As a result of increasing competition for the limited number of top places, Universities are demanding ever higher grades at the Advanced level from prospective applicants. It is recognised that in order to produce the high standard of work required to achieve these grades students may well require supplementary tuition in addition to that provided during the school year.

In general, the normal school syllabus makes little allowance for instruction in the skill of actually preparing for public examinations. In fact many schools make provision for but one trial or mock examination over the course of the academic year (as compared with thirty trial examinations at Cherwell!). Some students may have had no experience at all of examinations when they attempt the final public examinations. No wonder some perform so poorly.

It is perfectly evident that A-level students must not merely be familiar with the syllabus (or specification), the subject material, but rather have gained an understanding and appreciation of the subject material and, more importantly, the ability to commit this understanding and appreciation to paper in a given space of time.

The Easter Courses at Jesus Colleges and Lady Margaret Hall have been designed specifically to provide an intensive regime of examination preparation and revision for those students wishing to achieve their highest level of performance in the forthcoming public examinations. The courses will involve three separate one-week periods of intensive tuition comprising, small group tuition together with lectures, seminars, classes in examination technique and daily trial examinations.

The courses aim for each student to concentrate on one subject for the whole week (or two subjects for GCSE students) which may be either, residential at Lady Margaret Hall or Jesus College or, non-residential, where the pupil may attend daily.