Clever Redbridge pupils were told to aim high and consider applying to the Oxbridge universities last night.

High-achieving students were invited to Woodbridge High School in St Barnabas Road, Woodford Green, to meet current undergraduates and staff from top universities Oxford and Cambridge.

The school is aiming to become an “Oxbridge hub” in Redbridge by building up long-term relationships and putting on information events for pupils, with around 50 year 12 pupils attending yesterday.

Faheem Khan, an advanced skills teacher at the school, said: “It’s all about building the confidence and getting the information and the skills.

“If you look across Redbridge, the numbers for Oxbridge aren’t as great as they could be.”

The pupils heard from undergraduates studying at Oxbridge, including some who attended Redbridge high schools, admissions tutors and outreach workers.

Anna Stedman, a Year 13 pupil at Woodbridge who has been accepted to read maths at Cambridge University, also spoke about how it is possible to get into the universities.

The top five highest achieving Year 12 pupils from Redbridge schools were invited, with around 20 students from Barking and Dagenham schools also participating.

Year 12 pupils will make their university choices by September.