Thetford Academy Teacher Awarded £30k Scholarship by University of Oxford to Invest in Students

Thetford Academy teacher, Caroline Richards was awarded the Gregson Teacher Scholarship by Balliol College, University of Oxford. 

The scholarship brings £30,000 of funding to Thetford Academy to invest in its students and prepare them for applications to competitive universities. The project, which extends over a three year period, also partners Ms Richards with scholars at the University of Oxford to work on staff professional development. 

Ms Richards has worked at Thetford Academy as a teacher of English for 8 years, and has specialised in supporting students applying for places at some of the countries most prestigious universities. Ms Richards applied for the funding in December of last year, noting that 2022 was a year of successes for both Thetford Academy and Thomas Paine Sixth Form, with growing GCSE results and the best A-Level results on record, putting them in a strong position as candidates for the scholarship.

Balliol College were impressed with the increasing GCSE results at Thetford Academy, and with the number of high-achieving GCSE students Thomas Paine Sixth Form received in summer 2022. The college acknowledged the great destinations students at Thetford Academy are already achieving thanks to the support of their Careers team and the Thomas Paine Sixth Form, and the funding will go towards continuing to support students to achieve aspirational destinations.  

Ms Richards said:

“This is a really exciting opportunity for Thetford Academy and Thomas Paine Sixth Form; one which is only possible because of the strong position our school and Sixth Form is in. This funding will make a real difference to the provision we can provide when supporting our students from all year groups with their University aspirations. I’m really looking forward to working closely with Balliol College to help support our students.”