Students from Mossbourne Community Academy take a behind-the-scenes look at St John’s

Bright, young pupils from Mossbourne Community Academy in Hackney, London, have visited St John’s to get first-hand experience of university life and find out about the options available to them in higher-education. 

The visit took place as part of St John’s access programme, which is designed to raise the aspirations of talented students and give them the information and skills they need to apply to a top-class university like Cambridge. 

On the day of their visit Mossbourne pupils had the chance to learn about St John’s from current students during a behind-the-scenes tour of the College and a question and answer session where they discussed university life, including the many sporting and extra-curricular opportunities Cambridge has to offer.  

Talks throughout the day provided the students with information about how to make their higher education choices as well as the range of financial support offered by the College and University to encourage young people of all backgrounds to apply to Cambridge.

Mr Lawrence Wakeham, Head of Year 11 at Mossbourne Community Academy said: “It’s common for students to have concerns about not fitting in at highly-selective universities and these visits to St John’s serve to bust myths and give them the reassurance that people of all backgrounds come to Cambridge to study. In recent years we have seen a rise in the number of Mossbourne students applying to top universities and this is definitely linked to university visits”.

While at the College the students had the opportunity to experience university-style teaching.  They were given a choice between three different tutorials, taught by PHD-level College academics, in languages, history or science.  Seminar topics ranged from fortune telling in the Middle East to the Ice Age and aimed to encourage students to engage with ideas within their subject and inspire a passion for different areas of study.

Access Officer Megan Goldman-Roberts, herself an alumna of Mossbourne Community Academy and a Cambridge graduate said: “Visits like today’s allow young people to get a feel of what living and studying in Cambridge is really like. Seeing the College, and having the chance to talk to people who have come to Cambridge from a similar background, makes studying here seem much more achievable and shows pupils that the University is for anyone, from anywhere, who has a passion for learning”.

To find out more about school visits to St John’s visit: http://www.joh.cam.ac.uk/schools or contact the Access Officer via AccessOfficer@joh.cam.ac.uk