Teachers are being urged to give more advice and support to “bright black students” in order to help them get into Oxbridge.

The appeal comes from former Oxford graduate Naomi Kellman, founder of the Target Oxbridge programme which has helped 140 black British pupils get into Oxbridge since it started in 2012, including those from some of the poorest postcodes in Britain.

Ms Kellman, who will deliver a workshop at the BAMEed Network conference at the University of East London tomorrow said: “I’ve seen heart-breaking cases of bright black students dropping out of the process because a teacher has told them they ‘aren’t right for Oxbridge’.

“We need to encourage teachers to champion students from all backgrounds. Their support can have a huge bearing on a student’s chances of success. I know I wouldn’t have gained an Oxford place without the help of some exceptional teachers.”

Advice for teachers includes:

• Help pupils to explore content outside of their curriculum, which can be done by using the Oxford and Cambridge reading lists.

• Connect students with role models such as members of the Oxford Black Alumni Network or former students who have attended Oxbridge.

• Be positive throughout the process because pupils can be really influenced by their teachers’ opinions and attitudes.

Ms Kellman, who graduated in PPE in 2011, said rates of black African and Caribbean applicants receiving offers to study at Oxford were 16 per cent compared with 26 per cent for white applicants, while rates for Cambridge were 21 per cent compared with 33 per cent for white applicants.

She said in total just 19 per cent of black pupils who applied to Oxbridge in 2017 received an offer in 2017. But 35 per cent of black candidates working with Target Oxbridge have received offers from the elite universities. The year-long programme involves visits to each university, subject sessions delivered by academics, admissions advice from experts and mentoring by current and former Oxbridge students.

Other advice for teachers includes:

• Sign up to both universities’ teachers’ newsletters to get information about activities and programmes that their students can take part in.

• Contact the universities link college to organise a school visit

• Engage with Oxbridge teacher conferences and Year 12 summer schools such as UNIQ and the Sutton Trust Summer School.

The Target Oxbridge programme is delivered without charge to high performing, UK-based students in Year 12 through the sponsorship of Oxford and Cambridge universities.

A spokesman for Oxford University said black and minority ethnic (BAME) students now made up 18 per of UK undergraduate intake, in line with the overall population for that age group, and that offers to BAME students had risen 30 per cent in five years.