Oxbridge Success for Surbiton High School | Surbiton High School
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Oxbridge Success for Surbiton High School

Posted: 30th January 2018

Group of students and teachers ready for Oxbridge

Surbiton High School is delighted to announce that 11 students have obtained offers from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge.

The offers are tribute to the students’ hard work over many years through GCSE and into A-level.  These students have demonstrated a willingness to explore beyond the confines of their A-level studies, as well as challenge themselves to stretch their thinking as far as it will go. Several students have displayed admirable open-mindedness to pursue new, multidisciplinary subjects such as PPE, Land Economy and Education, Policy and International Development.

Staff members Terry McDermott, Olivia Adams and Hannah Parker oversee our Oxbridge Programme; a key feature of which involves each applicant receiving an Oxbridge mentor drawn from the teaching staff. Our Oxbridge Programme seeks to foster academic engagement beyond A-level, a critical approach to everything prospective applicants read, the ability to verbalise thought, and to recognise that problems are often messy and do not always have one definitive answer.

The team also put a great deal of effort into helping students select the very best subject and university for them; both in terms of interest and a successful outcome. In particular, we allow students time to explore new horizons, since some of the subjects on offer at Oxbridge may seem new and somewhat strange.  It is important that students do not write off a subject, just because it is unknown to them, and instead take time to explore potential interests.

This year, a brilliant group of enthusiastic and highly able girls have made use of the all the opportunities afforded them – from individual mentoring and guidance, mock testing, trips to Oxford and Cambridge and, of course, great teaching – to produce these fantastic outcomes.  Rebecca Glover, Principal commented: “I am absolutely delighted with the achievements of the students. This is a culmination of both hard work and excellent support from our dedicated Oxbridge Mentoring Team”.

In addition to the success at Surbiton High, we are delighted to hear that Jake Sanderson, a student at Richard Rose Central Academy in Carlisle, a fellow United Learning School, received an offer from Churchill College, Cambridge, to study Law.  Terry McDermott, our Oxbridge Co-ordinator, provided advice and mentoring to help Jake with his application and prepare for interview. Jake was the first applicant to apply to Oxbridge from his school, so it is a particularly great achievement to have received an offer.

The students awarded places at Oxford and Cambridge are:

  1. Susie studying Biological Sciences at Jesus College, Oxford
  2. Kanako studying Land Economy at Homerton College, Cambridge
  3. Julia studying Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) at The Queen’s College, Oxford
  4. Anna studying History at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge
  5. Georgina studying Classics at King’s College, Cambridge
  6. Scarlett studying Theology at Downing College, Cambridge
  7. Isabel studying French at Pembroke College, Oxford
  8. Katie studying Philosophy at Keble College, Oxford
  9. Rose studying Classics at Brasenose College, Oxford
  10. Freya studying Biological Sciences at St Catherine’s College, Oxford
  11. Amelia studying Education, Policy and International Development at St John’s College, Cambridge
Categories: Senior School
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