Reaching high: Gifted and talented Exeter College students celebrate success

Students studying as part of the Exeter College Reach Academy have been celebrating their achievements in a special awards ceremony.

Joining the students were key sponsors and contributors of the Academy from the Met Office, Michelmores LLP and the Exeter University Model United Nations group.

The Academy, launched in 2009 with an aim to support the most academically able students to reach top university destinations, has had another busy year. 60 students on the programme commit to an additional 60 hours of extra-curricular activity each week in order to boost their skills, experience and knowledge.

Reach Academy co-ordinator Martin Gilbert said: “The Reach Academy is designed to give unique and invaluable experiences to some of our most gifted and talented students. They are passionate about learning and reaching their full potential in their chosen careers. As always it has been amazing and rewarding to see the Academy students develop into confident, enthusiastic and ambitious young adults and they have got some great prospects ahead of them.”

The celebration saw eight students receive awards for their dedication to the Academy, including two awards presented by the Met Office. Ralph James, Manager of the Property Management Team at the Met Office, has worked with a number of the students on special projects throughout the year: “As the main sponsor of the Reach Academy, the Met Office is giving some of the Academy’s most ambitious science students the chance to work on a real-life scientific project. As an organisation, we find it very beneficial to have input from these young people as they provide a different perspective and some very original ideas. The students leave with a positive perspective on working for the Met Office and gain an insight into how the science and maths they learn at the college is used in the real world to provide useful information for them and their families.”

Also working with the students this year was Lily Noall from the University of Exeter, who has mentored the students as they have begun competing in the national Model United Nations debating competition. The team were successful in winning the award for ‘Most Outstanding Delegation’ at their first conference earlier this year. Praising the commitment of the students, Lily said: “The Reach Academy group are the most energetic, dedicated and highly intelligent group of students – to work with them is an absolute pleasure; they are always eager to learn and ready to put in everything that they have and all of the skills that they have learnt in their lessons and through the Reach Academy.

"The ethos of the Reach Academy is that nothing is out of their reach and that is a great thing to encourage in young people.”

Picking up the award for his contribution to the Model United Nations team, Joseph McShane, 16, from Exeter  said: “I have loved being part of the Model United Nations and Debating society; getting to go to all different places and compete against other students. It’s been fun and we’ve won loads of awards as well! It’s pushed me to do the best that I can and has definitely given me a stronger university application to study Politics and International Relations.”