Students Inspired to Study at Oxbridge

Tavistock College students are being encouraged to aim high and apply to study at one of Britain’s top universities.

Head of sixth form Phil Mathieson arranged for an officer from Cambridge University to speak to some of the college’s most gifted and talented students about the opportunities available to them at Oxbridge.

Introducing Carl Griffiths from Downing College, Mr Mathieson told the students: “Tavistock College will work with you to give you more information and help you to make an application, get an offer and secure the grades you need.”

Mr Griffiths asked the students to forget the myths they had heard about Oxbridge and consider studying there. “They are amazing historical places and are very traditional in the way they look and seem,” he said. “But they’re fantastic places to live and enjoy student work. It doesn’t matter about background or money; my dad was a steel erector and my mum was a house wife. There was no history of going to university at all. If doesn’t matter where you come from; if you work hard you can go.”

This year has seen a record number of Tavistock College A level students submitting applications for higher education, including three who have secured places at Oxford and Cambridge.

Mr Griffiths explained that both universities operated collegiate systems and applicants would be asked to choose a college. “It’s mainly a place you would enjoy living,” he said. “Go on open days and see them. It’s just like a hall of residence; somewhere you can go back to study and live.”

The students were told that they must be academically able in order to secure a place. A typical offer is A*AA for Cambridge or AAA for Oxford.

“Both universities prefer traditional subjects including English Literature, History, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths, Further Maths or a Modern Language,” added Mr Griffiths.

Each year, Downing College runs a South West Open Day so young people can gain a taster of life in Cambridge.

Camilla Longden, a Tavistock College student who has an offer to study Natural Sciences at Downing, relayed her experience of attending the event. “We stayed overnight at Downing College and got our travel expenses reimbursed and food,” she said. “We got to talk with the director of studies, walked round the city centre and saw some of the other colleges too.”

Kit Tigwell, a Year 12 student who plans to apply to Cambridge for Medicine, said he felt the talk was very informative, helped answer a lot of questions about the interview process and made the decisions clearer.

GCSE student Nik Way added: “It was a fascinating talk that has spurred me to try and get better grades and aim for Oxford to study English Literature or Philosophy.”

A Level Students Travel to Russia to Experience its History

Tavistock College sixth form students spent a week in Russia to absorb the country’s rich history in advance of their exams.

The A level History students visited St Petersburg and Moscow to see for themselves the contrasts between Tsarist and communist Russia and visit famous sites such as Red Square and the Kremlin.

Teacher and organiser Di Jones said: “Russia 2010 was a fantastic experience. I think I enjoyed it even more the second time around. St Petersburg and Moscow were even more impressive this year because we saw them in extremely cold temperatures. Red Square, the Kremlin, St Basil’s Cathedral and Lenin’s Tomb with snow and temperatures as low as -16c; it does not get better than that. Our guides were great and I loved seeing the students trying the ice sculpture master class.”

Mrs Jones said all 23 students were well behaved and great company. She thanked them and fellow trip organisers Julie Edwards and Alex Wilson for making the visit a success.

“For me the Winter Palace was the highlight of our time in St Petersburg,” said Mrs Edwards. “Then we had the overnight train to Moscow. The train stopping several times during the night was weird as we were in the middle of nowhere.”

Student Alice Harding said the trip had been an amazing experience which she would never forget. She said St Petersburg was her favourite place as the architecture was stunning and everywhere she looked there was extra added detail. “I thoroughly enjoyed the Yusopov Palace,” she said. “Each room told a different story and with so much attention to detail it was hard to absorb. The Winter Palace had so much to offer. To stand in front of works by Picasso, Monet and Van Gogh is the most wonderful thing. Moscow was a very different city, with the old and new mixed together it was difficult to know where to look. The Kremlin was extraordinary and there is only one thing to say when you see it… wow!”

“I have often seen photographs of St Basil’s Cathedral and thought how beautiful; I was certainly not disappointed. The coloured domes and carvings made it look like something from a fairy tale, truly perfect. Thank you Mrs Jones, Mr Wilson and Mrs Edwards for making the trip so utterly wonderful.”

