Southport College student offered a place to read Fine Art at Oxford University

Above: Kitty Chew

By Aimee O’Callaghan

Southport College is celebrating this week after receiving news that one of their students has been offered a place to read Fine Art at Oxford University. This is one of many successful applications following a year on year increase in the number of Southport College students applying for university places.

Southport College is unique in the local area in the respect that it has a ‘college within a college’ in their School of Media and the Arts. This dedicated centre provides students with access to class-leading facilities and expertise from staff who have worked in the industry as well as close links to Art & Media businesses such as FACT, The Atkinson Gallery, Sony, Juice FM and more. Over 90 students from this area of Southport College have applied for university courses this year with some electing to continue their studies at the College’s own University Centre.

Kitty Chew is the Level 3 Art student at Southport College heading for Oxford. Kitty was a former student at St Mary’s College in Crosby and joined Southport College after completing her GCSEs. Kitty said “The Level 3 in Art at Southport College has allowed me to explore a massive range of disciplines that an A-Level perhaps wouldn’t have. For example, I have been able to develop skills in print making, fine art and painting techniques on the course. The staff at the College were very supportive of my application to Oxford; it has a much tighter deadline and a rigorous selection procedure but they helped me every step of the way. When I complete my degree I want to become freelance selling my own art.”

Southport College Principal, John Clarke said “We are delighted that one of our students has been offered a place at Oxford University and she joins many students who have applied to top universities such as Liverpool, Leeds, Glasgow, Manchester, UCLan and Edge Hill to name but a few. There is a misconception that vocational courses do not allow students to progress to university but our latest figures speak for themselves; three hundred students leave us each year to study at degree level and that figure is rising. The message we keep giving our students and school leavers is that A-Levels are not the only route to a degree, as Oxford University has quite clearly demonstrated.”

Southport College is holding and Open Evening for students considering their post-school options on Monday 2 February from 4.00pm-7.30pm. For further details visit www.southport.ac.uk