A COLLEGE in Eastleigh has had its record number of students successfully secure Oxbridge places this year.

Record numbers of Barton Peveril Sixth Form College students are celebrating offers to study at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, as 22 students have received offers to study at the highly selective Universities.

This brings the college's total number of successful applicants to 84 within the last five years.

Barton Peveril Principal Jonathan Prest said: "“Above all I am delighted for the individuals concerned who have been working so hard to win a place, and for their teachers who have prepared them.

“22 students receiving offers from Oxford and Cambridge is the highest number we have ever had. So why the growing success? Our Careers Manager, Shoonagh Hubble has set up the wonderful Aspire Programme to broaden students in an academic way and established a group of former Oxbridge educated volunteers who have mentored our students for the best part of a year.

"I am also grateful to Winchester College dons who have also given up their time to offer practice interviews, set in the cloisters of the historic public school, helping our students to cope with unfamiliar surroundings and people.”

The students have been offered places to study a wide range of subjects, from Medicine to Classical Archaeology, with 7 heading to Cambridge and the other 15 set to study at Oxford.

Max Slavik was accepted by Cambridge to study Engineering and he said: "The College really supported the preparation for my interview in every way possible. Thanks to the Careers Team, the Maths Department and my personal Oxbridge mentor, I felt relaxed during my interview as I knew I was ready.”