Kit Tigwell was similarly enthusiastic about his time in Russia. He said he had enjoyed all aspects of the country’s culture, from being awed and intrigued by the Winter Palace and Armoury Museum, to feeling humbled and honoured by St Isaac’s Cathedral and Lenin in his mausoleum.

“This trip has been eye-opening, fascinating and, above all, great fun,” he added.

Read student comments from the trip or view the slide show (this opens in a new window and may require you to install macromedia flash player).

Law Brought to Life by Magistrates Visit

Students received a visit from two Plymouth magistrates to improve their knowledge of the court system ahead of exams.

Michael Webb and Paul Lowden spoke to the AS level Law students about their work in court and the decisions they made when judging guilt or innocence.

Mr Lowden told them: “We are just like you; we’re from the community. We’re doctors, nurses, teachers, shelf stackers; ordinary people.”

He explained that magistrates were not paid but received money to cover their expenses. They are not legally qualified and decide guilt or innocence based on the facts presented to them in court. If they need help on a point of law then a legal advisor is on hand to assist.

Mr Lowden continued: “We can send people to prison for up to six months and issue a fine of £5,000. We can send a youth for a two year detention and training order. To be a magistrate you need good character, understanding and communication skills. You can become a magistrate at 18 when you can vote and do jury service.”

The magistrates explained the difference between a Crown Court and Magistrates’ Court and told the students that magistrates always sit in threes so a majority decision can be made.

They said Plymouth had 145 out of 30,000 magistrates nationally. The average age in Plymouth is 58, two years older than the national figure.

Mr Webb commented: “One of the main reasons we don’t get younger people is because they’re working. You can sit for up to five days in a trial which is 10 sittings and you must sit 26 days a year minimum. All cases start in a Magistrates’ Court and 95% finish there.”

The students learned that magistrates are given sentencing guidelines for every offence and may only lay down the law as it is passed in parliament. Defendants automatically get a third off their sentence if they plead guilty at the earliest opportunity.

Tavistock College Law students benefit from regular visits by solicitors, barristers, magistrates and others involved in the British justice system. They are taken around parliament, police stations and courts in order to gain a greater understanding of the institutions and those who work there and to inspire them to pursue the subject further.

College Students Secure Oxbridge Offers

Hard-working Tavistock College sixth formers have been rewarded for their efforts with offers from Oxford and Cambridge.

Owen Drage, Camilla Longden and Jack Shepherd have all been accepted to study at Britain’s most prestigious universities and are revising conscientiously to ensure they achieve the grades.

Phil Mathieson, head of sixth form, said: “Congratulations to all three. It’s a fantastic achievement and a testament to the hard work put in by the students, as well as the staff and teachers who supported them in their studies and the application process. Tavistock College students submitted a record number of university applications this year and the offers are still flooding back.”

Camilla - who passed 12 GCSEs and is studying for A levels in Maths, Further Maths, Physics and Chemistry - has achieved a place on the Natural Sciences degree course at Downing College, Cambridge. She said: “I was very happy to be accepted but slightly unbelieving as I had no idea whether I was going to get in. I’m working very hard to get the grades; I need an A* and two As in Maths, Physics and Chemistry. I would like to thank my parents and teachers for supporting me throughout.”

Jack Shepherd has been offered the chance to read Physics at Hertford College, Oxford after taking A levels in Maths, Further Maths and Physics and gaining 12 GCSEs. “I was incredibly surprised when I got the acceptance letter,” he said. “To some extent you focus on what went badly instead of well and there were so many incredibly smart people there. The application and interview process was fairly long. I had to fill in an application form, take a test and do three interviews over three days. We stayed in the college which was awesome. I looked at it philosophically and thought it was a free holiday if I didn’t get in. I need three As to take up the place. I wouldn’t mind A*AA, but I’m not worried as long as I get what I need. I’d like to be an academic, so after my degree I want to do further research into science.”

Owen has been offered a place to study Veterinary Medicine at St Catherine’s College, Cambridge after passing 12 GCSEs and taking an astonishing five A levels in Maths, Geography, Chemistry, Biology and Further Maths.

