Politics · United Kingdom · 4 hrs ago
Lucy Powell recalls leaving Oxford after feeling out of place
Education Secretary Lucy Powell spoke to academy heads and described her family's long history in school leadership.
Powell, who is from Didsbury in south Manchester, said her mother and several other relatives had been school heads.
She attended state schools in Manchester before studying maths and sciences at Xaverian College.
Powell said she was the only student in her sixth form to gain a place at Oxford, though classmates disputed that claim and her spokesman said she was happy to be corrected.
She left Oxford after a year, moving to King's College London to study instead.
She later said Oxford felt like a place where a state-school girl from the North studying maths and chemistry did not fit in.
Her experience is relevant to her role overseeing education, but the account gives no further details about what happens next.
Lucy Powell said she left Oxford after a year because she felt out of place.
She had gone to Somerville College to study chemistry before moving to King's College, London.
Powell said Oxford did not feel suited to a state-school girl from the North studying maths and chemistry.
In a speech, she also described her family as one of “school leaders”.
- Who
- Lucy Powell, who was made Education Secretary in July.
- What
- She recalled leaving Oxford after a year because she felt out of place.
- When
- She discussed her experience in a speech on 15 October 2026; she said last year that Oxford had not been right for her.
- Where
- Somerville College, Oxford; she later moved to King's College, London.
- Why
- She said she felt like a “duck out of water” and that Oxford was not for a state-school girl from the North studying maths and chemistry.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Powell left Somerville College, where she had been studying chemistry, and moved to King's College, London.
Powell said Oxford had not been right for her and that she felt like a “duck out of water”.
Powell spoke about her family of “school leaders” and said that being among academy heads felt like a “family gathering”.
- Oxford college
- Somerville College
- Course
- Chemistry
- Time at Oxford
- One year
- Next college
- King's College, London
- School background
- Beaver Road primary and Parrs Wood High School in Manchester
What people are saying
Oxford was not for a state school girl from the North doing maths and chemistry. I was like a duck out of water.
more than happy to be corrected