Joint conference helps teachers with advice for their A-level pupils, writes PETER CANN

Oxford and Oxford Brookes universities have got together for the first time to organise a joint teachers' conference. Teachers from 52 schools and colleges visited Oxford's two universities to attend a conference on how best to advise their students on university admissions.

The teachers were from schools across Oxfordshire and surrounding local education authorities.

It is the first time that Oxford University and Oxford Brookes University have joined forces to run an event aimed specifically at teachers.

The morning session took place at the main campus at Oxford Brookes University with the afternoon sessions taking place at St Hugh's College, Oxford.

Admissions staff at the two universities were keen to take the opportunity to learn first-hand from the teachers about how they can improve their support for applicants.

Mike Nicholson, Director of Undergraduate Admissions at Oxford University, gave the keynote address on changes to education for 14 to 19-year-olds and changes in admissions procedures.

The afternoon featured a series of workshops on interviews for competitive courses such as law and medicine, on student finance, and admissions testing.

Mike Nicholson said: "Teachers play a very important role in advising their pupils on career and university choice. We acknowledge that keeping up with higher education developments and admissions issues is not easy for teachers whose schedule is usually very busy.

"We therefore thought it would make sense for teachers to take just one trip to Oxford, and we designed the day to give everybody plenty of time to learn from each other."

Edward Trewhella, UK Marketing Director at Oxford Brookes University, said: "Supporting teachers in schools and colleges so that they have the very latest admissions information at their fingertips is vital if we are to encourage more students to see higher education as an achievable choice."

To emphasise the point, one of the workshops focused entirely on widening access to higher education and how it could help young people fulfil their potential.

Oxford University admits around 3,200 students for undergraduate study each year. Around 13,500 students compete for places.