He said he chose Veterinary Medicine as it was something he was interested in. “I thought it would be more varied and interesting than Medicine and a bit more practical,” he added.

“The application process wasn’t too bad; I just had to fill in a UCAS form and went for an interview and admissions test. I was really pleased to get accepted but I haven’t decided if I want to go there yet as I’m still waiting to hear from London, Bristol and Nottingham. If I do, I need two As and an A*.”

Sixth Formers Arrange Own Educational Visit

Tavistock College sixth form students planned and organised their own school trip as part of an A level course.

Final year Leisure Studies students, including Emily Branfield, Jenni Kates and Alex Carter, arranged and costed a visit to Paignton Zoo to hear the attraction’s business manager discuss the commercial running of the park.

Emily said: “In order to organise the trip we had to find out all the costings, book everything and talk to Paignton Zoo about timings and what was going to happen. We had to arrange a talk as well and tell them the subjects we needed to cover.”

Jenni said the project had allowed students to apply their business knowledge to the leisure industry. “It was a really smooth trip and nothing went wrong,” she continued. “We now have to evaluate everything we did as part of our coursework.”

The Year 13s arranged the trip for 12 other students and had to ensure they returned to Tavistock in time to catch their buses at the end of the school day.

Jenni and Emily said it made them realise how much was involved in planning a trip, especially the volume of forms required. “There were proposal forms and risk assessments and we had to add to two of them to elaborate on things,” said Emily. “We needed to work out in advance how much everything would cost, even how much fuel we would use. Thank you to our teachers Mrs Holt and Mrs Berryman for their help and Mr Collacott for driving us.”

Jenni and Emily both thought the trip was an excellent way to use the practical knowledge they had gained in Leisure Studies. The A level covers aspects of business and allows students to apply learning to crucial areas such as customer service and human resources, as well as the laws and regulations companies must follow.

The course has advanced their commercial knowledge and helped both to secure offers from several universities to read Business Studies at degree level.

Tavistock College offers a choice of 36 A level subjects and three BTECs. Every year, more students opt to stay on for further education to gain the qualifications needed to succeed in the modern job market.

Students Taught about Parliament by their Local MP

Tavistock College students have learned about the role of Parliament direct from their local MP. Geoffrey Cox, MP for Torridge and West Devon, visited the A level Law students to explain how laws are passed and the role MPs carry out in their constituencies.

He told the sixth formers: “An MP is intended to provide a scrutiny of the laws going through the House of Commons. These days governments have such a programme of legislation that they use guillotine motions to limit the length of debates. Quite often, we’ll be debating things that are quite fundamental like ID cards and whether you all should have to go to some police station and let them take your DNA and photograph your retina and put it on a database. The programme motion meant we could only debate it for a few hours.”

Mr Cox told students there were huge pressures on MPs because of their constituency duties. He said he held surgeries almost every Saturday where constituents brought him queries about housing, planning, child support or tax benefit problems. “I have at any one time hundreds of caseworks going on,” he explained. “I get two or three hundred emails and letters a week and I have staff in Parliament and the constituency.”

Mr Cox is also a QC – a high ranking barrister – who founded his own chambers in London. He expressed his belief in the importance of MPs having outside work in order to keep them honest and free minded. “Career politicians’ incomes all depend on climbing the ladder of government so when the whips say jump they tend to ask how high,” he said. “It used to be the case that a farmer or a businessman or a doctor or a lawyer would go into the House of Commons. They’d have another career and have more independence of mind because they weren’t looking to climb the ladder.”

Mr Cox said he was inspired to become an MP when he was taken to Parliament at the age of eight. He recalled going through the doors and being thrilled and excited by the fantastic speakers. “There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t walk in and still get that little thrill and honour and feel that I represent 85,000 people,” he said. “It’s tragic that the last 12 months has seen it mired in this scandal because it’s a terribly honourable thing to do and it’s terribly rewarding. This expenses scandal has been a disgrace. It never occurred to me to put my flat screen TV on the taxpayer. Who should buy my furniture but me? The situation should never have been allowed.”

