Grammar Gazette- Issue 2, 2017

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NORTHERN LIGHTS: LEARNING FROM THE GREATS IN THE UNIVERSITIES OF THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE

The Illuminated Texts — hand-written books with elaborate decorations in gold or silver — which appeared in northern Europe in the late seventh century — served as ‘symbolic and narrative compositions, which proclaimed the mysteries of the faith and instructed the unlettered in the stories of sacred scripture’. This idea of the illumination of the ‘mysteries’ of knowledge captures the experience of the Oxbridge Academic Programme. The Oxbridge experience is much like an illuminated text. The founding principle of Oxbridge is to provide students with ‘imaginative teaching, experiential learning, and cultural enrichment’ experienced within the campuses of some of the most inspiring universities in the world. Students spend four to six weeks immersed in two areas of study under the tutelage of accomplished academics, and in the company of like-minded students from many different countries. This period of illumination allows students to experience in-depth discussion of current topics as well as extended time for reflection, creation, writing, observation and analysis — a rare and unique educational experience.

students to take advantage of every opportunity presented to them in this experience of a lifetime. Director of the Oxford Tradition Summer School, Mr Michael McInlay (journalist, screenwriter, filmmaker and author) spoke to the students about the privilege of the experience, emphasising that they are characters in ‘a unique play’. I visited our students at two of the campuses — Oxford University and the University of St Andrews — and discovered first- hand the dynamism and rigour of the Summer Schools. The classes were unconventional, often conducted in the historic buildings around the university towns, with the teachers challenging our girls to move beyond their knowledge base to discover the new. Annabel Ryan (11E) and Mary Keyser (11H) studied architecture with Mihaela Mitrovic (neuroscientist, architect and writer) in the stone- arched ‘Bar Hall’ of Pembroke College (est. 1624), Oxford. Taking a ‘hands on’ approach, Miheala set practical tasks where the students completed construction activities to design and build abstract spatial compositions.

AUTHOR Ms Rachael Christopherson Head of Beanland House

This year, thirty-six Year 11 Grammar girls and three Girls Grammar teachers attended the Oxbridge Summer Schools Programme. Studying with an exceptional team of academics (including seven Rhodes Scholars) at seven different northern hemisphere universities such as Cambridge University, Oxford University and L’Academie de Paris. The girls were immersed in courses covering topics such as medical science, architecture, art history, entrepreneurship, politics and human rights. At the opening ceremony of the Oxford Tradition held at Christopher Wren’s magnificent Sheldonian Theatre (built 1669) more than 300 students from thirty-three nationalities were welcomed by the Oxbridge founder and CEO, Professor Jim Basker, who challenged the

Oxbridge founder and CEO, Professor Jim Basker (centre), with Year 11 Grammar girls and Ms Rachael Christopherson at Pembroke College, Oxford

GRAMMAR GAZETTE