19 SPORTS TRIPS AND VISITS Sky-watching at Jodrell Bank Around thirty Year 7 students descended on Jodrell Bank to view one of the largest radio telescopes in the world. We looked at how our solar system functions and the galaxies around us by using a variety of tools, models and computers. After we had enhanced our knowledge of the solar system we took part in some challenging yet fun activities to test our scientific knowledge. Most of the activities were based around basic physics and forces such as weight distribution and helped us develop our teamwork skills. After we had finished all the challenges we moved on to the star of the show . . . the radio telescope! It was huge. So, huge that the clouds seemed to be touching its rim. Sadly, we could not stay there forever and had to leave. Overall, I think that Jodrell Bank was one of the best trips this year and is truly a once in a life- time opportunity although I would love to have this opportunity once again. I would like to thank Ms Vaughn, Mr Hawkins, Miss Gordon and Mr Griffiths for organising and partaking in this trip. Applying to university is a big step in any student’s life and with that in mind we have organised several events since Christmas focusing on applying to and studying at Oxford and Cambridge. The aim is to make these prestigious universities seem less remote and inaccessible, as well as giving our students at Handsworth an idea of what twenty-first century student life is like in some of the world’s oldest places of study. Firstly, on March 28th, a group of our Year 12 AG&T students attended a very useful Oxbridge higher education conference at Edgbaston County Cricket Ground in Birmingham. They were able to meet current students, visit subject faculty displays and quiz admissions tutors on what they are really looking for in their applicants. What stood out most is that all successful candidates share an absolute passion for their subject and a real curiosity to keep on learning. Our HGS group went home inspired by what they’d seen and heard and keen to find out more. In April, HGS old boy and Oxford student Gurdeep Mal, came back to school to run some lunchtime workshops for students in years 10 and 11 about studying at Oxford as well as Year 12 and 13 assemblies. He focused on his life at New College, where he is studying Law with French Law, and helped to break some myths about what Oxford is not. It’s not interested in your accent, the clothes you wear or where you come from, Gurdeep told us, but on how hard you work in your chosen subject. It was fantastic to welcome Gurdeep back into school and very positive for our current students to hear about his experiences. We continued our work in May with a Year 10 visit to Merton College, Oxford. Fifteen HGS students were welcomed to the university’s oldest college for a bespoke day of fact finding and sampling student life. We were accompanied on the day by current Mertonian and HGS old boy, Abdi Ige, who met us after lectures and was able to answer questions ranging from ‘how hard do you really have to work’ to ‘what are the clubs in Oxford like?’. After a college lunch in Hall and a whistle-stop tour of the Bodleian Library, we went to the university’s Computer Science department for two interactive lectures on cyber security. Our students were riveted as university researcher and academic Dr Jason Nurse took them through how cyber security experts might protect consumers from ‘phishing’ emails and they participated in writing a basic algorithm to help computers identify them before they ever get to our inboxes. They also asked some impressive questions at the end of the session and left the day feeling inspired by what they’d seen and done as well as thinking that Oxford might be for them. Hopefully a continued programme of trips and workshops with these two universities will encourage more HGS students to consider them as relevant and worthwhile university choices rather than remote ivory towers too far removed from Birmingham. A Harvey Oxbridge Co-ordinator Oxbridge update students focusing on applying to and studying at Oxford and Cambridge. The aim is to an idea of what twenty-first century student life is like in group of our Year 12 AG&T students attended a very useful Oxbridge higher were welcomed to the university’s oldest college for a bespoke day of fact finding and sampling student life. We were accompanied on the day by current Mertonian and HGS old boy, Abdi Ige, who met students