Celebrating progress and achievement at the Astrophoria Foundation Year reception

5 March 2026
Group portrait taken in the Divinity School, Oxford. The Vice-Chancellor of Oxford stands on the far left wearing a red suit, and the Chancellor stands at the centre in a dark suit. At the right is the Director of the Astrophoria Foundation Year

Photo by Cyrus Mower

Students and staff gathered in the Divinity School for this year’s Astrophoria Foundation Year celebration, with the Chancellor of the University of Oxford, Lord Hague of Richmond, delivering the welcome address.  

The annual event marked an important moment for the programme, celebrating the achievements of students who have completed the Astrophoria Foundation Year and recognising the progress of the current cohort as they reach the halfway point in their studies.  

Lord Hague gave a motivational address, stressing the importance of widening access to Oxford, and encouraging students to make the most of their time at the University.  

A highlight of the ceremony was the presentation of prizes to three students from the second cohort, who completed the Foundation Year with an overall Distinction and progressed to undergraduate study in October 2025.  

Congratulations to:

  • Daphne Harries, Keble College (English Literature and Language) 
  • Lewis Worth, St Anne’s College (English Literature and Language)
  • Maira Khan, Mansfield College (Materials Science)

Achieving a Distinction reflects sustained academic excellence across a challenging year of study, and their success is a testament to their hard work and commitment.  

The celebration also featured speeches from two students representing the third cohort: Alisa Peja (Keble College, Foundation Year in Law) and George Craddock (Regent’s Park College, Foundation Year in History).  

Now halfway through their year, both students offered personal reflections on what it means to be at Oxford, speaking about belonging, aspiration and the ways in which the Foundation Year has reshaped their sense of what is possible.   

Alisa Peja spoke about arriving at Oxford after once viewing it as somewhere to “admire from afar”, and the shift in perspective that has come with realising she belongs at the University.   

She said: “Oxford hasn’t just changed what I’m learning, it has changed how I see myself. It’s changed the rooms I feel allowed to walk into. It’s changed my voice — not because it’s louder, but because I trust it more… maybe we weren’t out of place, maybe we are exactly where we are meant to be.”

George Craddock reflected on how the Astrophoria Foundation Year also transformed Oxford from a distant aspiration into a lived reality, and on the community and support that have shaped his experience so far.   

He said: “Without the AFY, Oxford would not have been an option for me… I had ruled it out for myself before it was ruled out for me. And now, I look up, and I’m here — and it still doesn’t feel real… There’s not a single thing I would change about my path to Oxford.”

Students in the third cohort will find out in the summer whether they will progress to undergraduate study at Oxford in October 2026. This event provided a valuable opportunity to pause and reflect on how far they have already come.  

The Astrophoria Foundation Year is a one-year programme offering full funding to UK state school students with high academic potential who have experienced significant educational disadvantage. Through structured teaching and close academic support, the programme prepares students for successful undergraduate study at Oxford. The annual celebration was a moment to recognise achievement, share experiences, and look ahead. For students who have progressed to their degrees at Oxford, it marks the start of a new chapter. For those still undertaking the course, it is a reminder of the opportunities ahead, and of the community supporting them along the way.

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