THE Cherwell School is one of Oxfordshire’s higher education success stories.

The number of pupils getting in to Oxbridge is consistently high, with nine receiving places in 2009, 13 in 2010, 18 in 2011, 19 in 2012 – over nine per cent of the year group – and 14 holding offers for this September.

Headteacher Paul James said: “We have an embedded culture of learning, success and high expectations across the school.

“Part of this culture is talking to the students about having a ‘growth mindset’ where determination and a commitment to learning creates opportunities for success – which includes moving on to higher education and competitive universities.

“This achievement is about far more than ‘Oxbridge’, and the vast majority of our students go on to a wide range of popular and successful universities.”

He said that culture of high expectation starts the moment pupils join, with information and guidance built into the curriculum, assembly and tutor time.

Mr James said: “We also look to take an individual approach as we know that having the right conversation at the right time with a student, be it in Year 8, 10 or 11, can make a significant difference. “We have found this particularly important for students who may not have had any family members go to university.”

While many pupils at the school, which is consistently oversubscribed and judged outstanding by Ofsted, come from backgrounds where higher education is the norm, that is not the case for all students.

Mr James said: “It is often too simple to say that young people can lack aspiration – often they have the aspiration, but need the right balance of support, challenge and encouragement to ensure they commit to the hard work which is required to be successful.

“When students respond in the right way, as is our expectation, they can see just how much they can achieve and this reality becomes a reinforcement for further success.”

And pupils at The Cherwell have inspiration very close to home.

Neither of Mr James’s parents or grandparents went to university, but both he and his brother secured Cambridge places.

He said: “I am passionate about this issue and creating opportunities to allow all our students to achieve all they can, which can of course lead to higher education.”