Specialist Oxbridge Admissions Programme
A year-long programme of one-to-one seminars for academically ambitious pupils. It runs from January of Year 12 (Lower Sixth) to interviews in December of Year 13, and is built on canonical texts, disciplined discussion and structured written argument, with admissions preparation woven through from the start.
Programme philosophy
Cadogan Academic follows the model of the Oxbridge tutorial. Pupils work through the foundational debates of philosophy, economics, politics, management and social theory instead of drilling test technique in isolation.
The aim is clarity of thought, well-built argument and intellectual confidence, which are the qualities tutors look for at interview. Test preparation is part of the programme, not its centrepiece.
The fortnightly cycle
Additional A-level Economics or Business tuition is available alongside the programme if required.
From first seminar to interview
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Jan – Jul · Year 12
Foundations
Core texts across all five disciplines; seminar and essay-writing habits established.
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Summer
Statement & wider reading
Personal statement drafted and refined; independent reading taken further.
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Sep – Oct · Year 13
Application & TARA
UCAS submission by the 15 October deadline; focused TARA preparation for Oxford applicants.
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Nov – Dec
Interview
Mock interviews and practice with unseen material ahead of December interviews.
Year 12 pupils with strong academic records, in the UK or overseas, who are considering Oxford PPE, Oxford Economics & Management or Cambridge HSPS.
Canonical texts, read closely
Readings are provided as carefully selected extracts and discussed in seminar. The emphasis is on argument and conceptual understanding rather than coverage, and the balance of texts follows each pupil’s chosen course.
Politics
- Hobbes, T. (1651) Leviathan.
- Berlin, I. (1958) ‘Two Concepts of Liberty’.
- Polanyi, K. (1944) The Great Transformation.
- Arendt, H. (1967) ‘Truth and Politics’.
- Dahl, R.A. (1971) Polyarchy: Participation and Opposition.
Philosophy
- Kant, I. (1785) Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals.
- Mill, J.S. (1863) Utilitarianism.
- Foot, P. (1967) ‘The Problem of Abortion and the Doctrine of the Double Effect’.
- Williams, B. (1976) ‘Moral Luck’.
- Nagel, T. (1974) ‘What Is It Like to Be a Bat?’
- Russell, B. (1905) ‘On Denoting’.
Economics
- Pigou, A.C. (1920) The Economics of Welfare.
- Keynes, J.M. (1930) ‘Economic Possibilities for Our Grandchildren’.
- Friedman, M. (1953) ‘The Methodology of Positive Economics’.
- Coase, R.H. (1960) ‘The Problem of Social Cost’.
- Akerlof, G.A. (1970) ‘The Market for “Lemons”’.
- Ostrom, E. (1990) Governing the Commons.
Management
- Coase, R.H. (1937) ‘The Nature of the Firm’.
- Penrose, E. (1959) The Theory of the Growth of the Firm.
- Chandler, A.D. (1962) Strategy and Structure.
- Porter, M.E. (1979) ‘How Competitive Forces Shape Strategy’.
- Mintzberg, H. (1987) ‘Five Ps for Strategy’.
Sociology & Anthropology
- Durkheim, É. (1897) Suicide.
- Weber, M. (1905) The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism.
- Mauss, M. (1925) The Gift.
- Marshall, T.H. (1950) Citizenship and Social Class.
- Goffman, E. (1959) The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life.
- Douglas, M. (1966) Purity and Danger.
Alex Wiscombe
Head of Economics, Magdalen College School, Oxford. Sixteen years teaching in leading independent schools.
- DPhil Candidate in Political Theory, University of Oxford
- MPhil Philosophy (Distinction)
- BA Philosophy (Prize-winning First)
- BA Economics
Alex’s doctoral research is in the political philosophy of artificial intelligence, drawing on welfare economics and social choice theory.
Places are limited each year
The January 2027 cohort is now recruiting. To discuss a place, please email.
info@cadoganacademic.co.uk
- Fees on application
- Enhanced DBS-checked