The Sixth Form at St Mary's Cambridge

Book of the Month - July

2010-07-03T16:03:00.001+01:00

This is my last post before heading off to my new school so what better way to finish than with a good book?

I've chosen Le Grand Meaulnes by Alain-Fournier (also available in English translation) partly because I first came across it when I was in the Sixth Form, partly because it's about goodbyes, partly because it's about glorious summers, but mainly because it's a great book. I hope you enjoy it.

Making an Exhibition of Ourselves

2010-07-03T15:58:00.001+01:00

The A Level Art and Photography exhibition was, yet again, a thing of wonder. What a talented and hardworking lot of students we have!

Future Doctors and Lawyers

2010-06-25T11:40:00.000+01:00

We have been sent details of these conferences. We are not recommending that you spend your money but you ought to know that there are options out there.

Science Blog

2010-06-24T21:59:00.000+01:00

If you're thinking of studying science at university, any university, why not have a look at this blog to see what's going on at the moment in the world of science?

Reading Around - Economics

2010-06-24T21:47:00.000+01:00

Professor Chadha has an interesting blog. If you're thinking of studying Economics, Business, Accountancy & Finance etc at university, it is worth checking out.

English Reading List

2010-06-24T21:42:00.000+01:00

UCL have a useful set of reading lists for anyone thinking of studying English at university. Long summer coming up? Looking for a book for the beach?

Sports Day

2010-06-24T15:25:00.000+01:00

While the Upper 6th were still doing their A Levels, the Lower 6th returned from study leave to compete in, and help run, Sports Day. In near perfect conditions the 6th Form ran, jumped and threw with great gusto, their greatest success coming in the final race of the day: the staff - parents - sixth form - year 10 relay. In a tight race, the 6th Form just ran out winners against a staff team. Well done.

A Brief History of Maths

2010-06-14T09:07:00.000+01:00

Starting today with the perenially interesting Marcus du Sautoy on Radio 4. Check it out.

Life's a ball

2010-06-14T09:03:00.000+01:00

The Upper 6th Leaver's Ball at Slepe Hall Hotel was great success. We wish all the Upper 6th an extremely happy and restful summer and a glorious time at university.

Study at Yale ... from home

2010-05-28T13:41:00.000+01:00

What else canyou do when those A Level exams have finished and the summer stretches away into the hazy distance? Well, what about logging onto some of the undergraduate courses offered by Yale University? You can watch videos, hear lectures and read transcripts. They even make Literary Theory enjoyable. There are also great lectures from Oxford, Cambridge, UCL and many other good unis on iTunesU. Give them a try.

All Quiet

2010-05-20T11:19:00.000+01:00

Keen readers of this blog may have noticed that it's all gone quiet. That's because A Level exams have now started and the 6th Form have their heads down. What we'll do instead (on an occasional basis) is recommend a few post-A Level options.

One exhibition worth seeing over the summer holidays, for example, is the British Museum's 'The Printed Image in China from the 8th to the 21st Centuries'. Some of the contemporary prints are absolutely awesome so do check it out if you can find the time.

Lib Dems Sweep to Power!

2010-05-08T10:00:00.000+01:00

Well, they won our school election anyway. With a hugely impressive turnout rate of 84%, the school's electorate duly elected the Liberal Democratic candidate, with the Conservatives and Monster Raving Loony Party second and third in the poll. The Green Party and Labour Party candidates also ran highly impressive campaigns and all the candidates are to be congratulated on their performances.

Now we wait for the grown-ups to make up their minds!

Election Fever

2010-05-06T21:56:00.000+01:00

Election fever hit St Mary's today as our five candidates, one of whom was a Sixth Former, took part in the school's mock election. The turnout was high, the enthusiasm was marked and the outcome still hangs in the balance. Watch this space for the election results!

CamPlay

2010-05-06T14:18:00.000+01:00

We were delighted to welcome two visitors from Cambridgeshire County Council the other day to advertise the CamPlay Holiday Clubs, Saturday Clubs and Community Support scheme. The clubs are for children and young peopl aged 5 - 19 years with a moderate or severe physical or learning disability. The community support scheme runs throughout the year and is looking for volunteers or paid workers to help with one to one support for disabled children. It was great to see so many of our 6th Form finding out how they could help. If you missed the display then contact CamPlay on 01480 376549 or 01480 376544. You can also type in Community Support into this jobs website.

Interesting Radio Programme

2010-05-05T21:52:00.000+01:00

We've blogged about this before but make no apologies: it's interesting. There was a fascinating Radio 4 programme about PVS (Persistent Vegetative State): The Search for Consciousness on recently so do try to listen again if you're at all interested in science, ethics or what's going on just up the road at Cambridge University.

Tennis Success

2010-04-29T07:06:00.000+01:00

In a tennis match yesterday against a certain predominantly boys' school up the road, our L6th team won two games to one. The scores were 6-0, 6-2; 6-4; and 4-6. I'm not quite sure why some of the matches were only one set but I am sure that it was a great victory. Let the summer begin!

