DCG Success Stories

Law undergraduate Uther Naysmith holds the special distinction of being one of the Derby College Group A-level students to gain an Oxbridge place.

Uther is now in his final year at Oxford University and predicted to get a First-Class honours degree. He plans to specialise in Human Rights and Employment Law in his professional career.

Home-schooled to GCSE level, he chose JWC because it encourages independent study: “Joseph Wright Centre offers a university style of teaching and it allows you to discover what interests you within the context of the subjects you’re studying.

“I took A-levels in Politics, History and French. All three of my lecturers were excellent but I’d like to give a special mention to my lecturer Sally as she’s the one who pushed me to apply to Oxford.

“I’d never thought about doing that as I didn’t think I’d get in. I’d planned to go to university in London – probably UCL.

“My lecturers were also very supportive with things like filling in my university application form and finding out who I needed to speak to about applying to Oxbridge.

Uther has also been reassured to find that his less conventional route to Oxford University has not been an issue.

He added: “Lots of people have this stereotype of Oxford University being elitist, and I didn’t know if I’d fit in because I didn’t go to Eton.

“That’s not been my experience. I’ve found Oxford very welcoming and have had no problem at all fitting in.”