Access and Outreach
For some time, we, at King’s, have offered a range of access and outreach activities, while, at the same time, regularly implementing a number of new initiatives. These newer initiatives currently include supporting the Target Oxbridge Cambridge residential programme; the Teach First residential, initiated in co-operation with Christ's College, Cambridge, and the annual BME Open Day. In the past three years we have also implemented (again working with Christ’s) the first Bridging Program for new students coming to Cambridge from non-privileged backgrounds, a programme that includes various tutoring opportunities and opportunities to experience various aspects of life in Cambridge (see below). In addition, we continue with our now traditional activities, including the Access Bus, King's Residentials, the HE+ programme, the CUSU Shadowing program, and school visits in our link area.
The central Cambridge Admissions website also has a section for teachers, parents and advisers. We encourage teachers to sign up for the Cambridge University teachers and advisers' newsletter, which will keep you updated and give details of events and conferences for HE practitioners.
If you would like to speak to a member of our outreach team please email: slo@kings.cam.ac.uk.
Post-offer Support
Encouraging applications to King’s is only the first step in a continuing effort to support students applying from backgrounds which have little experience with study in Oxbridge.
Once offers have been extended in January, following the Admissions and interview cycle, offer-holders whose files indicate that they are applying from lower income families, or schools that are under-performing, or with little or no experience with higher education, are now being offered weekly tutoring in their principal subjects to help them meet their A-level (or equivalent) offer. Those who are successful are then invited to participate in the Bridging Program, as mentioned above, offered as a pilot program for the first time in 2020 with Christ’s College and in 2021 with Christ’s and Gonville and Caius. This program offers a two-week, pre-term session in September to help these students acquaint themselves with the workings of the College and University, meet a group of their peers, form friendship and support groups, and experience the Cambridge system of lectures and supervisions.
Once matriculated in October, these students are then offered tutoring support in their subjects, after consultation with their Directors of Studies and the students themselves. Such tutoring can continue through the second year of academic study or, in some cases, could last just for a few weeks in order to cover a single topic to which they have had no exposure. In every case, the needs of the individual student are primary and as much or as little tutoring as desired can be accessed; and all of these possibilities have been made possible through the generosity of donors.
As the University pilots its first Foundation year in 2021, just as we are piloting the second running of the Bridging Program, we expect that that year will become a standard feature of University admissions and King’s will join with the other Colleges in offering a pre-application year of preparation for University study for a selected group of students.
