Gifted students begin programme from the University of Cambridge

FOUR ‘gifted and ‘talented’ first-year students at Cronton Sixth Form College in Widnes have started this year with a bang as they begin a University of Cambridge programme.

The STEM SMART programme aims to raise pupils’ attainment and develop their confidence to help them to apply to some of the top universities and highly competitive degrees later in the year.

Students Caitlyn Foster, Cai Jones, Bethany Robertson and Nicholas Smith all applied for the programme after finding out about it during their prestigious universities programme sessions at college.

After successfully gaining a place on the scheme, they are now looking forward to online tutorials, live subject focused talks, university application and exam support alongside their own University of Cambridge mentor, and a four-day residential at the university over the next 17 months.

STEM Scholarship student Caitlyn, who is also part of the Tomorrow’s Scientists programme and the Student Leadership Team at the college, said: “When I found out I had been accepted on to the STEM SMART Programme I was excited about the whole experience and am looking forward to learning more about my subjects and meeting other people with the same interests as me.”