Cream of the Crop Go Early to College
Posted on: Saturday, 19 July 2008, 00:00 CDT
By PHIL CORRIGAN
Gifted and talented youngsters are being challenged to stretch their abilities on a new college programme.
One dozen Year 10 pupils from three high schools in Newcastle have been invited to take part in Newcastle College's Master Class scheme.
Teachers at Chesterton Community Sports College, St. John Fisher High School and Madeley High School have each nominated four pupils who they consider 'gifted and talented' to take part in the scheme.
This week's summer school, which kicked off the scheme, involved a series of academic workshops at the college, and visits to the University of Birmingham and Sheffield University.
The pupils were more than happy to get out of the classroom and experience their first taste of higher education. They were able to speak to current students, attend lectures and explore the campuses.
A third university visit to an Oxbridge college is planned to take place in the autumn.
Amy Simcock, aged 14, from Madeley High School, said: "I think the Master Class is a really good idea because normally we wouldn't get a chance to see inside universities.
"My favourite subject is German, but I want to do law eventually. I'm going to try and find out about the law courses at the universities we're visiting."
Hannah Poole, aged 15, from Chesterton Community Sports College, said: "It has been a good experience, as we have been given the chance to find out about the different courses, and about university life. I want to go into medicine so I think this scheme will be very useful."
While on the scheme, the pupils will be working on their own projects where they will be encouraged to find out all they can about their own subject.
They will be mentored by students from the college's own Gifted and Talented group, who will offer the pupils help and advice and correspond with them by email.
From September, the college has planned a series of twilight lectures for the pupils to take part in after school, covering subjects including law, engineering, sociology and graphic design.
At the end of the project, the pupils will present their findings to their peers in a five-minute presentation to take place at the college.
Antony Mrozicki, aged 15, from St John Fisher High School, said he was eager to test his abilities in this new learning environment.
He said: "This course is a bit different to our normal school work. It's more challenging and we have to be more independent, while in school it's more teacher-led."
Gareth Hughes, schools partnerships officer and co-ordinator of the scheme, said: "It's an exciting and inspirational project, which we hope will give the pupils a head start when it comes to developing the skills required to succeed at both college and university.
"On top of finding out what it's like to live away from home and become financially independent, we want them to further their knowledge and skills to do with the subject they are most interested in."
Stella Booth, the Gifted and Talented co-ordinator at Chesterton Community Sports College, believes the Master Class scheme will be a good way of encouraging teenagers to think about going to university.
She said: "A lot of the pupils at our school might not think they're good enough for university. They might look at the pupils from other schools, see that they have smarter uniforms and just assume that they're better.
"The pupils we have sent on this scheme will probably be going to university anyway, but they will be able to pass on what they've learnt to their friends."
Newcastle College's Gifted and Talented programme is open to pupils who achieve more than six GCSE As and 2 A*s. For more information, call the college on 01782 254212 or email info@nulc.ac.uk
(c) 2008 Sentinel, The (Stoke-on-Trent UK). Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.
Source: Sentinel, The (Stoke-on-Trent UK)
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