The Sixth Form College Farnborough

Mary Curnock Cook, the government’s principal adviser on qualifications reform, told students and staff at Farnborough Sixth Form College that their work had had a profound impact upon government thinking. Mrs Curnock Cook was speaking at an awards ceremony for the College’s second cohort of Extended Project students.

 

Presenting the students with their beautifully bound university-style theses, Mrs Curnock Cook said, “Farnborough Sixth Form has taken a pioneering lead in helping us to understand how we should guide the national development of the Extended Project. The success of Farnborough has raised the profile of this important initiative nationally and I hope you will show these projects with pride to friends and family. This has been an inspirational evening for me personally.”

 

The 138 students who received certificates from Mrs Curnock Cook had each completed 5000 word dissertations on a topic of their choice linking two of their A level subjects. They undertook the research during the summer holidays and were required to complete their projects by the end of October. Jon Marks, Associate Assistant Principal who led the project also undertook his own research and was rewarded with a Master of Science degree just two weeks earlier. Mr Marks said, “The breadth and depth of the students’ research was astonishing – I am very proud of all that they have achieved.”

 

Muhammad Saqib, President of the Students’ Association, completed his project on whether Turkey should be admitted to the European Union. He told the packed audience of parents and students in the Prospect Theatre that not only had he positively enjoyed doing the research but that the project had given him a real understanding of time management and prioritisation. “This will be a really useful skill for both my university career and my employment in the future”, said Muhammad.

 

Becky Glass undertook her project on whether Jane Austen was a feminist. She told the audience that the supervision she had received from her tutor, Jo Chambers, had been invaluable. “It was really helpful to have someone to bounce ideas off on a topic which fascinated us both”, said Becky.

 

Principal Dr John Guy told the audience that the projects had challenged not only the students but also the staff who supervised them. His supervisee, Katharine Piddington, had undertaken her project on the properties of the alloy Nitinol and its use in surgical devices. 

 

Dr Guy said, “I learnt a great deal from Katharine - and I was forced to go back to my university texts on transformation hysteresis simply to keep up with her!”