A Doncaster student is proving that your background has no bearing on ability as A-Level results day approaches.

Oliver Lightfoot, aged 18, is in Year 13 at New College Doncaster, after studying at state school South Axholme.

He has been studying physics, chemistry, maths and further maths is his A-levels and has secured an offer to study mathematics at the University of Warwick, his first choice. His required grades to secure his place are A*A*AA or A*A*A*, with his predicted grades being A*A*A*A.

From a low-opportunity background and area, Oliver will be the first in his family to attend university.

He explained: “People in my area don’t always go to university so I wasn’t sure if it was right for me. But when I saw my cousin, who’s also from a low opportunity area, get a scholarship to study physics at Cambridge, it inspired me that I could also study at a top uni.

"My parents weren’t initially too bothered if I went to uni, but when I got good GCSE results, they then started encouraging me to go too.”

He continued: “When I decided to apply to top institutions like Warwick, I didn’t have as much support as I’d like. And, only one person has gone to Warwick from my college in the past six years.”

Last year when he was in Year 12, to help him with the university application process, Oliver signed up to free social mobility technology platform Zero Gravity, that powers thousands of low-opportunity students into top universities through mentoring, masterclasses, and connecting with a community of like-minded students from similar backgrounds. It aims to level the playing field for UK students and give socially mobile students the tools to widen their access to top institutions.

Speaking about the support he received, Oliver said: “I heard about Zero Gravity through my college who said I could get a mentor who’s been in my position to support me for free. Zero Gravity matched me with a mentor, who was also from a low-opportunity background, who provided me with lots of help with my personal statement.

"My teachers at college just read my first draft and said it was good without giving any further feedback or support. But my mentor gave me direct line-by-line feedback on it, which proved so helpful in improving it.”

Aside from Warwick, Oliver also achieved offers from the universities of Durham, Bristol and York. When he received his Warwick offer, Oliver expressed: “I was in a lesson when I quickly checked my phone and saw the UCAS notification of the offer. I started shaking and had to leave the classroom to just have a moment to celebrate!”

Ahead of results day, Oliver expressed: “If I get my place, it will mean a lot. I put in so much effort to get to where I am, so it will have all been worth it. One of my teachers said to me that if I get to Warwick, it’ll just be something else, and such an achievement.”

In terms of future ambitions, Oliver is taking it step by step. He’s considering doing a PhD after university and continuing on to a career in computing or finance.

Visit https://www.zerogravity.co.uk/ for more.