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Mr Knowland - Brilliant Club Lead Teacher
May 16, 2017
The motto of Selwyn College, Cambridge University, is ‘Stand fast, be strong, quit ye like men,’ which although seems somewhat archaic, is entirely relevant for our most recent Brilliant Club cohort. The group worked with Christina Murray from the University College of London’s Brain Bank for neurological disorders; Christina is a leading expert on Alzheimer’s disease. Her demanding course explored the role of proteins in the disease, and challenged pupils to ‘A’ level standard research, seminars and essay writing. Their final two thousand-word assignment demanded commitment and resilience, which makes the motto above most apt.
May 15th saw the Graduation ceremony at Selwyn College, not the oldest, but one of Cambridge University’s most beautiful. In the footsteps of alumni as diverse as the actor-comedian Hugh Laurie and the politician John Gummer, our pupils were firstly shown around the campus and grounds. One of our pupils was most impressed when we were shown where Nobel Prize winner James Chadwick discovered evidence of the neutron in 1932, which ultimately led to nuclear power and weapons in the Second World War.
After a useful study skills session and an informative introduction to university life, the day ended with the ceremony itself. Without fail our students have always achieved excellent results on the Brilliant Club’s Scholar’s Programme, but this group was exceptional with one-third of them passing at First Class standard, comparable to a high pass at ‘A’ level. Our PhD lecturer Christina was also the keynotes speaker, and she praised our pupils for their hard work and dedication. She also spoke of her own journey and resilience in the face of setbacks, and her determination to succeed.
Finally, from conversations with the pupils, I know that they all enjoyed the course and the graduation day itself. They told me how much they gained in terms of knowledge, skills and confidence in things such as extended essay writing, researching and referencing; skills useful for GCSEs and beyond. It must also be said how excited the students were in the typically Hogwarts styled hall having, in their own words, an excellent lunch. After six graduation trips to Cambridge, I have to agree with them!
The next Brilliant Club cohorts will begin in the autumn term and run at various times in the academic year.
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