THE country's two leading universities have once again been accused of being socially exclusive ­— so much so that they recruit more students from eight top schools than almost 3,000 other English state schools put together.

And those schools are mostly private.

But in Bolton, the borough's only sixth form college is ensuring that bright young things do not miss out on a place at one of the top universities, giving them the confidence to believe they have the ability to study at eight Oxford or Cambridge.

Bolton Sixth Form College ensures the brightest students are encouraged to consider applying for Oxbridge and given a taste of what studying there would be like.

Sam Ruaux, aged 18, never considered applying for Oxford until he started at the college in Deane Road. Now he is in his first year of studying archaeology and anthropology at St Hugh's College.

He was encouraged to apply for the Pembroke North Course, run by Oxford University.

He said: "I only started to think about Oxford when my teachers put me forward for the the Pembroke North course. I definitely did not think I was going to be applying for Oxford but my teachers encouraged me to apply for the course and I didn't think I was going to get in but then I did.

"I went to seminars with Oxford professors

"I just loved the work and how intense it was and loved the material I was doing that made me think of Oxford and it wanted to make me apply."

Pembroke North is an access course to give young people an insight into studying at Oxford. More than 100 apply and only some 20 students get chosen. It is no guarantee a student will receive a place.

"The idea of it is to make people who didn't think they would be able to apply to Oxford recognise that they could," said Sam, who is from Horwich.

He added: "I think I have always had the potential but never would have realised it the potential without my teachers planting the idea first and supporting me throughout because without my teachers I would never have applied for Pembroke North and without it I never would have realised I could to Oxford in the first place

"Without my teachers I may still not have applied even after dong Pembroke North because it is a very terrifying decision but my teachers were very supportive."

Signposting students to the course is one of a number of schemes run in college to raise aspirations of students and give them the confidence to apply for leading universities, a number which is growing year-on-year. This includes visits to Cambridge University to help students set their sights higher, even if Oxbridge is not for them. Other schemes include the 'honours' course where students also receive individual advice.

Simon Christian, teacher and senior leader at Bolton Sixth Form College said: "What Pembroke North does do is give the Oxford tutors is an insight into the quality of students who are out there."

He added: "Students don't want to take risks and they simply don't want to fail, we have a fear of failure within us and what we are doing in education is to break down that fear of failure in order that students can actually take risks and fail. It's through failure that great things are discovered.

"That's what we are doing is given students confidence that they can go out in the world and make a difference.

"We ensure all of our students are given the pathway to succeed in whatever route they want to go in."