Newnham College announced yesterday that it would be opening its doors to female Year 11 students from disadvantaged backgrounds for an all-expenses paid open day.

 The college will be inviting teachers to each nominate up to five female students in Year 11 to attend the open day, which is to be held on 4th July. However, schools will only be able to nominate students if they receive Pupil Premium Grant (PPG) funding. The grant is allocated by the government to schools with specifically disadvantaged pupils, including those who receive free school meals or who have experience living under the care of a local authority, to help close attainment gaps between them and their peers.

Attendees of the open day will receive advice on A-Level subject choices and in-depth information on student finances, in addition to participating in a taster lecture and Q&A session with current undergraduates. Although both the University and its constituent colleges hold numerous open days every year, this event is believed to be unique in that it will be completely free for attendees, who will be offered a free lunch and have their public transport travel costs reimbursed.

A spokesperson for Newnham College told Varsity that the event had been targeted at students who had just completed their GCSEs because “it was felt that [Year 11] was a time when the information would be most useful to them,” as they would still be in the process of making their sixth-form choices.