Exeter College is delighted to announce a new multi-year partnership with Your Future Story, a programme led by the Colyton Foundation that supports high-attaining young people from under-resourced backgrounds across Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, and Somerset.
Through the partnership, Your Future Story participants will visit Exeter College for residential programmes and work with College staff and students to develop their understanding of university life, academic study, and progression to higher education.
Exeter College has a strong tradition of regional outreach, particularly with schools across Cornwall, Devon, and Somerset. By joining Your Future Story, the College will help provide sustained support for pupils and their families as they explore pathways to highly selective universities, including Oxford.
Dr Claire Sims, Access & Outreach Manager at Exeter College, said:
“Exeter College, University of Oxford is proud to be part of this partnership, which represents an important step forward in how we support high-attaining students from underrepresented backgrounds across the South West.
“While much outreach activity focuses on raising aspiration, there remains a clear need for sustained, academically focused support for those with the potential to thrive at highly selective universities. Through this collaboration, we are particularly excited by the programme’s distinctive school-based model, which places expert teachers at its heart.
“At Exeter, we hope to complement this by contributing our experience of structured programmes that combine academic stretch, mentoring and a strong sense of belonging. When talented students are supported early, consistently and with confidence-building opportunities, they are far more able to see Oxford as a place for them – and to succeed once they arrive.
“This partnership reflects a shared commitment to widening access to Oxford and other highly selective universities by ensuring that talented students from all backgrounds are supported to progress and realise their potential.”
Your Future Story works with 32 state secondary schools across the South West, combining mentoring, family engagement, university visits, employer encounters, and academic enrichment from Year 7 onwards. Exeter College joins a growing coalition of higher education and social mobility partners supporting the programme, helping to ensure that talented young people are equipped to fulfil their academic potential regardless of background.
