A school has had a bumper year for getting students into Oxford University, writes Madeleine Pennell.

Three pupils at St Augustine of Canterbury, Iffley Turn, Oxford, have been offered places.

Nickia Blackstock, 17, of Nye Bevan Close, east Oxford, has been offered a place to read English at Brasenose College, Joshua Redgate, 18, of Sandford-on-Thames, has a place at University College to study physics and Peter Dunford, 18, of Clover Close, Cumnor Hill, has a place to do biochemistry and has yet to be allocated a college.

Nickia Blackstock said: "There are articles sometimes in the papers about how unfair Oxford is, but I didn't think it was prejudiced.

"The other people interviewed with me were mainly from private schools."

Elisabeth Gilpin, headteacher said: "We are very pleased.

"What encourages me is that people are prepared to have a go and are not put off. People are confident in their own abilities."

**As reported earlier this week, St Augustine's received a national Truancy Buster award for cutting truancy by over 80 per cent from an average of six days per pupil to under a day. Mrs Gilpin travelled to London to receive the £8,000 award from from Education Minister Jacqui Smith.