Summer Residentials come to a close – what a week!

Having experienced a bespoke programme put together by graduate students teaching about their particularly specialism over the course of this week, the groups working with the Brilliant Club now have until the 3^rd August to finish off their final submissions. History and Politics students have to write an essay, while those studying HTML have to write a website report for that deadline. This work will then be marked to University standard – a hugely rewarding and invaluable learning experience for all involved! Thank you to the Brilliant Club for their work.

With two cohorts staying in Cambridge for the first time, we have been immensely grateful for the support of both Fitzwilliam and Queens’ Colleges, and it has been fantastic to have them working together with us. Fitz and Queens’ have split the burden in terms of accommodation, catering and facilities, and this arrangement has been significant in terms of making our life easier, and allowing the programme to function effectively. The colleges have also provided several speakers to the programme, allowing us to fully tap in to their college community. We look forward to maintaining and further strengthening these links over the coming year!

Friday saw a visit to Cambridge by Anna Rogers from the Tonbridge School Careers Department, with Anna speaking about student financing and hopefully myth-busting along the way. This is a very important process for all our students, helping them to overcome any pre or misconceptions they may have, and to allow our students clarity in making their decisions about their future. This is a sign of the barriers in place for our students to overcome, and, therefore, the importance of the work we do. Friday also saw the students tour a range of Cambridge colleges, and with the sun shining the Cambridge architecture and skyline were looking resplendent!

Friday for the Tonbridge cohorts saw the year 9 take part in a similar visit to that which the year 10 enjoyed on Thursday, visiting the V and A and the Imperial College Outreach Lab. After a mentor led tour of the V and A, the work at Imperial focused on crocodiles and neuroscience, again providing a taste of the breadth of academic study that is out there! On return to Tonbridge it was time for one of the most eagerly anticipated events of the week – the inter-school quiz! John Wallis won 1^st prize, with Oasis Isle of Sheppey second, and the Marsh Academy third. Splitting the students in to their academies in this way is a reminder of the structures within which we work, and the three lessons taught by Marsh Academy teachers to our year 10 on Friday are an example of the ways the academies comprise the Kent Academies Network contribute to and fundamentally underpin the work we do.

Saturday morning saw the usual review of the residential, target setting and work setting ahead of the next meet up in October/November. The year 9 presented the research they had been working on over the course of the week – a great exercise in developing public speaking skills, confidence and the ability to look in to something in detail, and develop and explain an interest in a particular chosen subject. The year 10 underwent their mock trial, mentors in judge outfits and all, again the culmination of hard work they had put in this week, and again a hugely successful exercise. Our mentors have featured consistently in these blogs over the course of the week and we remain indebted to work they do, and the immense contributions to the lives of our students that they make!

And so we reach the end of the summer 2016 residential, and in addition to those mentioned in this blog we would like to thank all those who have contributed to the programme this week, enabling our students to undergo an amazing experience along the way.

@AandAFoundation