'APPALLING' inequalities have been exposed across the city after figures revealed that no pupils from one of the city's most deprived areas have been offered a place at Oxford University in a decade.

Data released under the Freedom of Information Act show that while 292 people in the city were awarded a place at their home university over ten years, just a tiny minority came from poorer areas such as Barton, Littlemore, Rose Hill and Cowley, and not a single place was awarded to anyone from Blackbird Leys or Northfield Brook.

Oxford East MP Andrew Smith, himself a former Oxford student who lives on the estate, said: "These appalling figures underline how far there is to go. 

"No-one is going to tell me that there aren’t any children from the Leys with the potential to make the most of an Oxford University education.

"To its credit Oxford University already does a lot of outreach work. I would urge the university to step up its engagement with schools in the Leys."

According to the Higher Education Funding Council for England, just 7.5 per cent of young people in Blackbird Leys entered any form of higher education by the age of 19 between 2005 and 2011.

Along with Northfield Brook, Littlemore and Barton it ranks in the lowest 20 per cent of the country for participation.

At the same time parts much of Oxford including Headington, Summertown and North Oxford were in the top 20 per cent.

Over 10 years St Clement's was home to the most successful Oxford University applicants, with 41 offered a place, followed by Summertown and Wolvercote.

Meanwhile one applicant from Littlemore, two from Lye Valley, three from Cowley and seven from Barton and Sandhills secured an offer.

Linda Smith, who represents Blackbird Leys on Oxford City Council, said the figures were 'shocking'.

She added: "Of course Oxford entry isn't the best barometer of academic success, but this data is yet another example of the relative educational underachievement in the Leys and the need for extra resources to be deployed."

Census data from 2011 shows that just 28 per cent of state school pupils from Blackbird Leys and 29 per cent from Northfield Brook obtained 5 A*-C GCSE. 

The average successful applicant to Oxford has seven or eight A* grades at GCSE.

An Oxford University spokesman said: "It is sadly not surprising that some of the city’s most deprived areas produce very few students who end up applying to Oxford. 

"Inequality of attainment and opportunity have a profound effect on students’ grades and ambition by the time they reach the age of university application. 

"While universities on their own cannot reverse the effects of longstanding disparities in opportunity, Oxford believes it is our responsibility to do what it can locally."

Last year 27.2 per cent of 18-year-olds in the Oxford East ward were accepted to higher education through UCAS, and 31 per cent in Oxford West and Abingdon.

Since November 2014, charity IntoUniversity has worked with hundreds of aspiring students from its base in Blackbird Leys, supported by Oxford University.

Staff and volunteers offer one-to-one mentoring support, workshops and more to youngsters from across Oxfordshire including a sizeable population from the estate

Chief executive Dr Rachel Carr said: "The barriers preventing young people from Blackbird Leys going to Oxford or other universities are deep-rooted problems. 

"If you live in an area where very few people go to university, you are unlikely yourself ever to think of it, let alone consider a highly competitive university like Oxford.

"Any solution to these problems needs to be long-term, starting work with primary school children, because outreach focusing only on secondary school students comes too late to have a really transformative impact on improving attainment and raising aspirations."

INTOUNIVERSITY: THE FIRST STEPS

Since it opened its doors in 2014 the IntoUniversity centre in the heart of Blackbird Leys has supported hundreds of aspiring students.

More than 640 primary school children from Blackbird Leys have gone on visits to Oxford University to demystify the idea of university.

Year 10 students have had the chance to spend time at Christ Church and take on 'simulation' days with local firms while getting GCSE and A-Level help.

The centre at Jubilee Hall, Sorrell Road has set itself the ambitious target of 55 per cent of its young people progressing to university or an apprenticeship by 2020. 
Dr Carr added: "The programme we run at our Blackbird Leys centre is different from other outreach programmes because it is based in the heart of the community where our young people live, so they can get support week in, week out at their local centre. This kind of intense and long-term engagement is what is required to make a real difference. 

"We are at the beginning of our Blackbird Leys journey and we are committed to the long-term future of the young people who live there."

THE GAME-CHANGERS

TEENAGERS preparing for A-Levels at IntoUniversity are cautiously hoping to buck the trend, with Lateefat Sodunke, 16, keeping her sights on red-brick universities.

The Cherwell School pupil, of Samphire Road in Blackbird Leys, is hoping to study medicine or accounting at UCL, Exeter or Oxford University.

She said: "I came here from Nigeria aged nine and my parents didn't go to university, so I had to look to other people to get information about it.

"I've heard of lots of people that wanted to apply to uni but didn't get the support they needed, or the GCSE grades, and their schools didn't give them a challenge.

"Whenever I hear about people going to Oxford it's always private school kids. Most of them have had tutors all their life, and some people can't afford that kind of help."

Lateefat, who went to Windale Primary School from Year 5, is hoping to achieve A*AA grades in maths, chemistry and biology with the help of an IntoUniversity mentor.

She added: "You have to push yourself in order for everyone else to support you. Cherwell are very supportive; I've never had so much homework."

Daniela Geteloma, 16, travels all the way from Abingdon to the centre on Mondays to help her work towards applying to study law at Cambridge.

She said: "This is going to be one of the most important years in my life. For the path I want to go through, I have to go to university."