On Friday 11th October, a group of fifteen Key Stage Four pupils were invited to visit the University of Cambridge. Places for this fieldwork were hotly contested. Pupils had to make a written application outlining their suitability for the visit, which was excellent preparation for future job and university applications. Mrs Poncia, our Key Stage Four Lead, was very impressed to read quality self reflection in the successful applications. 

All pupils on the visit conducted themselves incredibly maturely, and we were especially proud to see the confidence with which they asked clarifying and probing questions of the Cambridge staff and students about what it is like to study there.

The day included a guided tour of Homerton College and Cambridge city centre. It was fascinating to see all the colleges and historical sites, such as Sir Isaac Newton’s apple tree. During the afternoon, pupils were put to the test by a professor’s puzzles often used as part of the admissions process. These puzzles required lots of critical thinking, problem solving and quick mental arithmetic to solve a crime – with lots of our students (and Miss Cocliff!) being part of the winning teams! Pupils were in teams competing with each other and pupils from other schools to solve the crime. 

Fortunately, the challenging curriculum at XP prepared our pupils well for this as they are well used to making lateral connections between subjects. Here at XP, we agree wholeheartedly with the professor’s assertions that “it isn’t enough to just know stuff”. You must be able to apply it to different situations too! 

Miss Cross & Miss Cocliff x