Balliol College, Oxford
Access & Outreach
Balliol College at Oxford University is Sir John Lawes’s Oxford link college. Balliol is one of Oxford’s larger colleges, with a thriving community of about 390 undergraduates and a nearly equal number of graduates. It welcomes applications from students from any background and from anywhere in the world. You will find all you need to know, in order to make an application, in the Undergraduate Admissions and Graduate Admissions pages.
Balliol is committed to supporting prospective students in making informed decisions about studying at university generally, and at Oxford in particular. Pravahi Osman, the David Freeman Outreach Officer (with James Cleaver, Outreach Assistant) works with prospective applicants, schools, education professionals and parents, to dispel myths and stereotypes about the College and Oxford University. Her goal is to draw the very best applicants to study here, regardless of background. She is particularly keen to work with teachers, schools and community organisations in raising aspirations among young people, to encourage fair and informed choices regarding university admissions, and to support students and schools in making applications to Oxford.
Pravahi says: ‘As Outreach Officer my role is to work with schools to help encourage and support able students apply to Oxford University. We can provide access to University students, academic staff and facilities through school visits; we also visit schools. As a teacher, I am able to help schools to build their own programmes to support able students from the point of entry.’
You can find out more about what we offer on the Open Days, School Visits and Outreach Talks and Events pages.
Insight Into Maths, Science and Humanities Talks
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Balliol’s Insight Talk Series consists of online academic sessions in which Oxford University Graduates introduce topics that link to their own research. Sessions take the form of workshops, and students will have the opportunity to ask questions. These are super-curricular programmes which will introduce participants to new areas of knowledge. The programmes are aimed towards students in Year 12, and interested Year 11s. These events are free, and open to any interested applicants. There is no limit to the number of talks that students can attend. The sessions also will be recorded and uploaded at Outreach Talks and Events | Balliol College |
Discovery Programme for Year 10 Students
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Each year, the College runs the Discovery Programme which is a sustained contact programme for groups of Year 10 students who attend UK state schools. Discovery consists of a series of online academic sessions in which Oxford University Graduates introduce a topic that links to their own research. Sessions take the form of workshops, for which participants will be expected to complete a small amount of preparation which they can record in their programme booklets. A teacher from the school needs to attend the session with the students and the same students should attend each session. This is a super-curricular programme which will introduce participants to new areas of knowledge. |
Year 12 Try Before You Buy Days
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In the Spring and Summer Terms, Balliol College hosts a series of free Try Before You Buy Days for disadvantaged prospective applicants. These sessions are aimed at UK state school students in Year 12, and provide the chance to engage with subject-specific Oxford style tutorials. Who are they for? Serious applicants in Year 12 at UK state schools, who are studying the appropriate qualifications required for their chosen course at Oxford. What will the day involve? Each day will feature an Oxford style tutorial, a guided tour of Balliol College from a current undergraduate student and a talk on the admissions process. A two course free lunch will be provided in the Balliol Hall. Participants will need to complete work in advance in order to take part in the tutorial session. Sign up at Outreach Talks and Events | Balliol College |
Subject Taster Days for Year 12 students
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The College runs free subject-specific Taster Days. These sessions take place on site, and include academic lectures, admissions information talks and a demonstration of an Oxford style interview and an opportunity to speak to our tutors and go on a College tour with our undergraduates. A two course hot lunch will be provided in Hall. Any student who is in Year 12 at a UK state-funded school is welcome to apply. We will prioritise applications from disadvantaged students, and from groups that are currently under represented at Oxford. Sign up at Outreach Talks and Events | Balliol College |
Fibonacci, Floreat and Frontier Access Programmes for Year 12 Students
