Peter Davison

Aspiring Oxbridge students in Year 12 attended a conference at St. James’ Park in Newcastle. They spent the day in a range of workshops, from medicine to architecture, and had the opportunity to speak to admissions tutors and learn the ins and outs of personal statements, admissions, exams and interviews.

Year 12 Biologists have all chosen and read a book in their own time. They have been feeding back to their peers about what they’ve learnt and had fascinating discussions on topics from ‘the impact of modern medicine on death’ to ‘the realities of working as a neurosurgeon’.

Sixth Formers were visited by Derek Winter, one of only two Deputy Chief Coroners in England and Wales. Derek shared information on his career progression, experiences with deaths in Sunderland and shared stories of his role in court and some of the cases he has worked on.

The latest OxNet seminar was led by Giles Gasper from Durham University where students questioned what ‘History’ actually is and more specifically how we really know things happened in the past.  Students discussed how fragile sources can be and how evidence often comes from specific groups.  Students discussed what ‘science’ meant in Medieval times – …

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Shenaz from ‘Positively MAD’ inspired Year 12, and shared her own life story to teach them the importance of seizing the moment, taking every opportunity and never giving up. Students learned little tricks to enhance their study skills, such as using thought-associations to revise and remember key information.

The latest session, led by artist Colin Rennie, focused around creativity and what this actually means. Students questioned stereotypes and preconceptions then debated whether scientists are classed as ‘creative’. This led to a conversation about Artificial Intelligence and whether computers can be creative.