Year 9 Student Charles Shares How ‘Cambridge Is Our Classroom’ Transforms Learning at Abbey College Cambridge
9th February 26
Year 9 student, Charles gave us his thoughts on Cambridge is Our Classroom, and how Abbey College Cambridge helps him through it.
“As a Year 9 student, part of the youngest year group in the school. The “Cambridge Is Our Classroom” program has one of the most unique parts of my experience at Abbey College Cambridge so far.
I have noticed how different this school is from other schools. Instead of our learning being trapped to the classrooms. Abbey uses its position in Cambridge to extend learning beyond the classroom and into the real world. Through the weekly University of Cambridge lectures, we can engage directly with world-class teaching, researchers and politicians discussing current global issues and innovative research.
Being given access to a university-level of ideas as one of the youngest students has improved my academic maturity. Topics like politics, AI, science and social justice are easier to understand now because they have been explained using real examples from experts. This has also helped me understand difficult ideas in lessons and use real examples in discussions instead of just relying on me memorising information.
The program has also helped me develop my confidence. Although I find speaking in lectures in front of many people frightening, being encouraged to ask questions in the Q&A parts of these lectures sounded challenging at first, especially when I am surrounded by older people and professionals from all over the world, this fear is exactly what has helped me develop my communication skills the most. It is one of the most important skills that I will need in the future for both my academic and professional achievements.
Another strength of the ‘Cambridge Is Our Classroom’ is the number of lectures that are available to the students. Everyone can explore the different interests beyond what is normally taught in our school curriculum. It has helped me look at things differently and has given me the opportunity to get to know people in older year groups who have the same interest in the topics as I do.
Compared to my previous school experience that I was used to and I’m sure many others, opportunities like this are simply not available, and the Abbey experience in general so far is very achieving and forward thinking.
We are also encouraged to think independently and get out into the world beyond the school grounds. I have learnt from this program has shown me that age isn’t a limit to how much you can learn.
These lectures have been informative so far, and they have already changed the way I think about my future and the way I learn in lessons and outside of school.”