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Balliol offers three year long academic programmes: Floreat, Frontier and Fibonacci. The courses are open to Year 12 students from state schools across the UK, and start in the Spring Term. If you would like to find out more about these programmes, including a recording of this year’s online open evening, please see the Access Programmes web page. The courses are open to Year 12 students from state schools across the UK, and start in the Spring Term. Many participants have gone on to make successful applications to Oxford, and other competitive universities. Currently, Balliol has students at both undergraduate and post-graduate levels who previously took part in the programmes. Floreat focuses on Humanities subjects , Frontier on the Life Sciences and Fibonacci on Mathematics (and related fields). Each programme is designed to academically challenge and stimulate those who are interested in applying to competitive universities. Successful applicants will be expected to attend a series of online seminars (5.00pm‑7.00pm), an Oxbridge admissions talk and a two-night residential stay in August. The seminars will begin in the Spring Term and end shortly after Easter. Participants are recommended to allow two hours of working time each week to complete assigned tasks in advance of each session. The August residential will take place at the Balliol College site. Before arriving, attendees will be required to complete an essay, a research brief or a problem sheet in preparation for an Oxford-style tutorial. It should be noted that no recordings will be made during the programmes. As such, it is vital that applicants are able to commit to all seminars and events. The programmes are free of charge. See more at Access Programmes for Year 12 Students | Balliol College |
Balliol College Floreat Access Programme
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Floreat is a year-long academic programme offered to Year 12 students from UK state schools. The programme includes a residential summer school in Oxford during which students take part in a tutorial. The Floreat programme offers the opportunity to engage with Oxford-style humanities teaching, and is offered to students free of charge. The bulk of the academic content is delivered through a series of virtual academic seminars held on Wednesday evenings led by Oxford University representatives, hosted after school hours from 5.00pm‑7.00pm. This opportunity suits academically able students who are interested in studying a humanities programme at Oxbridge and who are keen to engage with academic ideas outside their school curriculum, ahead of applying to university the following year. |
Balliol College Frontier Access Programme
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Frontier is their science programme. Like Floreat, Frontier consists of a series of virtual academic seminars held on Tuesday evenings from 5.00pm — 7.00pm for which students will have to prepare, beginning in Spring Term followed by a residential in August. This opportunity suits academically able students who are interested in studying a science programme at Oxbridge and who are keen to engage with academic ideas outside their school curriculum, ahead of applying to university the following year. Students explore topics with input from a range of science subjects. |
Balliol College Fibonacci Access Programme
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Fibonacci is a programme for students who aspire to study Maths or a heavily Maths-focused course at Oxbridge, or another highly competitive university. It is open to UK state school students who are in Year 12 and are studying Maths A Level (Further Maths is helpful but it is not a requirement). Students should be aspiring to achieve an A* at Maths A Level. Just like Floreat and Frontier, Fibonacci consists of a series of virtual academic seminars held on Monday evenings from 5.00pm‑7.00pm beginning in Spring Term, followed by a residential trip in August. |
Oxford for East of England: Springboard
Balliol’s Springboard video collection is intended for school pupils in Years 11, 12 and 13. Each video provides an introduction to a new topic, before guiding students through activities and further resources. In order to access these videos, you will be asked to complete a short series of feedback questions.
Other access events and programmes
The following events and programmes are run by Oxford University:
- University calendar of events to support prospective applicants.
- UNIQ - An access programme for state school students from under-represented groups.
- Opportunity Oxford — An academic bridging programme that helps to prepare talented UK offer holders from under-represented backgrounds for successful student careers at our university.
- Target Oxbridge - A programme that aims to assist Black African and Caribbean students, and students of mixed race with Black African and Caribbean heritage, with the Oxbridge admissions process.
- The Astrophoria Foundation Year Programme — A one-year foundation programme for UK state school students with significant academic potential, who have experienced severe personal disadvantage or a disrupted education. This is specifically for students whose circumstances have resulted in them being unable to apply directly for an Oxford undergraduate degree. The foundation year is free of charge. This includes the student’s tuition, term-time accommodation, and travel to and from Oxford at the start and end of each term. The student will also be entitled to a non-repayable bursary to cover living expenses.
