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General News 75 girls from 12 state and independent schools in the Sussex area have been invited to Burgess Hill School for Girls on Friday 2nd November to discover more about the Cambridge admissions process. This initiative is an active way to bridge the gap between private and state schools, uniting the students through their ambition to study at the highest possible academic level. The event will be jointly hosted by Newnham College, Cambridge and Burgess Hill School for Girls and is aimed at girls from years 10 - 12. The afternoon will be informative for the girls as well as highly enjoyable. With an introduction to how Cambridge works, mini-mock lectures for science and humanities students, as well as a question and answer session with Newnham undergraduates and a mock interview between Dr Ute Stock, the Newnham Admissions Tutor, and a postgraduate, the session will provide detailed and important information for the girls to take away with them. Heads of Year, UCAS and Oxbridge Co-ordinators from the various schools will also be attending and there will be a teachers’ session as well as a special evening session for interested parents; recognising the key supporting role each plays in the girls' applications.The event is an exciting and welcome opportunity; especially in light of a recent statement released by the ‘Institute of Public Policy Research’ who have announced that Oxbridge needs to do more to recruit students from state schools. This statement comes amidst an ongoing debate regarding the number of state school pupils versus private school pupils achieving coveted places in Oxford or Cambridge. Oxford are looking to improve their 54% state school intake to 62% within the next 5 years and Cambridge from 57% to 60-63%. The main aim of the initiative, however, far from continuing the debate regarding Oxbridge and state/independent school intake, is to unite our schools in the opportunities that they provide, giving the girls the best possible help to pursue their ambitions and aspirations, regardless of whether they attend an independent or maintained school. Written by Emma Rogers, Upper Sixth 1/11/07
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