Mr Cox said MPs earned £65,000 per year but a good QC could earn 10 or 12 times that. “By coming into Parliament I took a very heavy pay cut,” he said. “I still practise because it gives me independence of mind.”

Student Luke Hilton Pierce said he thought Mr Cox’s speech was encouraging and inspirational. “He’s one of the few honest politicians who speaks up for morals rather than becoming more of a professional politician,” said Luke. “I’m interested in politics because of the things we’ve done in law. I think the work our teacher, Mrs Harris, does makes the law and politics more accessible for young people.”

Law and history teacher Helen Harris regularly arranges visitors to speak to sixth formers. As well as receiving presentations from barristers and lawyers, students have the chance to see the Houses of Parliament and local law courts. Mr Cox has accepted several Tavistock College students on work experience placements in Parliament and at his chambers, and encouraged others who were interested to contact him.

He said: “It was a great pleasure to meet the students and to discuss with them the law and the way law is made. They asked probing questions, and I hope some will go on to practise law and perhaps even to become MPs and legislators themselves.”

Dangers of the Road Driven Home to Tavistock College Students

Tavistock College sixth formers were left stunned by a hard-hitting road safety event compered by a fellow student.

The Year 12s joined a host of local schools for a driver awareness event at the Plymouth Pavillions sponsored by Heart FM. Tavistock College A level student Josh Andrews works for the radio station and was tasked with whipping the crowd into a frenzy with one of his colleagues before the safety talk began.

Josh explained: “It was designed to be the same as a crash; you’re listening to the radio and being entertained and the next thing you see is the emergency services. All of a sudden it hits you. “They asked me to do it because I’m at the age where I’m learning to drive myself and can relate to the audience.”

Josh and his colleague entertained the sixth formers for 45 minutes, giving away prizes and generating inter-school rivalry.

“It was very hard hitting,” he added. “There were people crying. I was on the doors and on the way in everyone was trying to grab us and get goodies but on the way out they were silent. There were speakers coming out; one had killed his best friend in a car crash. It was very emotional and with all those people in the room you could’ve heard a pin drop. I sat down with the rest of Tavistock then 15 minutes after the presentation I had to do the same thing again for the next group. After seeing it, it was that little bit harder.”

Josh said students came home talking about how shocking the event had been. He continued: “I think me presenting really helped people from Tavistock College because they know what I’m about, messing around doing silly things on stage. Then bam, this thing comes up. I’m in the same boat as the audience which made it easy to relate. Learn2Live had over 800 people join their Facebook group overnight, it made a huge impact.”

Sixth Form Learning Mentor Odette McCarthy took the students to improve their awareness of dangers as they learned to drive. She said some of the students would think a little bit more about cars rather than just viewing them as a rite of passage.

“It was aimed not just at students who are driving but also at passengers, their behaviour in cars and whether to get into a car with someone,” she continued.

“It was quite hard-hitting; it did pull on your emotions. The slogan was ‘A moment of madness, a lifetime of sadness’ which gives you some idea of what it was like.”

Student in the Running for National Radio Honour

A talented Tavistock College student has been shortlisted for his third national radio award for his work at a Plymouth station.

Josh Andrews, a 17-year-old A level student from Plymouth, is one of 10 radio presenters to be shortlisted for the Hospital Broadcasting Association Promo of the Year after hundreds of clips were entered.

Josh explained: “Hospital Radio Plymouth submitted a 30-second commercial for my Sunday afternoon show. A lot goes into making a successful commercial. It features Christopher Biggins and Joe Pasquale; I interviewed Christopher when he was doing a pantomime and Joe when he was touring in Torquay. Dale Winton and Tom Daley have been on my show too. The award is judged by a body of industry professionals so it’s good for me in terms of being noticed by people.”

Josh is no stranger to award ceremonies, having scooped Volunteer of the Year in 2009. He was also commended as Best Newcomer at a glitzy bash at the Hilton in Blackpool.

The young presenter is unable to attend this year’s ceremony which takes place in Glasgow in March but will be represented by the station.

