The ranks of College School Liaison Officers (SLOs) have been augmented by some new faces over the past couple of months, as a growing number of Colleges make appointments and previous SLOs move on to pastures new at the end of their one- or two-year contracts.

As one of the first points of contact with Cambridge for thousands of teachers and pupils, SLOs play a vital role in widening participation, welcoming pupils from all over the UK on visits to Cambridge and going out to schools to give talks. Aided by undergraduate access officers and volunteers, they help to dispel the myths that can deter state school pupils from applying to Cambridge.

Colleges to have appointed dedicated SLOs for the first time include Peterhouse, where Rosie Woodbury (pictured left) took up her post at the start of September, and Murray Edwards College, which now has its own full-time SLO in Catherine Carter (pictured right), having previously shared an SLO with Emmanuel and Fitzwilliam Colleges. Her appointment has been made possible by the generosity of benefactors Ros and Steve Edwards.

Clem Cooper (pictured centre), who started as SLO for Pembroke College and St Catharine’s College earlier this month will be taking forward the ambitious programmes established by previous SLOs for the two Colleges – Rachel Spruce and Hanna Weibye. New initiatives include the Cambridge Science Festival Master Classes, aimed at pupils within easy reach of Cambridge.

In line with the Colleges Link Areas scheme set up to avoid duplication, each College concentrates on specific areas of the country in terms of access and widening participation efforts.

At Downing College, newly-appointed SLO Jim Cannon will be working with schools and colleges in the West Country, including his home county of Cornwall. Ed Sharpe, new SLO for Christ’s, Homerton and Jesus Colleges, will be also working with his home county, Lincolnshire, as part of his remit. Sue Anspach, who started at Girton College in April, is reinforcing links with the West Midlands.

In common with his counterparts at other Colleges, Tom Wilks, new SLO at Clare College, says he will be focusing on dispelling the myths that continue to deter some potential applicants from state schools without a strong history of Cambridge applications – chiefly that Cambridge is dominated by public school pupils and is an expensive place to study.

In fact, almost 60 per cent of Cambridge’s intake comes from state schools and, thanks to the support available and the provision of college accommodation, studying at Cambridge can work out less expensive than studying at many other universities.

“These are two of the key issues I want to address - plus the perception that you have to have dozens of As at A level to get in,” he says. “If you are predicted to get three or more As in your A levels then you are a potential Cambridge applicant. Applications are considered on an individual basis, taking the school’s performance into account.”
 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Licence. If you use this content on your site please link back to this page.