosity of an endowment from Mr Oliver Thomas, a Jesus alumnus.
In April this year, Jesus College announced the Michael Sheen Bursary – a new bursary scheme that will provide much-needed financial support for Welsh undergraduate students. The Michael Sheen Bursary has been developed in collaboration with, and is generously supported by, eminent Welsh actor and activist Michael Sheen, and will support students from across Wales. Recipients of the Michael Sheen Bursary will be means-tested, based primarily on household income criteria. Economic inequity is a known barrier to Welsh school students pursuing courses in leading universities, and a barrier that Jesus College, and the University more broadly, is working hard to overcome.
Dr Matthew Williams, Access Fellow of Jesus College, says, “About 70% of the 10,000 young people we work with annually through our wider outreach and access activities come from Wales, and we are committed to encouraging and enabling academically-gifted young Welsh students to apply to Oxford and other leading universities in the UK., Our work through the Oxford Cymru consortium and the Seren programme are essential to delivering on this commitment, enabling us to embrace the depth of knowledge and experience necessary to make an impact.
He added, “We understand that disadvantaged students can face financial inequalities that create a barrier to embracing the full benefit that an Oxford education can offer, so bursaries such as the Michael Sheen Bursary provide a tremendous opportunity to support Welsh students at Jesus College, making their experience more equitable, and reassuring them that Oxford is for everyone, regardless of background.”
Jeremy Miles MS, with Dr Matt Williams. Photo credit: Wil Thomad.
Data shows that such innovative programmes are having an impact. There has been a 20% increase in applications from Welsh state schools to Oxford, and a 55% increase in admissions from 2016-2020. In 2019/20, 10% of all applications from Welsh students to Oxford came from Seren summer school participants.
During his visit, the Minister will also meet with Helen Charlesworth, Senior Executive Officer in the University’s Undergraduate Admissions and Outreach Department, Lois Williams a co-designer of the international summer school course, Seren ambassador and alumna of Jesus College, along with Tomos Wood also a co-designer of the course and Seren ambassador recently graduated from Queens’ College, Cambridge. Welcoming Mr Miles will be Rhian Edwards, Deputy Director for Further Education and Apprenticeships at the Welsh Government, and Rhian Griffiths, Head of Seren.
Speaking of his visit and the unique relationship between the Welsh Government, Jesus College and the University of Oxford, the Minister said, “I’m very pleased to be here today to mark Wales’ longstanding and continued links with Jesus College and the University of Oxford more broadly, and to join the Year 12 Seren Academy learners.
“The links between Jesus College and Wales date back centuries, and all those attending the residential summer school can be proud not just of their fantastic achievements, but also that they are continuing a longstanding tradition of learners from Wales going on to study at some of the best universities in the world.
“Since starting in 2016, our Seren programme has gone from strength to strength, and summer schools such as these play a vital role in building the confidence and raising the ambitions of Welsh learners, and ensuring they know that the world’s leading universities are within their reach too.”
After a special lunch at the College, the Minister will give a welcome address to the Seren-Jesus College Residential Summer School attendees who are taking part in a ‘Balloon Debate’ in the University Examination Schools, and present prizes to the winning students. He’ll then visit his alma mater, New College, for an evening dinner. Daniel Powell, Head of Outreach at New College, says, “This year marked the creation of the ‘Wales Consortia’, an initiative which New College is incredibly proud to be a part of. We hope that the students enrolled on the Seren Summer School have a rewarding and inspiring week of study in Oxford. Of course, the opportunity to socialise is also an important trait of University life, and we look forward to welcoming them, as well as New College graduate, Mr Miles, for a celebratory dinner.”
Dr Williams says, “We are delighted to be welcoming the Minister to the College and to share with him just some of the innovate work we do with school students from across Wales to support, encourage and inspire them as they consider a university education during their time at Oxford.”
Over the course of the coming week, the Year 12 students will enjoy a range of activities that bring to life the experience of studying at a top university, including lectures, seminars and tutorials. They’ll also be exploring the city’s museums and attractions, and getting advice on university applications and interviews from Jesus alumni and current students.
Jesus College has worked in partnership with the Welsh Government’s Seren programme, a model unique to Wales which supports the brightest year 8-13 students from Welsh state schools and FE colleges to help them achieve their full academic potential, since 2016. The College delivers two flagship Seren summer schools for hundreds of Welsh state school students each year: over a thousand have participated in the competitive study experiences since 2016, with 406 attending two events in 2021.
Our 2021 Seren Residential Summer School learners enjoy a welcome lunch and get to know one another.
The fully-funded one-week residential school aims to provide year 12 students with an immersive university experience that gives them realistic taste of what studying at Oxford is like, and to encourage them to apply by showing that they have the ability to make applications to leading universities including Oxford. The week includes tutorials, seminars and lectures that place an emphasis on academic engagement, and aim to equip participants with the information, resources, inspiration and motivation to make competitive applications.
Dr Matt Williams, Jesus College Access Fellow, welcomes Seren learners on Day One.