The Young Enterprise Team

2010-04-28T10:19:00.000+01:00

Here are some photos of our successful Young Enterprise team. No prizes for guessing the name of the company.

Young Enterprise success

2010-04-26T21:25:00.000+01:00

Congratulations to our Young Enterprise company which was awarded Best Company Presentation and to our Managing Director who was awarded Best Businesswoman at the area heats on Saturday. Our MD will now go on to compete in the regional finals held at Robinson College, Cambridge.

More on the History of Democracy

2010-04-26T10:43:00.000+01:00

The system of ruling a country by votes from the people began in Athens in 510 BC. The Greeks called this system demokratia (rule by the people) which of course gives us the word democracy.

The ancient Athenian democracy was very different to ours. First, only adult male Athenian citizens were eligible to vote, only a very small percentage of the population of Athens. Secondly, those who had the vote were allowed to attend the assembly (the ancient Greek version of the house of Commons) and vote on any new law. Instead, in democracies today, citizens vote for politicians to represent them in parliament.

Athenians used voting not only to make laws: they also voted in law courts to decide whether someone was guilty or not; they could also vote to get rid of (ostracise) politicians they didn't like. Ostracised politicans would have to leave Athens and live in exile.

Voting today usually takes place on paper ballot slips, sometimes on computer. However, the Greeks voted with pebbles, or pieces of broken pottery, or even leaves. For more information about the Athenian democracy, follow this link.

A History of British Democracy

2010-04-22T21:23:00.000+01:00

As the country prepares for the forthcoming general election, it is worth stepping back for a moment to consider the struggle that went on for the vote. The key date is 1832 when the vote was extended to a wider range of people.

However not everyone got the vote in 1832 by any means and so we need to look more widely at the history of British democracy to discover just how we got to the situation we are in today. Click here to read more, then look at this site for an interesting diagram about the development of democracy in Britain.

Once you have looked at all these pages, try the Struggle for Democracy quiz on this page.

The Election

2010-04-22T15:45:00.002+01:00

We're swinging into top gear as we prepare for the general election and for the St Mary's mock election on Thursday 6th May. So here's some advice on how to vote, an explanation of what a hung parliament means and a few ways of crunching the numbers from the BBC. You can also watch it all happening here.

Final Preparations

2010-03-23T22:03:00.000Z

As we move into the last days of term, final preparations have been going on for a number of events. The Young Enterprise company is working on its end of year reports and, in another part of the school, Sixth formers are preparing for the Lent service on Friday.

Chemically Sound

2010-03-23T12:14:00.001Z

The Sixth Form Chemists went to London last week to listen to a series of lectures at UCL (University College, London). It was a great opportunity for them both to see a university in action and also to get some extra information for their A Level.

Book of the Month: March

2010-03-20T22:00:00.000Z

In a very wise essay, C.S. Lewis once argued that we should read old books not because ancient authors were wiser than us but because each age goes wrong in different ways. Reading the occasional old book is therefore a useful corrective to our current mistakes and myopia. He also pointed out that students wanting to learn about Plato frequently read books about Plato but rarely read books by the great man himself.

So our book of the month for March is Plato's Symposium. It's short; it's all about love; and it's in the school library. What more could you want? An Easter holiday coming up? Perfect.

DofE: it's worth it in the end!

2010-03-19T12:26:00.000Z

Here are some of our former students receiving their Gold Awards at St James's Palace after doing all that hard work during their time in the 6th Form. Well done!

Schools' Head of the River

2010-03-19T12:22:00.000Z

The Schools' Head, one of the most prestigious events in the rowing calendar, took place last Thursday and St Mary's were there. You can see photos of them in action here and here. Well done to all involved.

St Mary's and the wordfest

2010-03-18T14:53:00.000Z

Cambridge Wordfest 2010 is about to arrive and with it a whole host of famous writers. We are delighted to be sponsoring the Writing History event on Saturday 10th April. Some of our 6th Form will be there with Man Booker Prizewinner Hilary Mantel and Rebecca Stott, a previous visitor to St Mary's. Check out the programme and book your tickets before they all get snapped up.

Literary Weekend in Stratford

2010-03-16T19:57:00.000Z

From this

to this

and these

via them

and her

and him ...

... the English Department's Literary Weekend in Stratford-upon-Avon

Netball success

2010-03-11T08:51:00.000Z

The Sixth Form have continued to be involved in a range of sports, the latest victory coming on Monday evening against a team from a local school. A nailbiting 13-12 victory was immediately followed by further practice the next day. Onwards and upwards!

Boarders' Concert

2010-03-10T14:22:00.000Z

The boarders, many of whom are 6th Formers, treated a large audience to a spectacular show of music, dance and other entertainment in their annual concert yesterday evening. Many congratulations to all those involved.