“I’m really pleased to be recognised,” he said. “It’s something I did in a little studio and it’s considered one of the top 10 in the country by industry professionals. It’s quite a big thing really. I hope to move to London and work with BBC Radio One, Capital FM and those kinds of stations. That’s the dream for any radio presenter.”

Josh has been working on Hospital Radio Plymouth for three-and-a-half years and Heart FM two-and-a-half. His Sunday afternoon slot broadcasts from 3 to 5pm on 87.7FM.

For more details about Josh’s show, visit Facebook and search for ‘The Josh Andrews Show’, or go to www.hospitalradioplymouth.org.uk.

Law Students Inspired by Parliament Visit

Tavistock College students toured some of the country’s most prestigious law-related institutions on a trip to London.

The A level Law students were taken to the capital to visit the Houses of Parliament and one of the traditional Inns of Court – professional institutions to which every barrister in England must belong.

Teacher Mike Harris, one of those accompanying the sixth formers, said: “Teachers Rachel Gibson and Helen Harris organised the trip to give the students an indication of life as a barrister. “We went to Inner Temple - one of the Inns of Court – and were given a wonderful talk about how to become a barrister which was very interesting. We also took them to the Houses of Parliament which was obviously quite important for them to see.”

The students enjoyed the thrill of taking the Tube down to Westminster before being shown round the House of Lords and House of Commons by Geoffrey Cox MP’s researcher. They were able to walk right the way through both chambers and tour places which are closed to the public during voting and debates.

“The students were absolutely fantastic, they really were,” continued Mr Harris. “Hopefully it inspired them to take law further and to get to know more about barristers, the political system and experience London. It gives them a view of the wider world because we’re stuck out on a limb a bit here.”

Student Curtis Al’Omair said the most interesting part was seeing the Houses of Parliament. He said it was good to experience what the leaders of our country were doing. He added: “We also went to the Inns of Court and learned things we hadn’t done in class. It was a brilliant trip, we had a really good time.”

Will Leach said he was excited to look round the Houses of Parliament. “It was interesting to see such a famous place in real life,” he said. “I’ve been to London a few times but haven’t really taken the time to stop and look round.”

The trip also provided the opportunity for sightseeing, and the group were disappointed to discover they had narrowly missed seeing Jude Law at the premiere of Sherlock Homes when they caught a film in Leicester Square.

“I really liked travelling through London because it’s such a big contrast to the south west,” said Scott Dickson. “The Inns of Court were really old, almost like Royal buildings, it was just amazing. They were completely shut off from the rest of it, you’ve got a place stuck in a time warp and outside are the main streets of London.”

London Calling for Talented Musicians

A Tavistock College student band has performed in front of London music journalists following an appearance at a summer festival.

James Tosdevin and brothers Josh and Beni Evans – collectively known as rock trio Indigo Nights – showcased their songs at the Proud Gallery in Camden in front of NME reporters and music industry figures after winning a competition to play to 10,000 young people at the Underage Festival.

Sixth former James, who plays bass, said: “The Youth Music charity organised three gigs over three days under the heading ‘NME Calling’ and we played at Proud which is an interesting little venue. We got a really good response and it was great to be on the same bill as headliners Gossip, Florence and the Machine and MPHO.”

The band has now been featured on NME’s website with professional photographs and an article by James who has applied to study journalism at university.

“It was a good feeling,” said Josh, who plays guitar and vocals and hopes to become a doctor. “It’s nice to get out and play in London and to a new audience rather than just our friends. Your friends sort of have to like your band. We’re talking with promoters about new gig dates so we’ll be playing again soon.”

The line-up is completed by the multi-talented Beni on drums. The GCSE student has endured weeks of rehearsals, not just with Indigo Nights but also in his lead role as ‘Eddie’ in Tavistock College’s performance of Blood Brothers.

With Josh and James preparing for their A levels, they plan to take gap year after their exams in order to play more London gigs.

“A lady from Film Four said we’re going to be famous,” joked James.

