Over 40 Year 11 pupils attended Oxford University on a glorious, sunny day to get a feel for Oxbridge and learn more about what it is like to study at Oxford and what to consider when making an application.
After a fascinating tour and talk at The Bodleian, Oxford’s beautiful ancient library that is still used by students to this day, we had a lovely lunch at Pizza Express. We then visited the Covered Market allowing pupils to get an insight into normal everyday Oxford life while chowing down on yummy cookies.
We then moved on to Somerville College where we were met by Dina, a former Surbiton High student who is now in the last year of her German degree. Dina conducted a fantastic Q&A with pupils, answering questions that ranged from the academic to the social. To their credit, This group of Year 11 were particularly engaged in asking questions and Dina spent almost an hour answering them!
Throughout the day, pupils were able to see different colleges, including a tour of Balliol College, where amongst other things, they learnt about Balliol’s historic rivalry with neighbouring Trinity College. This rivalry was famously epitomised when Trinity students supposedly stole Balliol’s racing tortoise!
On the way home, Mr McDermott was able to make the most of the journey to check students’ A-Level choices against any degree ideas. Getting A-level ideas right is just one reason why Surbiton High School has seen a tripling in Oxbridge outcomes in recent years. Learn more about our Oxbridge Programme.
Categories: Senior School