So you want to be a teacher?

2010-03-09T19:51:00.000Z

We were delighted to welcome two current PGCE students yesterday to talk to the 6th Form about a career in teaching. What can I say? Best job in the world.

Velkommen til Cambridge!

2010-03-09T19:46:00.000Z

We built on our Danish links yesterday by welcoming a group of Danish Sixth Form students to the school. They were on a study tour of the UK and visited us after going to Cambridge University's Chemistry Department and before seeing QPR play football against Plymouth. Quite a tour!

A Poetic Visit

2010-03-05T12:06:00.000Z

A group of Upper Sixth Formers welcomed poet Anne Stevenson into their A Level English class on 2 February to speak about 'Correspondences', the set of historical poems which she wrote in the 1970's. Anne Stevensonengaged the group with her explanation of the background to this distinguished work, describing how her personal history contributed to its composition.

Anne Stevenson's lovely sense of humour and her lucid explanations provided an insight into her work as a poet and the students were thrilled to have the opportunity to ask their own questions and to formulate further ideas for their comparative coursework on women in society.

To read more about Anne Stevenson's poetry click here, here, here or here.

www.bestCourse4me.com

2010-02-26T10:29:00.000Z

The 6th Form are currently finishing off their mock exams which is why we've gone quiet for the last week or two but that doesn't mean that nothing has been going on. One initiative that St Mary's has been involved with, for example, is the trialling of a new university and careers website. This website, which has received extensive coverage everywhere from The Sun to the Financial Times via The Times Higher Education Supplement, is designed to show the link between what people study and their employment record afterwards. We are delighted to have been involved and hope that our students will find it useful.

So you want to study in Europe?

2010-02-10T12:08:00.000Z

There are two main options. You can apply directly to a university in Europe (remembering that many universities offer courses in English), in which case this website will prove useful or you can study abroad for a year through the Erasmus programme while at a UK university. Both approaches are worth considering.

So you want to study overseas?

2010-02-10T10:30:00.000Z

But don't want to go to the USA. What about Canada or Australia (try this site too) or Hong Kong? The whole world is your oyster.

So you want to study in the USA?

2010-02-10T10:17:00.001Z

The best source of information for anyone wanting to study in the US is probably the Fulbright Commission. Check out their website for deatiled information about undergraduate study in the USA. You might also want to look into the USA College Day on 25th September 2010.

This website is also useful.

Young innovators show they mean business

2010-02-09T15:37:00.000Z

Or at least that's how they put it in the Cambridge Evening News. Click on the blue section for the whole story. Our Young Enterprise team had a very successful weekend.

Our Newest Society

2010-02-09T12:29:00.000Z

OK, so it doesn't really look like this. The Lower 6th Literary Society is actually dynamic, forward-thinking and vibrant. And it's just been founded so come and join us on Friday lunchtimes at 1.15 in the Undercroft. We'll be looking at J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye when we've had chance to (re)read it but before that it's a case of bring and share. Oh yes, and there'll be cake.

Ever thought about Anthropology?

2010-02-05T13:09:00.000Z

So you're thinking about degree courses and careers? You've come across Anthropology and don't quite know what it is or where it might lead? Then click here to find out more.

You heard it here first

2010-02-04T05:51:00.000Z

In a fascinating report that's hitting the news today, Dr Adrian Owen from Cambridge University has further explained what he told our Sixth Form over two years ago: that it is possible to communicate with patients who were previously thought to have been in a so-called vegetative state. The implications of this research are wide-ranging. We are excited that such groundbreaking science is taking place just down the road from us and that we got to hear about it so early. To read the full scientific article, click here.

So you want to be a lawyer?

2010-02-03T13:15:00.000Z

So you want to be a lawyer but don't know whether to do a Law degree or how to find out more? Check out this really useful website.

Oliver!

2010-02-03T10:10:00.002Z

Oliver was a massive success last week, partly because it was such a great piece of teamwork. The cast was huge but we shouldn't forget the backstage crew, the musicians and the many others who brought the show to life:

Of course we are particularly proud of our Sixth Form stars, two of whom can be seen in these wonderful photos below:

Fashion show at the Guildhall, London

2010-02-02T15:00:00.001Z

Fifteen 6th formers took part in a Charity Fashion show at the Guildhall, London on Saturday 30th January 2010. The "East Meets West" fashion extravaganza was a raising funds for the Bobby Moore Fund (Cancer Charity). The 6th formers wore dresses which they had designed and made as part of their A level Art and Design Textiles course. The St Mary's section of the catwalk show was called 'Here come the Girls'. The 6th formers had been practising their show at school and then spent all day Saturday rehearsing and helping out backstage, before taking part in the show in the evening. Several of our students were invited to model in the other shows, including 'All that Jazz' and the 'International Collection'. The event was an excellent opportunity to experience all the planning and organisation involved in putting on a high profile event.

