A BRENTWOOD school is having big success in getting its students into Oxbridge.
Two girls from Brentwood Ursuline Convent High School, in Queens Road, have been offered places at the top universities this year, and a further four hope to follow in their footsteps in 2014.
A push by the non-selective school to urge pupils to consider going to Oxford or Cambridge is paying off, with students taking up the chance to visit the universities on open days and apply for summer schools.
Elodie Powell and Emma Rubrey, both 18, are now revising for their A-levels with the aim of fulfilling their offers at Oxford and Cambridge respectively.
Elodie, from Brentwood, must achieve triple As this summer in order to secure her place at Oxford, where she attended the UNIQ summer school for classics last summer.
She said: "While I was there I fell in love with it.
"The experience of getting up every morning to go to ancient Greek language classes and the variety of lectures, as well as the group tutorial we had at the end of the week, really reassured me that classics was the right choice for me, and that Oxford was the place to study it."
Meanwhile, Emma, from Ilford, is hoping to read philosophy at Cambridge.
She said: "I became really set on applying for Cambridge after attending an open day last July.
"Not only did the course look both challenging and fascinating, but the town and university surroundings were beautiful, and the atmosphere was brilliant.
"Having stayed the night in St John's College, I was certain that I would love to study at such a prestigious university, in such a great environment."
Hoping to follow in their older peers' footsteps are four lower sixth-formers.
Lucy Philpott, 17, from Brentwood has, like Elodie last year, landed a place on the Oxford university classics summer school.
Lucy said: "I wanted to experience a week similar to university life with like-minded people.
"I really enjoy studying the classical world – it is so rich and diverse in its history, politics and philosophy."
Last year Lucy reported for the Gazette for the Lighting up Brentwood programme.
Anita Santinelli, 17, has also landed a coveted place on a summer school – this one at Cambridge to study music.
She told the Gazette: "I hope to apply for music to ultimately become a classical musician.
"I am planning on applying in September to the University of Cambridge but am also considering applying to a music conservatoire."
Two other potential Oxbridge recruits from the school are Amy Gander and Isabel Pether.
Amy, 17, said: "I want to do a degree in Medicine or Biology, with Forensic Pathology or Research Biology as a goal in the long term."
Isabel, 17, the school's current head girl, has an ambition to read geography at Oxbridge.
She said: "I am very interested in exploring how we can address issues to do with the unequal distribution of wealth in our world.
"My aim is to go on to work for an organisation such as the United Nations Development Programme."
