Taking our outreach programme to the next level

St Catharine’s is proud to support a varied programme of outreach activities that enable us to attract the most talented students, regardless of background. As a result of our commitment to widening participation, 79.6% of our UK Freshers came to us from state schools this year – up from 70.5% last year –  and 10.5% self-declared as having been eligible for free school meals.

Starting this autumn, the College has been able to grow our outreach team and reach even more potential applicants, thanks to a significant gift from the Paquita Filby Trust established by alumnus Ian Filby (1978, Natural Sciences) and his wife Sue. Sue comments:

“As the first generation in our families to study at Cambridge and state school leavers ourselves, we are acutely aware how education can drive social mobility and yet how daunting the application process can seem. Our gift is intended to help St Catharine’s engage and support a greater number of students from backgrounds traditionally under-represented in higher education so they feel prepared and encouraged to apply.”

After an earlier contribution to the construction of the McGrath Centre at St Catharine’s, Ian and Sue decided to direct their new gift in support of the College’s commitment to widening participation. Ian adds:

“It is increasingly accepted in the business world that an organisation can perform better if it reflects the world around it. Admitting the brightest minds from a wider range of backgrounds will not only benefit those students but also enable the St Catharine’s community to engage with the different challenges that modern society will face in the years ahead: it’s a win-win situation. Over the next three years of giving, we look forward to learning what makes the most difference across the College’s varied programme of activities. There is definitely room for more support in this area of the College life and we would be happy to talk to others who want to join us.”

Growing our team

Following this new gift, the College was able double the number of staff delivering our outreach programme. Liza Zhabina joined as Schools Liaison and Outreach Officer in October 2021 and works alongside Kathryn Singleton, the College’s Outreach Manager. A recent graduate from Selwyn College, Cambridge, Liza was inspired by her own experiences to pursue a career in outreach:

“Growing up in Halifax in West Yorkshire, I took some convincing that Cambridge was a place where I could be happy. I know first-hand that it is essential to inspire talented students to apply to Cambridge by making student life here feel more real and achievable. It has been an exciting time to join St Catharine’s and I’m looking forward to delivering an expanded programme of activities, including a chance to head back to Yorkshire on a schools roadshow.”

While Kathryn and Liza are responsible for planning and evaluating our outreach activities, it is vital that they have the support of current students who can discuss the reality of life at St Catharine’s with prospective applicants. Michaelmas Term saw a wave of new students sign up as student ambassadors, taking the total to 200 – a record number. Liza explains:

“It’s been amazing to see so many students sign up to help across our outreach activities. It shows that the Catz community recognises the importance of our commitment to widening participation. Kathryn and I have already organised induction sessions so our student ambassadors could get to know us and each other, and we provided safeguarding training so they are all set to start interacting with young people on the College’s behalf.”

Any St Catharine’s students who have not yet signed up to be a student ambassador can find out more by contacting Kathryn Singleton at outreach.manager@caths.cam.ac.uk.

Reaching more students

Kathryn Singleton, Outreach Manager, looks ahead to 2022 with anticipation:

“Ian and Sue’s gift is a massive vote of confidence in St Catharine’s approach to widening participation, and ensures we will have the capacity to engage even more students in the coming years. It has been exciting to be able to welcome Liza to the team and prepare the ground for an expanded programme for 2022. We will be blending digital activities and – COVID-19 permitting – in-person events, and look forward to updating everyone on our progress next year.”

The College will be building on the partnerships announced earlier in 2021, including but by no means limited to:

• Continuing to host interactive functionality on our website, courtesy of the Ambassador Platform, which enables safe and supportive online conversations with current St Catharine’s students;
• Co-funding mentoring and residential events with Universify Education;
• Restarting our successful webinar series for students in Years 10–12 with Brasenose College, Oxford;
• Engaging over 20 state schools as part of a North Yorkshire Access Roadshow in partnership with Brasenose College, Oxford;
• Hosting launch trips and graduation events with the Brilliant Club’s Scholars Programme;
• Co-hosting The Access Project Oxbridge Society Trip with Newnham College;

In addition, we expect to launch a number of new projects (both digital and in-person) and resume visits postponed due to the pandemic:

• Two webinar series for Year 10–11 students in partnership with Target Oxbridge and Trinity College, Cambridge – further information to follow in early 2022;
• The ‘Inspiring Scientists at CIMR’ work experience programme for students in Year 12 at a state school/college or academy in Cambridgeshire who are curious about science and research as a future career;
• Interview workshops, in-person visits and sharing our expertise on student welfare as part of the IntoUniversity Oxbridge support programme;
• The STEM SMART (Subject Mastery and Attainment Raising Tuition) initiative with the University of Cambridge, which provides free teaching and support to UK (non-fee paying) students who are considering applying to Engineering or Physical Science courses;
• In-person visits to St Catharine’s during February and March 2022 for students in Years 10–12;
• Access Roadshows to state schools in Suffolk and Rutland (dates to be confirmed);
• Support for four primary schools participating in the Lifting Limits programme that promotes gender equality through a whole-school approach.