Gifted students are celebrating after ‘graduating’ from a prestigious academic course as members of The Brilliant Club.
The Brilliant Club is a national award-winning, non-profit, organisation that aims to widen access to top universities for outstanding students.
Twelve talented students from Year 10 were selected to take part in the programme and worked with a PhD university tutor on a psychology project focusing on memory.
As part of the programme, the students visited Warwick University and attended six tutorials before being set a 2,500-word assignment which was graded using university terminology.
All 12 students passed the assignment with four being awarded a First, seven students gaining a 2:1 grade and one achieving a 2:2. They were then invited to celebrate their success at a ‘graduation’ ceremony at the University of Nottingham along with their parents.
Ms E Buckley, Lead Practitioner with responsibility for More Able students who leads the school’s Brilliant Club project, said: “All students attained impressive results and are the most successful Key Stage 4 students to complete the programme so far.
“We were impressed with the students' focus and independence in completing their final assignment within the deadline. Their tutor, Jessica Runacres, was pleased with the dedication and commitment they showed and said they made incredible progress in such a short space of time.
“Some students moved two grades between their baseline assessment and final project.
“They really enjoyed the project but the highlight for many was attending the graduation ceremony. This was also a personal highlight as we got the chance to celebrate all of their hard work.
“The Brilliant Club works in collaboration with a number of universities to give students in non-selective state schools a taste of university life and encourage aspiration to apply to the exclusive Russell Group universities.
"This is the fourth group of students who have been chosen to take part from Highfields and they had a great experience. We are very proud that all 12 of them passed the assignment and ‘graduated’."