Stars at the show included Dave 'the Kid' Jensen (the voice of Capital Gold and Planet Rock), Hardeep Singh Kholi (writer, comedian and presenter) and Matthew Wright, all of whom compered the show. Tyler Rix the talented young saxophonist, and Meliz Serman, mezzo soprano, also performed.

So you want to be a journalist or work for the BBC?

2010-01-31T15:16:00.002Z

So here's the scenario: you want to be a journalist but you don't know what to study at university. The truth is that Journalism is not necessarily the best course to do (at least as a first degree). English, History, Politics ... and many other courses are worth considering. However, if you do go for a journalism course at undergraduate or as a postgraduate you should check that it is accredited by the National Council for the Training of Journalists. Here's where to look.

But more important is getting your foot in the door via work placements. Click here for information about getting a placement with the BBC.

MUNA Video

2010-01-29T09:33:00.005Z

To give you a little more of the flavour of the conference we have uploaded a brief extract from a speech from the opening conference. We'll try to ad more later.

And the news today is ...

2010-01-29T09:32:00.000Z

While idly leafing through my Dutch National paper this morning, I came across this article on our Model united Nations Conference. You might recognise one of our students.

Let the debate begin

2010-01-28T15:35:00.000Z

The great thing about attending this Model United Nations Conference in the Netherlands is the opportunities it provides for international collaboration. Here is one of our students (from Brunei) representing France and a Dutch student (representing Germany)!

We have also heard from Dan King from the US Embassy in Amsterdam who spoke to the Crisis Committee and the Security Council about crisis management, with particular reference to Haiti and last year's Turkish plane crash in the Netherlands.

But there have been plenty of opportunities for students to speak as well as to listen. Here is one of our students, representing Afghanistan, successfully defending a resolution on women's education.

And here is another of our students enjoying the vote (even though it went against her!)

And, last but not least, here's yet another of our students just having fun.

Model United Nations Alfrink

2010-01-28T11:47:00.000Z

Many of the Sixth Form are currently on the outskirts of the Hague in the Netherlands attending a Model United Nations Conference. Even as I type, students are lobbying, debating, submitting and defending resolutions. The planning started early and continued in the Eurostar station,

and on the train

It was a little chilly when we arrived

but everyone is in very good spirits! After checking out the Prime Minister's Office

we headed back to Alfrink College for further training. It's that way ...

Two of our students gave speeches at the opening conference (and we were very proud of them) before everyone moved into their repsective committees.

We have heard a high level of debate so far and are very much looking forward to the next day and a half. Updates to follow if we can find time.

A busy week

2010-01-24T20:02:00.000Z

Starting with a mass in Westminster Cathedral this weekend to celebrate the life and work of Mary Ward, this week is going to be an extremely busy one. Oliver! has its first performance tomorrow and then, on Tuesday, a fifth of the Sixth Form are off to the Netherlands for a Model United Nations Conference. Then next Saturday there's a major charity fashion show in London at a highly prestigious venue (more details to follow). It will be quite a week.

Young Enterprise

2010-01-20T14:51:00.000Z

Our Young Enterprise company has been working hard all year. They had a successful Christmas Fair and are now working hard for the Trade Fair at the Grafton Centre, Cambridge on Saturday 6th February. Do come along and see the goods they have been producing. Here are a couple of previews:

Book of the Month: January

2010-01-19T15:52:00.000Z

This month's book is a little-known classic from China: Shen Congwen's Border Town. Shen was in line for the Nobel Prize for Literature at the time of his death in 1988 but is still too little appreciated in the west.

Originally published in 1934, Border Town tells the story of Cuicui, a young girl from Hunan. Shen was known for his lyrical writing and strong female characters and nowhere is this more apparent than in this novella. If you haven't tried Chinese fiction before, give it a go. If you have read Chinese fiction, give it a go.

Oliver!

2010-01-18T08:30:00.000Z

With only a week to go until the all-singing, all-dancing production of Oliver, the Sixth form have been hard at work not just rehearsing but painting the set too. We had a sneak preview of work in progress just to get in the mood for the treat ahead. Tickets are available from school and performances start next Monday.

A Levels

2010-01-14T08:42:00.000Z

With performances of Oliver and a trip to the Netherlands coming up in the next two weeks, there is plenty going on in the Sixth Form but, for the moment, the emphasis is on A Level exams. Good luck to all students taking exams this term.

The Venerable Mary Ward

2010-01-11T22:04:00.000Z

There is much excitement at the news that the heroic virtues of Mary Ward, the founder of the Order which founded our school, have been recognised by the Congregation of the Causes of Saints. The news rather got lost in the British secular press, which was more interested in the story that John Paul II and Pius XII had both had their heroic virtues recognised too.

It is perhaps worth noting that it was Pius XII who did most to revive Mary Ward's reputation this century when he referred to her as "that incomparable woman" in his speech in 1951 to the Congress of the Apostolate of the Laity and John Paul II who wrote this inspiring address to students at Mary Ward schools in 1985.

