Now firmly established as England’s leading new university in The Times League Table, Oxford Brookes receives almost six applications to the place – a level of competition not unlike that at some Russell Group universities. The demand for places has been steady, although there was only a small increase at the start of 2009 when most universities experienced substantial growth.

Brookes is particularly popular with independent schools, which provide more than a quarter of the undergraduates - by far the highest proportion among the new universities and twice the national average for the university’s subjects and entry grades. However, the proportion from working-class homes, at more than 40 per cent, is also considerably ahead of the official benchmark. The university has been trying to attract more students from state schools and has targeted areas in Oxfordshire.

Status

The university’s location has always been an advantage in student recruitment, but the quality of provision is the real draw. Its departments feature near the top of The Times rankings for several subjects. Ofsted rated primary teacher training outstanding and the university has been in the top 30 in the National Student Survey for the last three years. Education demonstrated 100 per cent satisfaction in 2008, while geography and environmental science also produced good results.

Teaching

The university houses national centres for hospitality, leisure and tourism, and the teaching of business and undergraduate research, as well as one for teacher training in partnership with Westminster University. The Architect’s Journal rated the Department of Architecture the best outside London. Oxford Brookes, which has a consistently excellent record for graduate employment, is also partnering Warwick University in the Government’s academy for gifted and talented schoolchildren.

Grades in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise showed improvement, with more than a third of the work judged to be world-leading or internationally excellent. History, which made headlines in 2001 with a higher grade than its world-renowned neighbour, again produced the best results, but there were good performances, too, in history of art and computer science.

Brookes made a leap in size in 2000, taking in Westminster College, a merger which added 2,000 students, mainly in teacher training and the humanities, and forming a £2.5-million Institute of Education. As a polytechnic, Oxford pioneered the modular degree system that has swept British higher education. After more than 20 years’ experience, the scheme has now trimmed the 2,000 modules it once offered, but undergraduates can pair subjects as diverse as history and biology, or catering management and environmental management. Each subject has compulsory modules in the first year and a list of others that are acceptable later in the course. Students are encouraged to take some subjects outside their main area of study, and there is a range of possible exit points.

Location

There are four main sites, two of which are only a mile from the city centre and linked to each other by a footbridge. Some £150 million has been earmarked for improvements to the Headington, Wheatley and Harcourt Hill campuses over the next few years. Buildings on the original Gipsy Lane site, at Headington, dating from the 1950s and ’60s will be replaced with flexible, functional buildings benefiting from the latest technology. A public consultation showed strong support for a contemporary architectural style and more green spaces for the new development. Students starting in 2009 will benefit from the first stages of the project. Maths and engineering have now joined computing and business five miles away at Wheatley. The new engineering building will support the university’s status as a Government-designated regional centre for motorsport and high performance engineering. The Harcourt Hill campus at Botley focuses on teacher education, human development and learning.

Facilities

A swimming pool and 18-hole golf course have been added to the already impressive sports facilities. Representative teams have a good record, with the rowers particularly successful and the cricketers now combining with Oxford University to take on county teams. The students’ union runs the biggest entertainment venue in Oxford, a city that can be expensive, but which offers enough to satisfy most students. The university has 3,700 residential places, all with internet access – enough for all first-year undergraduates.

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