TOP-PERFORMING pupils at Mount St Mary’s College in Derbyshire spent a day in Oxford this month learning about life at the leading universities.
The group, mostly from Year 12 at the school, visited the university as guests of the Catholic chaplaincy, which is run by Jesuits.
Pupils enjoyed a tour of Christ Church, led by a current student, followed by a trip to see some of the city’s landmarks. The highlight was a session led by Fr John Moffat SJ, who intro duced the pupils to the concept of the Oxford tutorial using a PowerPoint presentation, a cricket bat and the “Chair of Doom”.
Along with pupils from fellow Jesuit schools Wimbledon College and the Ursuline, students were asked to consider the nature of rules – then sit in the Chair to defend their points.
Laurence McKell, headteacher at Mount St Mary’s College, said: “This was a fantastic opportunity for our pupils and a chance to get a flavour of further education.”