Aiming for Oxbridge

PriorPursglove College in Guisborough would like to congratulate their students who have received offers to study at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge for the next academic year.

All of the students who applied to these prestigious universities had to undergo a rigorous and challenging application process, including submission of their application form for the early October deadline, preparing for and sitting admissions assessments and undertaking at least two virtual academic interviews in early December with academic tutors from their chosen courses. Then followed a nervous wait until January to find out the outcome.

Olivia Wytcherley, Assistant Principal, said: “We are incredibly proud of the resilience and determination shown by the students who applied to Oxford and Cambridge this year. Making it to the interview stage is a real achievement and a fantastic opportunity to engage in academic discussion with prominent academics in their chosen field. The students prepared well, often collaborating with each other and teachers, to practise problem solving and critical analysis skills. “Our teachers are always on hand to provide additional support through enrichment, offering academic competitions or putting students through their paces in a mock interview. We have now established a strong tradition in successfully preparing students to study at top universities.”

Of this year’s nine students, six have received offers from Oxford and three from Cambridge. The students holding offers for Oxford are hoping to study subjects including Engineering (3), Mathematics, Classics and French with beginner’s Russian. Two students have received offers from Trinity College, which, as our link college, have provided comprehensive support to all our applicants.

In addition, we have two students holding offers for Natural Sciences at Cambridge alongside one of our students from last year who has received an unconditional offer for English Literature.

Twins Grace and Lauren Hinton, ex Sacred Heart students, have both received offers from Oxford to read Engineering, following in their father’s footsteps. Lauren said: “Thank you to all my teachers for helping me with the application process, especially in writing my personal statement.”

Adam Tilling, ex Laurence Jackson student, has received an offer to read Mathematics at St Anne’s College Oxford, after completing both A level Maths and Further Maths in his first year at college.

Adam said: “College has really helped me to be able to learn as much as I can whilst I am here and I am very grateful for the support you receive from all the people at Prior.”

Kaitlyn Easter-Bell, ex Sacred Heart student, is the first student in the college’s recent history to receive an offer to read Classics at Trinity College Oxford.

Bradley Sills and Arthur Leaper, ex Outwood Bydales students, have both received offers to read Natural Sciences at Cambridge.

Francis Nozedar, ex Sacred Heart student has been offered a place at Wadham College, Oxford to study French and Beginners Russian.

Francis said: “‘Studying at Prior has really developed me academically and as a person.”

Thomas Cornwall, ex Stokesley School student has received an unconditional offer to study English Literature at Cambridge.

Principal Asma Shaffi said: “We are having tremendous success in securing offers from Oxford and Cambridge universities. Prior Pursglove College has a long-standing history in sending students to Oxbridge to read from Science and Mathematics to Classics, Languages and Social Sciences.

“But recently we have seen a very positive increase in these numbers and of female students undertaking engineering and mathematics. We are incredibly proud of our students, and I have enormous respect and gratitude towards their previous schools and parents. These students really help to show their peers that such success is a reality in our area and strong work ethic pays credible dividends.”

Discover more about Prior Pursglove College and the courses it offers at pursglove.ac.uk

Helloand welcome to this months

Crime Prevention Policing

Page, brough to you by Paul Payne, your dedicated, Redcar, Eston and East Cleveland Officer

Well, it’s been another busy month for us all here at Cleveland Police, but that’s just how I like it. One of the issues we have been dealing with this month and which will be carrying on into the future is Operation Endurance which aims at tackling Off Road Vehicles throughout our towns and countryside. The good news is that we are making progress and this month we have ran several of this operation to the point that they have been so successful that we now plan to role it out across the force.

Six people were arrested by the Redcar and Cleveland Neighbourhood Team (including officers from Redcar, Guisborough and Eston) for the neighbourhood week of action last week.

Seven off-road bikes/ vehicles believed to be involved in criminal activity and a suspected stolen caravan worth £20k were seized in addition to class A/B drugs, imitation firearms and bullets, offensive weapons and £4k cash.

The team was assisted by the Drone Unit, Redcar and Cleveland Council, North Yorkshire Off Road Bike Unit and Crime Prevention.

Officers also ensured they spent the week engaging with local residents at schools, local libraries to answer any issues in relation to antisocial behaviour and criminal activity.

Operation Endurance (to tackle offroad bikes) was one of the biggest highlights of the week. The operation