STUDENTS who gained outstanding A-Levels at an ‘inadequate’ state school have made teachers proud after earning their ‘dream’ places at Oxford University.

Former St Gregory the Great Catholic School head boy Riley Agutter and deputy head boy Max Oliver will start at Oxford in autumn, having outshone a stream of students from other schools vying for the same places.

The pair started the East Oxford sixth form in 2016, months after the school was slapped with Ofsted’s worst rating, but their unwavering determination secured them a slew of straight As and A*s.

The 18-year-olds finished at the Cricket Road all-through academy in summer, and learnt of their university success at the end of January.

Florence Park resident Mr Oliver, who will read law at Wadham College, said: “The opportunity to be taught in the tutorial system by leading academics is something that drew both of us to applying.

“It was a fantastic feeling to see our hard work pay off.”

Mr Agutter, who lives in Iffley, was offered a place at University College to read philosophy, politics and economics.

He said: “The university has an overwhelmingly impressive alumni and we saw no reason why we couldn’t one day be a part of it.

“With endless support and effort of Mrs Pallier [the former head of sixth form] we’re now able to realise our dream of studying at Oxford.”

This month Ofsted credited St Greg’s for vast improvements since the 2016 report, but refreshed concerns about its parent academy trust.

But Mr Agutter said he was ‘always encouraged to strive for the top’ at St Greg’s, adding: “The school often organised taster lectures in various disciplines at Oxford, which engaged us in our respective subjects very early on.

“I can’t wait to get stuck in and to represent St Greg’s, in hope that more students will follow in our footsteps.”

Sean Tucker, acting head of St Greg’s, said: “This is an outstanding achievement for two of our students and we are immensely proud.”

The elitism debate returned to Oxford last year, when it was found to have the lowest proportion of state school pupils than any UK university.

In 2016 the Oxford Mail revealed that in the past 10 years, 292 Oxford University places were awarded to Oxford residents – but none of the successful applicants were from Blackbird Leys, and just a tiny minority came from poorer areas of the city.

At the time, the figures were branded ‘appalling’ and said to expose a stark divide.

But Mr Tucker praised universities for outreach work with local schools, adding: “They are promoting a genuine sense of aspiration for our young people.”