You can hear the band’s tracks – which they describe as pop, rock, indie, alternative - at myspace.com/indigonightsmusic. Indigo Nights is currently recording with two producers at Plymouth’s Deep Blue Sound so new material will soon be on the way.

Youth Music is a national charity which aims to enable young people to make themselves heard. It funds and supports a wide range of music from reggae and hip hop to classical and choral.

Successful Graduates Recognised at Awards Ceremony

Tavistock College’s most successful sixth formers have returned to the school for an evening of awards and reunions.

Last year’s Year 13s – now in their first year at university – attended a presentation event at the College with their families, former teachers, governors and trustees in order to celebrate their fantastic achievements.

Phil Mathieson, Director of Sixth Form, said: “Congratulations to the year group on their exceptional performance at A level. It was a record high level of achievement by students in the College.

“The event provided a great opportunity for staff and students to catch up and share stories of their gap years, employment or their first term experiences at university.”

Mandy Govier, Chair of Governors, and David Turner, the students’ lower school Head of Year, presented certificates to recognise outstanding achievements. Subject awards went to individual students for exceptional performance in certain subjects and for overall academic attainment.

The Student Presidents also received Principal’s prizes to mark their dedication and contribution to College life, before current students were given certificates indicating their AS level grades.

Mr Turner concluded the evening’s formalities with an inspiring speech challenging students to continue to build on their achievements throughout the rest of their lives.

Ian Barnes, Assistant Director of Sixth Form, said: “It was wonderful to see so many ex students returning from far and wide to attend.

“This was such a fantastic year group full of individuals with masses of potential and talent and it was wonderful to see them making their way in the world. The universal theme was of the excitement of facing new challenges at university and at work and of fond memories of the time spent at the College. I was very proud to witness the sense of community, friendship and ambition which prevailed and I am sure I will continue to get updates on the triumphs of a remarkable year group.”

Tavistock College Students Learn About the Law Profession from a Visiting Solicitor

Tavistock College Law students have learned of the opportunities available in the profession from a visiting solicitor.

Clare Jackman, a trademark attorney and qualified solicitor who works in Devon, spoke to sixth form students about her career and experiences in the field.

Explaining her work, she told them: “Trademarks feature in the sphere of intellectual property. Copyright is all to do with not just artists’ works but also literary works, performances and that type of thing. Shops can’t play music unless they’ve got a licence.”

Referring to her work with the Wellcome Foundation – the UK’s largest charity and a funder of biomedical research – she spoke about the importance of patents to pharmaceutical companies. “They tend to be very rich because they’re on the cutting edge of medical research and development, channelling all their resources into the latest wonder drug,” she said. “Patents protect their investment and give them a 20 year monopoly so no-one else can copy what they’re doing and exploit it for their own ends. It might take 12 years of that patent to get it to market.”

For those interested in pursuing a career in law, she talked about her own employment history which included spells in China and London.

When she decided to relocate to Devon, Ms Jackman said she had difficulty finding a suitable role because of the reduced opportunities available in the region. She said: “I eventually found a job with a patent attorney in Exeter and worked with him for a year. After a year I decided to set up on my own.” Ms Jackman now works for the Plymouth branch of law firm Bond Pearce after acting as a consultant for them. “The businesses I look after range from national retailers to English Heritage; I’ve got a fascinating mix of clients, Law is very competitive so good grades are going to give you the best route in. Also show that you’re enthusiastic as a person, that you’ve got more strings to your bow than just being able to apply your brain to your studies.”

When students asked if Ms Jackman would change anything about her career, she said she would do a Law degree on its own rather than combining it with Social Sciences. “It was a means to an end but it wasn’t a prestigious Law degree,” she said of her joint honours course at Hertford. “I haven’t got any regrets on the way things have worked out but I could’ve given myself a better start if I’d gone to a better university.”

Student Jack (12BM) said it was interesting to hear the variety of areas it is possible to go into in Law. “I’m glad she came in, the Law Department does offer a lot of speeches from people in the profession.”

Rufus (12FS) said it was a really good talk and had helped him for his exams. “I might go into law,” he added. “I’ll probably do something that incorporates the skills I’ve learned.”