Winter Days

2010-01-08T13:42:00.000Z

Do you remember those glorious late Summmer days? Well, that was then: this is now:

Welcome back!

Merry Christmas

2009-12-16T12:10:00.002Z

After the splendour of the concert and the excitement of the revue, we come at last to the Carol Service and a chance to reflect quietly on the term, the year past and Christmas itself. From everyone in the Sixth Form at St Mary's a very merry and peaceful Christmas.

Sixth Form Revue

2009-12-15T22:40:00.002Z

The end of term is almost nigh, which means that it's Sixth Form Revue time again. The Upper 6th served up a series of skits, jokes and video to delight the whole school this afternoon. It's hard to decide whether the RE Department's Vicar of Dibley, the History Department's multi-talented rock star or the Art Department's newest recruit was the highlight of the show. These Upper 6th Formers seemed to think they were all great.

Christmas on the Cam

2009-12-14T14:28:00.000Z

The rowers indulged in a little festive pain on Saturday when they took part in the Christmas Head on the River Cam. They beat their junior rivals from the Champion of the Thames crew and several other women's novice crews. Surely it must be time now for them to have a rest!

Christmas Concert

2009-12-14T14:21:00.000Z

Tonight the musicians will be performing at Cambridge University's West Road Concert Hall. It should be a truly superb concert so do come and join us for Christmas music and a whole lot more.

East Anglia Children's Hospice Christmas Party

2009-12-08T13:54:00.000Z

Every year members of the 6th Form help out at the East Anglia Children's Hospice Christmas Party. It is always a fabulous experience with our students gaining at least as much as they give. The costumes are great too; in fact we're severely tempted to introduce elf costumes as the new school uniform!

Book of the Month: December

2009-12-07T22:17:00.001Z

If you need something to read this Christmas you could do a lot worse than Carlos Ruiz Zafon's blockbuster of a novel, The Shadow of the Wind. Great characters; great plot; wonderful setting: what better way to deal with the post-Christmas blues?

Row, Row, Row the Boat

2009-12-03T19:01:00.001Z

Those balmy summer days now seem a very distant memory. It's cold and wet in Cambridge but nothing can deter the rowers! Three crews competed today in the Fairbairn Cup against the cream of the Cambridge Colleges. Amazingly, our crews came 6th, 14th and 45th out of 61 crews. Many congratulations to Mrs Brown, her team of coaches and all the competitors.

Happy New Year

2009-12-02T16:05:00.000Z

We are very much moving into end of term, end of year mode now. Everyone is very busy - hence the blog silence over the last few days - and looking forward to Christmas. We had our Christmas Fair today, decorations are going up and the nights are drawing in.

However, it is also a time of new starts. The Church started its new year and the season of Advent last Sunday so a happy new year to all our readers.

Artist of the Year

2009-11-28T14:33:00.001Z

We are absolutely delighted that one of our Lower 6th students has just been announced as the winner of the Young Artist of Thailand 2009 competition by the Royal Over-Seas League Thailand at a special Awards function held at The Sukhothai Bangkok. To read more and to see the winning painting click here.

De Litteris est Disputandum

2009-11-26T21:58:00.004Z

We were delighted to welcome twelve students of AS Latin from local sixth forms, including our own, to a seminar on one of the texts set for AS Latin this year. The text was In Catilinam 1, Cicero's highly rhetorical speech attacking Catiline on charges of conspiring against the Roman Republic. Each student contibuted to the seminar with a brief presentation on one aspect of the text, which led to some spirited discussion. The Undercroft proved an ideal venue for the event. We hope that this seminar will be the first of many of its kind. Literature needs discussion and the sixth formers impressed their teachers with their capacity to debate the text.

Seeing Shakespeare

2009-11-25T21:28:00.000Z

A group of English and Drama students went to London yesterday to see the award-winning Lenny Henry playing Othello. The whole production was well worth seeing, as was the T.S. Eliot exhibition they took in at the British Library on the way back. Oh yes, and the Houses of Parliament weren't bad either, though we weren't too sure about what they were doing with Churchill.

Volunteering Opportunities

2009-11-23T22:47:00.001Z

This is a photo of a former St Mary's Head Girl building a house in India! Lizzie came back to speak to the 6th Form today about volunteering opportunities and about the delights of studying veterinary medicine at university. If you would like to find out more about the volunteering opportunities she spoke about then check out http://www.volmakaibari.org/.

Here are some of the things you might get up to.

Subject Profile: Chemistry

2009-11-20T11:36:00.000Z

A Lower 6th Chemistry student writes: "Chemistry is famous for being full of experiments which make pretty colours and are all fiery. So far Chemistry AS has not let me down. In just the third class we did a titration and during the open morning we had flame tests which were popular with both the new students who were looking around and with the people doing it, us! Chemistry sounds like bunches of fun, but we also have to study and learn definitions."

