Youngsters from an east London primary school visited an Oxford college to learn about the opportunities which could await them in future years.

In the aftermath of the furore over Oxford University's alleged elitism, the doors of Balliol College were thrown open to pupils from the Woolmore School in Tower Hamlets, one of the most deprived boroughs in the capital.

During the tour of Balliol, the 30 young visitors met staff and students, and experienced a little of what it is like to live and study in Oxford.

It was the second of three such visits from the borough's primary school children to twinned Oxford colleges.

The first group visited Brasenose College on May 25, and the last are due to be shown around Pembroke College on Thursday.

Following the visits, students will make return visits to their three school twins. The visits were arranged by the Stepney Children's Fund, which was founded in 1982. The scheme has attracted a steady stream of volunteers from Oxbridge colleges who take part in the summer camps for children from inner London.

Oxford's links with Toynbee Hall, where the fund is based, date back to 1884, when subscriptions from Oxford and Cambridge colleges founded the Universities' settlement in East London.

Lord Windlesham, the Principal of Brasenose, said: "This is an excellent opportunity for schoolchildren from an inner city area to experience a little of what it is like to be a student at Oxford. Hopefully, this experience will inspire them to consider Oxford when they make choices about higher education in the years to come."