Virtual Residential

In 2017 Caterham School, together with the Access & Accelerate Foundation and United Learning, founded a multi-year university access programme for Year 9 students at six local academies. The students attend residential Easter and summer school sessions at Caterham during the school holidays during which they experience further academic study, work experience sessions, and university preparations sessions. The students continue to attend these courses until the summer between Year 12 and 13. The students are mentored by undergraduates (including Old Caterhamians) who will keep in touch online between the residentials, supporting them through their various academic stages.

Our UA students are now entering Year 13 with their choices for their ‘next steps’ very much in their minds.  The summer 2020 ‘virtual residential’ focussed on one to one sessions with their under graduate mentors who remain a dedicated group in these times, and who were primed ready following some excellent training around coaching techniques from Caterham’s Director of learning: Kim Wells.

The program started with an upbeat session from our longstanding partners 2-3 degrees led by Carl Konadu and Tamanna Islam, drawing out self-awareness from the lockdown experience.  We then had a series of sessions around university applications delivered by Michael Englard of the London Interdisciplinary School and with subject specific sessions from Caterham teachers Mrs Avery, Ms Drummond, Mr Parker, Mrs Brown and Mr Fahey.

Participating students will be applying for a wide range, including commercial music, U.S. universities via a sports scholarship, medicine and Oxbridge maths.

During the session with 2-3 degrees one student commented:  “Obviously this program is good for university and stuff, but it is also good for teaching you to become a better person in general, and how to be confident in yourself because I was quite shy.  This is what the program has done for me, and it’s made me have a better insight into the world.”