Years 12 & 13
Please scroll to the bottom of this page to see the latest correspondence for Sixth Form.
Year 13 physicists
Year 13 physicists went on a Physics in action trip into London where they learnt about different research opportunities and careers in Physics. The talks were on a variety of topics such as the technology involved in the rover missions on Mars, artificial intelligence used to detect radioactive sources and nuclear fusion.
A quote from a student:
"My favourite talk was the one on Nuclear Fusion by Leah Morgan. It was interesting to hear about the efforts to create the conditions required for fusion using a tokomak, especially as we had recently learnt about fusion in stars at school. I enjoyed the video of the inside of the tokomak which showed off the bright pink plasma. The talk was memorable and supported my school work. "
A taste of the uni life
230 Year 12 students had a taste of university life on Wednesday with trips to @UniofBath, @RoyalHolloway and @oxford_brookes. Tours, taster lectures, Q&As and duvet changing competitions! Looks like a bit of practice might be needed before they venture out on their own! Students listened to taster lectures and were given the chance to ask student ambassadors questions about life on campus.
Success for Jess
Computer Science student Jess competed in the National Cipher Challenge and had an astonishing result, equal 9th with Eton College out of 6250 students worldwide. Here is what Jess had to say about her achievement in the @Cipher_Master National Cipher Challenge, along with some inspirational advice for girls interested in pursuing computer science.
Well done Jess!
National Museum of Computing Trip 2022
Fifty-two Year 10, 11 and Sixth Form students visited the National Museum of Computing last Friday, home to the world's largest collection of working historic computers. Students got to follow the development of computing: from the Turing-Welchman Bombe and Colossus of the 1940s through the large systems and mainframes of the 1950s, 60s and 70s, to the rise of personal computing and the rise of mobile computing and the internet.
Year 12 student, Jess said "The Piggott School trip to The National Museum of Computing was a very interesting and educational experience. We were able to see the rebuilt Colossus computer and the WITCH (the world's oldest working digital computer) among many other pieces of technology.
As well as this, we took part in a fun programming workshop where we used a BBC micro-machine to program a game of snake. I enjoyed writing code in a different language using a type of computer that I hadn't used before.
I also thought that the 'Power of Primes' activity was amazing as it highlighted the importance that prime numbers play in cryptography, and it briefly taught us about the other maths involved in creating ciphers.
Overall I thought that the trip was great and the tour guides were very informative."
Other students said the highlights of the trip were:
"Experiencing the minds of computer scientists from the past."
"Programming a snake game with BBC basic."
"Learning about the history behind the enigma machines."
Students prepare for the real world
Each year, Year 13 students are given the opportunity to take part in a series of mock interviews with members of the business community to hone their interview skills and take away some top tips from the experts.
"I approached the mock interview looking to hear from those with expertise within the banking and finance industry, as this is a sector that I look to pursue in the very near future. My interviewer Sandeep Mohan, who had been working at his current employer BDO for 11 years had worked a broad and extensive career in which he could talk in depth about his experiences and challenges which he faced and how this could relate to my journey in the next few years. We conducted a mock interview from the perspective of a BDO hire, I had the chance to respond to Sandeep’s competency questions as well as questions relating to my CV and experience thus far. I would highly recommend this experience for any of those looking to gain a further insight into a specific industry and have your questions answered from a professional who can aid you with important decisions relating to your further education and career."
"In one word, I would say my experience in the mock interview was 'productive.' Before the interview, I was a little nervous, but I thought the overall organisation and planning was very well managed, it helped with the nerves, and I was feeling confident. During the interview process, I was able to have good conversations with my interviewer despite the environment looking professional and daunting, it got easier as we went along. After the interview, I felt as though I learnt a lot from the experience, and I thought it is a great way to incorporate and develop industry experience and skills. I certainly wouldn't mind doing the mock interview again because it's been very helpful. Would highly recommend!"
"The mock interviews were a really useful insight put on by the school into the world of work. It allowed students to gain experience with real professionals in fields they are passionate about whilst also asking questions about this area. I know this certainly helped me fine tune some of my uni choices and career options."
See the Mock Interviews photo gallery here
Our senior boys off to a winning start against Wallingford
Well done the Senior Rugby team on their first win of the season.
Girls Football Academy season kicks into action
Well done to the CFC Girls Football Academy team who played in their first AOC league match today.
Activities Day Bath and Royal Holloway University – Year 13
Most of our Year 13 students had a glimpse of university life with a visit to Bath and Royal Holloway University. While there, students had first-hand experience of a university lecture, had the chance to ask students and staff questions in a Q&A session and were about to take a look around the campus facilities and get a feel for life on campus.
The highlight was “talking with some of the students about their experience at Bath”, “asking the ambassador questions about my specific subject” and “experiencing a lecture to get a feel for how they are given.”
Activities Day Positively Mad – Year 12
Positively Mad motivational speaker, Jay had Year 12 students eating out of his hand by the end of the day with his inspiring and dynamic delivery providing a multisensory, interactive experience challenging students to see learning in a new light and to see their learning as a positive, enriching experience.
