Life-changing Oxbridge offers for two Herefordshire students
Two Herefordshire students at Haberdashers’ Monmouth Schools have been offered the life-changing opportunity to study at Oxford and Cambridge universities.
In fact, Ellie Cole, who was awarded two A*s and two As in her A levels last summer, has accepted an offer to read German and Hebrew at St Hugh’s College, University of Oxford.
And Robin Skailes, from Monmouth School for Boys, has been offered a place to read Computer Science at Gonville & Caius College, University of Cambridge.
Ellie, a former student at Monmouth School for Girls, took a gap year after her A level results last year and has been working as an English assistant at a boarding school in Thuringia, Germany.
Ellie applied to Oxford whilst in Germany, sitting her admissions tests in Munich and doing the interviews from the school.
She attended Haberdashers’ Monmouth Schools from Nursery to Sixth Form and, as part of her degree at Oxford, will spend a year abroad at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
“I think the language opportunities at school helped in my development and path to Oxford,” said Ellie, who lives in Herefordshire.
“Dr Camille Geisz taught me Latin from Year 7 and what I have learnt from her has been the foundation for all my other language learning.
“The German Department at Monmouth School for Girls was also amazing. Mrs Helen’s Smail’s lessons are what originally inspired me to want to study German.”
Robin, 17, has already achieved A* at A level in both Maths and Further Maths.
A keen musician, who holds Grade 8 in clarinet with distinction and a trampolinist, Robin is studying A levels in Physics, Chemistry and Computing and would like a career in cyber security.
Robin, who lives near Ross-on-Wye, started computer programming at a young age and first used structured programming when he was nine years old.
His father, Andrew, is the Head of Maths at Monmouth School for Girls and his mother, Christina, also teaches in the department.
His grandfather was Head of Computing, and also taught Physics at Stamford High School and Robin has learned a lot from him, too.
“The father of Computer Science, Alan Turing, studied at Cambridge and this is a fantastic opportunity,” said Robin.
“It’s a world-renowned institution, has a brilliant reputation for software development, and opens many doors.”
Herefordshire’s Ellie Cole (right) with her friend, Jena Curtis, who is currently studying at the University of Oxford.
Robin Skailes, who lives near Ross-on-Wye,has already achieved A* at A level in both Maths and Further Maths.
