I arrived at Lincoln College, Oxford to study Philosophy, Politics and Economics with
mixed feelings. I was ecstatic to have made it, but couldn�t quite believe the tutors
wanted me there. My academic achievements were evidence that I deserved my place.
However, I was a girl of mixed black Caribbean, African and white heritage, the eldest of
six children, born to parents who hadn�t attended university, and educated at a Croydon
comprehensive school up until my GCSEs. I was no stereotypical Oxford student!
A fortuitous move to a grammar school sixth form meant that I received well-informed
support when applying to Oxford. This was essential for me as my parents, whilst
wonderfully supportive, couldn�t help me through the process. I found the process
daunting however, as it felt like I was venturing into another world. This manifested
itself as me hiding in my room during my interview days, feeling intimidated by
the superior education and obvious polish of some of the other applicants. I even
continued to underestimate my abilities in relation to those of my peers throughout my
first year at Oxford.
It wasn�t until my second year that I
realised the context surrounding my
achievements should be a source of
confidence for me. I had achieved
everything my peers had, and more,
without the benefit of their more
favourable circumstances. If I had come
this far, what was stopping me from
going even further? I left Oxford with
a first class degree in 2011, making it
clear that the answer to that question
was: �nothing�.
I founded Target Oxbridge whilst working
at Rare in 2011-12 with these lessons
and experiences in mind. Target Oxbridge
aims to help state school educated
students of black and mixed black heritage improve their chances of gaining a place
at Oxbridge. The programme provides
tailored advice and coaching in regard
to the application process that candidates
are unlikely to receive at school or at home. It also provides
mentoring to build their confidence and to develop the skills they
will need to get through the application process and beyond.
Since joining the Civil Service Fast Stream in 2012, I have
returned each year to help interview the Target Oxbridge
applicants. With thanks to this year�s co-ordinator, Josh Oware,
the most recent assessment process included a systematic
consideration of achievement in context.
Applicants were invited to provide contextual information such
as details of their family life, health, and experiences at school.
We also considered the average achievement of students at
each applicant�s school to contextualise their grades. It was a
humbling exercise. Some of the applicants had achieved huge
amounts in very difficult circumstances, further convincing us
that they had what it took to make it to Oxbridge.
The Target Oxbridge cohort of 2014 get a feel for Oxford during a trip, organised as part of this year’s programme.
These considerations of context are also relevant in the world
of work. On joining the Department for Education in 2012, I
was struck by the lack of ethnic diversity within the Senior Civil
Service (SCS), which has also been acknowledged recently in
the media. With so few senior policy makers having a personal
insight into the lives of a large proportion of the population,
it seems right to be concerned that government policy might
not be as well informed or representative as it might be. For
example, it seems obvious that government considerations of
the educational underachievement of some ethnic minority
groups might be better informed if some of the senior policy
makers have experienced education in this context.
With this in mind, I co-founded the Black, Asian and Minority
Ethnic Fast Stream Network in October 2013. The network
aims to improve the diversity and representativeness of the Fast
Stream and ultimately the SCS, as the Fast Stream is one of the
Civil Service�s main talent pipelines. As well as providing a forum
for ethnic minority Fast Streamers to discuss their experiences,
we also host events at which ethnic minority senior civil servants
share the stories of their careers, the challenges they faced, and
the methods they used to overcome those challenges.
The response to our first event of this type was encouraging,
with ethnic minority civil servants from across Whitehall signing
up to attend. Our speaker was flooded with questions and
requests for advice after her talk, and it was apparent that
having access to a role model was inspiring, and useful in a
practical way, to those who had attended the event.
In a similar way, Rare Rising Stars tells the stories of extremely
impressive young people, many of whom have achieved great
things in difficult circumstances. By telling their stories, the Rare
Rising Stars act as a source of inspiration for many others who
find themselves in similar circumstances. I look forward to being
further inspired by this year�s Stars.
Naomi currently works as a Policy Adviser on Education,
Children and Culture, as part of HM Treasury�s Public Service
Group. For further information on the Target Oxbridge
programme, please visit:
www.targetoxbridge.co.uk.