Interesting lectures

2009-11-19T11:15:00.000Z

There are some intersting lectures coming up. On Friday there is a lecture at Fisher House at 5pm about John Fisher's Theology which A Level historians and theologians might find interesting while on 26th November potential medics might find the talk on "Perspectives in ear reconstruction" at Addenbrooke's worth attending.

Visiting Stratford

2009-11-18T20:43:00.000Z

Some of the 6th Form Theatre Studies students joined the Year 9 trip to Stratford-upon-Avon today to see the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of Twelfth Night today. It was a production well worth seeing. There's no substitute for being there but if you'd like to read an interview with the director click here.

Singaporean Visitors

2009-11-17T21:39:00.000Z

We were pleased to welcome a class of Singaporean students from Nanyang Girls' High School today. They took part in some Sixth Form lessons and had a chance to see some of our extra-curricular activities in action. We wish them all the best with the rest of their tour of the UK.

University and Careers Advice

2009-11-16T12:48:00.001Z

The Upper 6th are beginning to receive their university offers but here are some useful websites for the Lower 6th as they begin to mull over where they might want to go and what they might to study. Courses and typical grade requirements can be seen here. If you want some statistics about universities and useful feedback, click here. For virtual tours of universities, try this one out. For videos of different universities try here.

If you want to investigate specific jobs you might want to look here. Go here if you want a career in the National Health Service, then click on coursefinder. It is vital that you check that the NHS recognises the medical courses offered at various universities: not all of them are recognised. For an online questionnaire to match you with an NHS career click here.

Keep an eye on the blog: there will be more advice coming soon. Happy hunting.

House Debating

2009-11-13T21:08:00.000Z

This lunchtime saw the launching of the House Debating Competition. The 6th Form house captains have done a great job of organising this competition, which will culminate in a grand final at the end of the year.

Still Lots Going On

2009-11-12T11:32:00.001Z

The Sixth Form have been involved in a huge range of events already this week. On Monday there was a trip to see Othello, on Tuesday a fashion evening in aid of the Sick Children's Trust, on Wednesday the GSA Girls' Leadership Conference followed by an evening event about writing as a profession, and today ... Today we're all drawing breath.

Remembrance Day

2009-11-11T11:10:00.001Z

In today's Remembrance Day assembly we focused on the contribution of the Chinese to World War I and, in particular, on this man, 陸征祥, Lou Tseng-Tsiang, who was the only man to refuse to sign the Treaty of Versailles. As leader of the Chinese delegation he took the courageous step of refusing to accept the loss of Shandong province. To learn more click here or here.

The truly remarkable thing about Lou was that he went from being Prime Minister of China to becoming a Catholic priest and monk in Belgium, where he suffered under the Nazis during World War II. The pictures above, in other words, are of the same man. His story may have been unique but he can help remind us of all those many non-combatants whose lives, deaths and work are sometimes forgotten when we recall past conflicts.

Girls' Leadership Development Conference

2009-11-10T12:02:00.002Z

Tomorrow is going to be a big day. St Mary's has organised a large-scale Girls' Leadership Development Conference at West Road Concert Hall, University of Cambridge. Over twenty schools and 450 students will be taking part in the panel discussions, interactive debates and workshops.

Speakers will include Dr. Mary Archer, Chairman of Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; Professor Dame Julia Higgins, formerly Principal of the Faculty of Engineering at Imperial College, London; and Suzanne Doyle-Morris, who will be launching her new book, ‘Beyond the Boys’ Club: Strategies for Achieving Career Success as a Woman Working in a Male Dominated Field’. The day will end with a closing speech from Girls' Schools Association President Jill Berry.

The theme of the event will be ‘transition’, inspiring and supporting girls as they progress from GCSEs to A-Levels and into the sixth-form world, a time when making life-changing decisions such as choosing universities, degrees and careers becomes top of the agenda. It should be pretty impressive.

Book of the Month: November

2009-11-10T08:23:00.000Z

What more could we ask for in life than to find happiness? The 6th Form Book of the Month helps us along the way.

This isn't your usual self-help book though: the author, Abbot Christopher Jamison, offers Monastic Steps for a Fulfilling Life. We might not naturally turns to monks for ideas about happiness but, on the evidence of this book, perhaps we should. It's in the library: give it a try.

Has Science Replaced God?

2009-11-09T15:45:00.000Z

'Has Science replaced God' was the title of the talk given last week to the school's scholars by Fr Stephen Dingley. Fr Stephen has a PhD in Radio Astronomy from Cambridge University and a degree in Fundamental Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University so he's pretty well qualified to answer the question.

If you are interested in finding out more, you can download some pamphlets he has written here.

There's a lot going on

2009-11-09T08:27:00.000Z

There is a lot going on at the moment. We'll try to keep up. The first event this week was a concert in Queens' College Chapel last night with the school's chamber choir joining the Fairhaven Singers. A fantastic way to start the week in a fantastic setting.

