STUDENTS beginning degrees at a university in Cirencester have been welcomed to the higher education provider with an Oxbridge-style event.

A matriculation ceremony was held for students starting at the Royal Agricultural University on Tuesday, October 1.

The event took place at the Parish Church of St John Baptist in Cirencester’s Market Place.

The original plan was for matriculating students to process down to the church through Cirencester Park, but bad weather meant that this could not take place.

Buses were arranged to the church instead, and after a welcome from Cirencester vicar and RAU chaplain Canon Graham Morris, the students sang a hymn and said the university prayer.

They were then addressed by Earl Bathurst, RAU vice-chancellor Professor Peter McCaffery, Cirencester mayor Sarah Orr, RAU alumnus Charlie Beldam and RAU Students’ Union president Alexandra Godfrey.

Afterwards, they were led in prayers by Matt Frost, senior pastor at Cirencester Baptist Church.

The service finished with the hymn Jerusalem and the national anthem before the students gathered in the Market Place for a free lunch and drinks laid on by the university.

Matriculation is a feature of universities including the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge.

While the RAU event may look traditional, it was actually first hosted by the higher education provider two years ago.

Dan Shaffer, academic registrar at the RAU, said: “Matriculation is defined as the process of formally becoming a student at a university.

“As the oldest agricultural college in the English-speaking world - we were founded in 1845 and celebrate our 180th anniversary next year - we decided that a matriculation ceremony in the parish church would be a really nice way to welcome our new undergraduate and postgraduate students to the RAU and to Cirencester itself.

“We held our first Matriculation ceremony in 2022, and it has continued to be a popular event with our students.

“Sadly, the wet weather this year meant that the matriculating students were not able to process down to the church through Cirencester Park as planned, but we arranged buses for them all and it was great to see so many of our new students there.”