YOUNG adults from Harlow are being offered places to study at the country’s most prestigious universities.

Sixth form students from Sir Frederick Gibberd College have applied to continue their studies at Russell Group Universities – seen as the best 24 education providers in the country.

Among the Year 13 students is Poppy Hazle who is the first from the new sixth form to secure a spot at Cambridge University, to study history and politics.

Poppy said “I cannot believe it; I am so happy!
“I wanted to speak to my family as soon as I received my offer. I didn’t believe it was real at first; I needed time to digest it. Now it has sunk in, I am really excited!”

The sixth form was opened by BMAT Education Trust in 2021 with a mission to get young people from disadvantaged backgrounds into top-tier universities.

Headteacher Dee Conlon said: “Many of the school leavers in Harlow are attracted to the sixth forms in Bishops Stortford and Hertfordshire. In the past, we have had students travel as far as Chelmsford to attend grammar school sixth forms. The cost, both time and financial, are huge for families and we wanted to help address this by opening a new sixth form.

“It looks like our academic rigor, focus on personal development and small class sizes have paid off as almost all Year 13 students have been offered places at Russell Group Universities. This is the first cohort to study in our sixth form and they set the bar high for future generations.

“I always say Gibberdians are going to change the world one day and here they come. I could not be prouder!”