What's coming up?

2009-11-04T16:38:00.001Z

There are a number of exciting events coming up this term and next. We'll keep you posted about what's on offer. In January next year, for example, the 6th Form will be sending a delegation to the Netherlands for a Model United Nations Conference. We will be spending a few days near the Hague learning how the UN works and debating the whole gamut of world issues, alongside students from France, Germany, the Netherlands, Nigeria and Ghana. It should be great.

Where did you go this half term?

2009-11-02T14:34:00.000Z

Some of the 6th Form went to Iceland and what an experience it was.

Fun Run

2009-10-23T20:27:00.000+01:00

We enjoyed the annual fancy dress fun run this afternoon. All the school's students took part as a way of raising money for a variety of worthy charities. This year's theme was evolution, as it is the 200th anniversary of Darwin's birth. We had everything from The Voyage of the Beagle ...

to a butterfly and giant caterpillar.

The 6th Form helped marshall the event and check that everyone had run or walked the required five laps.

It was a good way to end the half term.

Off to Iceland

2009-10-22T16:46:00.001+01:00

It's been a busy half term but the activity is not over yet by a long shot. A group of 6th Formers are off to Iceland over the half term break and, if past trips are anything to go by, it should be a stunning experience.

There will be a chance to lounge around.

A chance to take a hot bath.

And, of course, a chance to do some geographical research.

Debating Success

2009-10-21T11:44:00.002+01:00

Two of our Lower 6th students took part in a prestigious debating competition at Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge yesterday against Northampton Academy. The photograph shows the two teams together with the Chairman for the evening, TV Personality, Loyd Grossman.

After a closely argued and high level debate about the obsession with personal space in the western world, the St Mary's team won by 37 votes to 34 (with one abstention). We were delighted by the result, delighted by the support we received, and delighted by the invitation to take part in such a wonderful experience in such a wonderful place.

Many of our students also looked around the exhibition about female education in Cambridge after the debate. Highlights included the original manuscript of Virginia Woolf's "A Room of One's Own". We are fortunate indeed to have such resources on our doorstep.

Sixth Form Information Evening

2009-10-21T11:43:00.000+01:00

We will be holding our Sixth Form Information evening tomorrow, Thursday 22nd October, from 6.30pm onwards. Whether you are currently in year 11 or are at school elsewhere, you are warmly welcome to come along and see what subjects are on offer next year and to learn more about our wonderful Sixth Form.

Netball Success

2009-10-20T11:59:00.000+01:00

The netballers started the season in spectacular form yesterday afternoon, notching up a 16-11 win over Perse Girls. It was an exciting match, even after St Mary's built up a clear and early lead, a lead they never looked like losing. Well done.

Subject Profile: English

2009-10-20T06:59:00.000+01:00

The English Department has been arranging a whole range of activities to complement the work that goes on in the classroom. The 6th Form recently went to see a play about Rupert Brooke in Cambridge and there are trips coming up to see Othello with Lenny Henry and The World's Wife.

The weekend before last, the author, director and examiner Steve Siddall ran a workshop on The Duchess of Malfi which was greatly appreciated by the students.

We are also looking forward to the annual reading weekend, which this year will be in Stratford-upon-Avon. If past years are anything to go by, it should be a blast.

Inspiring Women

2009-10-19T11:33:00.001+01:00

We were pleased to welcome Sigrid Fisher, the Head of Equality and Diversity at Cambridge University to the 6th Form today. She gave an extremely interesting presentation to the Lower 6th about Leadership and encouraged them to make a difference, as women, to the world.

She also encouraged the students to take part in Cambridge University's Festival of Ideas, which starts this Wednesday, and the International Women's Day, which takes place on March 8th.

Cracking Goal

2009-10-16T06:33:00.000+01:00

The Sixth Form Hockey team was joined by three younger students for their latest match, one of whom cracked in the goal you can see in the video. What a shot.

St Mary's Debate at Cambridge University

2009-10-15T08:27:00.000+01:00

We are delighted to have been invited to take part in a prestigious debate at Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge University next Tuesday. The debate is being chaired by the TV personality, former Punk singer and well known foodie Loyd Grossman, which should make things interesting.

It is the 800th anniversary of Cambridge University this year and Lucy Cavendish have created an interesting exhibition on women's education in Cambridge as part of the celebrations. We are proud to be involved and would be delighted to see any supporters at the debate itself.

Rowing on the Cam

2009-10-14T09:34:00.000+01:00

Our roving blogger wandered down to the river yesterday afternoon to see the 6th Form rowers in action. He wanted to find the perfect ingredients for a superb rowing squad. Obviously you need a river.

A boat.

Some oars.

A world class coach.

And a cox who's looking where she's going.

I reckon we're almost there!