The summer school series also includes the Seren International Online Summer School, hosted in conjunction with partners Equal Education, which is designed to introduce Year 12 Seren students to the critical ways of thinking required in higher education and demanded by leading universities both in the UK and overseas. Many previous summer school attendees are now studying in the US at leading institutions including Yale, Harvard, and Stanford.
The College has maintained a strong connection with Wales since its founding in 1571 by a group of Welshmen led by Hugh Price, Treasurer of St David’s Cathedral. Its first fellows were mostly Welsh lawyers and as a result, for centuries, Jesus was known as Oxford’s ‘Welsh college’. Nowadays, Jesus College welcomes undergraduate and graduate students from across the globe, but its links to Wales continue through collaborative activities with the University and other Oxford colleges that are dedicated to improving access and equity in opportunity for school students across the country.
Jesus College’s relationship with Wales has been further enhanced thanks to the support of several Welsh alumni and one very famous Welsh actor. Last year, the summer school series was secured in perpetuity by the generosity of an endowment from Mr Oliver Thomas, a Jesus alumnus. In April this year, Jesus College announced the Michael Sheen Bursary – a new bursary scheme that will provide much-needed financial support for Welsh undergraduate students. The Michael Sheen Bursary has been developed in collaboration with, and is generously supported by, eminent Welsh actor and activist Michael Sheen, and will support students from across Wales.
Follow all the week’s activities via our Twitter account @JesusOxford
His Royal Highness first visited College in 1971 to open the Habakkuk Building as part of our 400th anniversary celebrations and was welcomed back by current Principal, Sir Nigel Shadbolt, and Lord Patten, Chancellor of the University of Oxford. He was greeted by sixty primary school children, all holding bunches of daffodils, from three Welsh schools which form part of our Welsh Access Programme. He also met Dr Matthew Williams and Shelley Knowles, who oversee all the College’s access programmes.
HRH The Prince of Wales with Jesus College Principal Prof Sir Nigel Shadbolt FRS FREng meeting students and members of local Welsh primary schools.
Jesus College is known as ‘the Welsh college’ – it was founded in 1571 by Queen Elizabeth I at the request of a Welsh lawyer and clergyman, Hugh Price. We continue to maintain strong links with Wales today. For example, our Welsh Access Programme reaches out to young people in underserved communities across the country to encourage them to think about applying to Oxford. The College’s inclusive ethos means we aim to attract and select the very best applicants based on their academic potential rather than their socio-economic status, ethnicity, religion or school-type.
His Royal Highness then attended a private reception in the Principals Lodging where he met Jesus College alumnus and supporter Oliver Thomas and his family. Mr Thomas, a managing partner at Grafton Capital which he founded in 2014, has recently donated £1m to support our flagship Welsh Access Summer School. The Summer School is a collaboration with the Welsh government’s Seren Network and enables sixth formers in Welsh state schools to experience life at the University of Oxford in order to encourage more applications from a cohort that is often underrepresented.
Children from three Welsh primary schools joined the College’s celebration of its strong links with Wales. Photo: John Cairns
His Royal Highness then moved to Hall where he met a specially-invited group of College alumni and members, including the newly-appointed Jesus Chair of Celtic Dr David Willis. The Jesus Chair of Celtic has been entrusted to support the scholarship and preservation of Celtic languages, literature and history at the University of Oxford since 1877 and is the only Professorship in Celtic at an English University. Dr Willis’ appointment comes following an eight-year hiatus and a £3.25m fundraising campaign to permanently safeguard the role.
HRH The Prince of Wales meets Jesus College Fellows
While in Hall, His Royal Highness also enjoyed a recital of the Gweddi Coleg Iesu, a Welsh Prayer sung by members of the student consort choir directed by Peter Parshall, Chapel Music Coordinator. He viewed the Red Book of Hergest, which is owned by College and kept at the Bodleian Library. The book, one of the most important written in Welsh, is a compilation of chronicles, mythology, romances and court poetry. College Librarian Owen McKnight, who had the honour of showing His Royal Highness the book alongside Thomas Charles Edwards, Emeritus Professor of Celtic, said, “The Red Book of Hergest was written shortly after 1382 and is one of the most important medieval manuscripts written in the Welsh language. The Prince was shown a page that details the herbal remedies of the legendary Physicians of Myddfai.”
Professor Thomas Charles Edwards, Emeritus Professor of Celtic (left) with College Librarian Owen McKnight and new Chair of Celtic Dr David Willis, standing in front of the Red Book of Hergest.
Principal Nigel Shadbolt said, “It is a huge privilege to welcome back His Royal Highness to Jesus College to join us in marking the appointment of our new Chair of Celtic and our schools access programmes in Wales. His support for Wales and the people of Wales reflects our own passion for creating a College community that celebrates Welsh culture through its research, activities and people. We also share his values around sustainability and the environment, which echo the views and concerns of our Fellows and students.”
His Royal Highness meets members of the College choir
 ?>){kind=icon}
