Academy 6th Formers Visit Cambridge

Northampton Academy Sixth Formers study English with Lucy Cavendish students at Cambridge

5 February 2010



Students studying English at Lucy Cavendish College became supervisors for an
afternoon when Sixth Formers from Northampton Academy visited the college to discuss poetry and the theme of 'Love through the Ages' as an extension of their A-level literature syllabus.

This outreach event, organised by Isobel Maddison , a Fellow of Lucy Cavendish and Peter Foster, KS5 Programme Leader of English at Northampton Academy, was aimed at broadening the learning opportunities of the Lucy Cavendish students whilst widening the experience of the Sixth Formers.

Northampton Academy is an improving school with an ambitious Sixth Form and the students arrived keen and willing to participate.

Florence Hazrat, a second year student studying English at Lucy Cavendish, acknowledged that the prospect of teaching these enthusiastic students was a little nerve-wracking, but she and her fellow students enjoyed the experience enormously:

"I have learnt at least as much as my pupils. There is more to giving supervisions than nodding sympathetically. My students engaged enthusiastically with the texts in a lively and mutually appreciative atmosphere. I'm looking forward to seeing them in the faculty one of these days!"

Peter Foster said "Year 13 students were very impressed and many of them now even more keen to move back from study of novels and plays to poetry - sex and seduction with Marvell and Donne after half term! The workshops with your students gave the Northampton Academy students a real insight into the study of English at undergraduate level and many have said that their speed of analysis has increased."