Subject Profile: Art

2009-10-13T13:26:00.000+01:00

The Art Department is excelling itself again this year. Not only has Photography been introduced into the curriculum but the range of other art has also continued to grow. There is everything from observational drawing in pen and ink to funkier new media. I'll leave some of the 6th Form art itself to tell the story.

Duke of Edinburgh

2009-10-12T09:10:00.000+01:00

As promised, here are some photos of the Duke of Edinburgh group in action. The weather got pretty wild at times but the jubilation at having achieved what they set out to achieve was all the greater as a result.

The glorious scenery went some way towards making up for the heavy winds and there were some friendly faces along the way too.

Studying in London

2009-10-09T19:51:00.000+01:00

One advantage of living in Cambridge is that you can get to London easily without having to live there. While on a course this week, I was reminded how many universities are a mere hop, skip and a jump from King's Cross Station (and, therefore, only 50 minutes away from Cambridge). The most well known may be University College London:

But there are others too. For example, there's the School of Oriental and African Studies.

There's Birkbeck College.

And the Institute of Education.

There are also some fascinating places on the doorstep, including the British Library and the Wellcome Collection which, as this photograph shows, really gives you a new perspective on life.

Book of the Month: October

2009-10-07T21:22:00.000+01:00

Africa has produced some amazing authors and one who has been causing a stir recently is Uwem Akpan. With rave reviews in The New York Times, The Times and a whole host of other newspapers, Akpan is hot literary property. He's even won the ultimate accolade: the approval of Oprah Winfrey. (Note slight tone of irony here.)

What makes all this adulation so surprising is that Akpan is a Nigerian Catholic priest. He doesn't bash you over the head with his religion but clearly his beliefs are a major motivation behind his writing, as this fascinating interview with Granta Online reveals. However, the reason I have chosen Say You're One of Them, his debut collection of short stories, as the Sixth Form Book of the Month is not because Akpan is a priest but because the stories themselves are so good.

Be warned: Akpan writes about some truly horrific events - everything from the Rwandan genocide to child trafficking - but he does so in a way which is always deeply humane if not always terribly hopeful. The book's waiting in the library. Why not try it?

More Sporting Excellence

2009-10-06T16:15:00.000+01:00

One of our Lower 6th students has just returned from the Rampton show where she won first place in her class. You may notice that she is clutching two trophies: that is because she was also overall Champion of all the classes. Many congratulations.

Words of Wisdom

2009-10-05T21:59:00.001+01:00

We were pleased to welcome back one of our former students today. Claire recently completed a Chemistry degree at Oxford and was here to pass on words of wisdom about how to make the best of the Sixth Form and what to look out for when applying to university. If you would like to see a video of an interview she did a couple of years ago about her experiences click here.

The Duke of Edinburgh Award

2009-10-03T08:14:00.001+01:00

The Good Schools Guide raved about our Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme programme and yesterday it was easy to see why. Sixth Formers and younger students were preparing to travel to the Peak District to do their Silver and Gold Award expeditions. Four days of camping, walking and exploring lie ahead. We'll bring you the photographic evidence as soon as they're back.

The Sixth Form at St Mary's Cambridge

Book of the Month - July

Making an Exhibition of Ourselves

Future Doctors and Lawyers

Science Blog

Reading Around - Economics

English Reading List

Sports Day

A Brief History of Maths

Life's a ball

Study at Yale ... from home

All Quiet

Lib Dems Sweep to Power!

Election Fever

CamPlay

Interesting Radio Programme

Tennis Success

The Young Enterprise Team

Young Enterprise success

More on the History of Democracy

A History of British Democracy

The Election

Final Preparations

Chemically Sound

Book of the Month: March

DofE: it's worth it in the end!

Schools' Head of the River

St Mary's and the wordfest

Literary Weekend in Stratford

Netball success

Boarders' Concert

So you want to be a teacher?

Velkommen til Cambridge!

A Poetic Visit

www.bestCourse4me.com

So you want to study in Europe?

So you want to study overseas?

So you want to study in the USA?

Young innovators show they mean business

Our Newest Society

Ever thought about Anthropology?

You heard it here first

So you want to be a lawyer?

Oliver!

Fashion show at the Guildhall, London

So you want to be a journalist or work for the BBC?

More MUNA videos

MUNA Video

And the news today is ...

Let the debate begin

Model United Nations Alfrink

A busy week

Young Enterprise

Book of the Month: January

Oliver!

A Levels

The Venerable Mary Ward

Winter Days

Merry Christmas

Sixth Form Revue

Christmas on the Cam

Christmas Concert

East Anglia Children's Hospice Christmas Party

Book of the Month: December

Row, Row, Row the Boat

Happy New Year

Artist of the Year

De Litteris est Disputandum

Seeing Shakespeare

Volunteering Opportunities

Subject Profile: Chemistry

Interesting lectures

Visiting Stratford

Singaporean Visitors

University and Careers Advice

House Debating

Still Lots Going On

Remembrance Day

Girls' Leadership Development Conference

Book of the Month: November