̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge - Sam Lucy

Face of Anglo-Saxon teen VIP revealed with new evidence about her life

ta385 — Tue, 20 Jun 2023 05:00:00 +0000

̽��ֱ��face of a 16-year-old woman buried near Cambridge in the 7th century with the ‘Trumpington Cross’ has been reconstructed following analysis of her skull. ̽��ֱ��striking image is going on display at MAA, with new scientific evidence showing that she moved to England from Central Europe as a young girl, leading to an intriguing change in her diet.

Statement on 2022 admissions

ps748 — Tue, 06 Sep 2022 09:15:25 +0000

We would like to congratulate those who successfully met the terms of their offers. This is a cohort of students who have faced immense disruption to their education so their excellent results this summer are a testament to their effort and determination.

̽��ֱ�� ̽��ֱ�� will welcome another record number of state school students. Around 72.5% will come from the maintained sector (up from 71.6% in 2021). A total of 84 students were admitted through the August Reconsideration Pool (formerly Adjustment). These are students from less advantaged backgrounds who are likely to have narrowly missed out on an offer in January but who then went on to achieve high grades at A-level, demonstrating their potential for Cambridge.

A further 47 students have been successful in securing a place on the ̽��ֱ��’s Foundation Year. This provides fully funded, year-long study in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences for those who have faced educational disruption or disadvantage.

̽��ֱ��Director of Admissions for the Cambridge Colleges, Dr Sam Lucy, said:

“We’re delighted to be welcoming another cohort of talented young people on to our courses this year who have shown real resilience in going on to achieve superb results. Every student who gets a place at Cambridge thoroughly deserves it. We know that many will have faced challenging circumstances in the last two years and the Colleges are ready to help with the transition to university level study. Once again, more than a quarter of our students will have come from less advantaged backgrounds* with just over 7% having been eligible for Free School Meals while at school. Our Foundation Year programme will give an opportunity to those who have faced additional hurdles in their route to higher education.”

Around 21% of freshers will be international, slightly down on last year. With more than 22,000 applications for 2022 entry, competition has remained high, with 6 applications per place.

Notes

*Using a combination of POLAR 4 Q1 + 2 and IMD measurements.

̽��ֱ�� ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge is publishing initial figures from the 2022 admissions cycle. With a few decisions still outstanding, the ̽��ֱ�� will be admitting just under 3,600 undergraduates this year.

Every student who gets a place at Cambridge thoroughly deserves it

Dr Sam Lucy

Senate House

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Unexpected experiences: Sam Lucy takes us behind the scenes of the recent admissions process

lw355 — Fri, 25 Sep 2020 09:00:35 +0000

Assessing undergraduate admissions was likely to be a very different process in a pandemic, let alone with a changing landscape of cancelled exams and reassessments. One of the team at the forefront of overcoming these challenges was Dr Sam Lucy, Director of Admissions for Cambridge Colleges.

Open letter on diversity in admissions

ps748 — Wed, 06 Jun 2018 15:26:09 +0000

̽��ֱ��collegiate ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge recognises the importance of the debate around diversity in admissions. However, we believe that it is critical that this debate should be fair and transparent and supported by evidence.

In recent days, several assertions have been made in relation to diversity in Cambridge – all of which demand clarity – and we want to address them in turn.

Diversity

In the most recent complete admissions cycle, 22% of the overall number of UK students admitted to Cambridge described themselves as from black and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds, the highest proportion on record. This is in addition to 64% of our students being admitted from state schools, the highest proportion in 30 years, when comparable records began. Our intake from low participation neighbourhoods is higher than the most recent benchmark for the ̽��ֱ�� published by the government.

To suggest that no progress is being made in relation to diversity is therefore not only wrong, but potentially damaging and could deter future high-achieving applicants from applying in the first place. Moreover, our students, whoever they are, have worked hard to secure their place in Cambridge and we should celebrate their achievements. We strongly believe our students want to feel they have secured their place on merit rather than being singled out for special treatment.

We also believe that diversity should be understood in the widest possible sense, including ethnicity, gender, socio-economic background, geography, age and disability.

Entry requirements and retention

It has been suggested that the ̽��ֱ�� should lower its entry requirements to accommodate a more diverse intake. We are proud to be amongst the very best and highest achieving institutions in the world. We want our students to succeed and we will not waver in our commitment to academic excellence. ̽��ֱ��fact that our student retention rate of over 99% is among the best in the world is testament to the quality of our unique collegiate education and of the pastoral care provided to all students. Whilst our entry standards are very high and will continue to be so, with most Cambridge students scoring two or more A*s at A level, the nature of our educational provision and support helps ensure that almost all students who come to Cambridge graduate from Cambridge, regardless of background.

Our responsibility

Despite significant progress, we are far from complacent. We know that more needs to be done to reach out to those who are not applying to us. As an institution, we have over 100,000 interactions with students and teachers across more than 2,000 events annually through outreach programmes. We also partner with other organisations through initiatives such as NEACO, a consortium of five universities and eight Further Education colleges across East Anglia, working to increase progression to Higher Education and degree level apprenticeships.

We are committed to a series of initiatives aimed at increasing diversity among our students, including, among many others, Target Oxbridge, a programme funded by Oxford and Cambridge, and which will engage 160 prospective black students in 2018-2019. Further, the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge is intending to launch an academic support programme starting in August 2019 to provide additional assistance for students who may have suffered educational disruption or disadvantage. We are also preparing for the subsequent launch of a transition year programme to create additional opportunities for those who could benefit from and contribute to life in Cambridge but who would not otherwise be able to meet our high entry standards.

These programmes indicate the seriousness with which we approach and consider this issue.

Framing the discussion and working together

Rather than framing the conversation around diversity in a manner that undermines the progress made in access and the value of a Cambridge education, we believe a more honest and comprehensive understanding of the issues is needed.

To illustrate this, in 2017, the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge admitted 58 black students. We recognise that this is very low as a proportion of our overall undergraduate entry. But the truly shocking statistic is that this represents a third (33%) of all black students admitted to higher education in the UK that year who attained A*A*A at A-level. ̽��ֱ�� ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge cannot single-handedly fix this endemic problem of academic attainment which afflicts all levels of education and society as a whole, reflecting deeper-seated inequalities across the country.

As an institution whose mission it is to serve society through the pursuit of academic excellence, we are committed to playing our part in facilitating social mobility. To do so, however, we need a constructive and collaborative effort involving Government, schools, local authorities, communities and families as well as universities and others to develop a holistic solution to these long-standing problems. We would gladly facilitate such an endeavour and call on policy makers to take up this invitation and work with us to reach these aspirations.

Prof. Graham Virgo, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education

Jon Beard, Director, Cambridge Admissions Office

Dr. Sam Lucy, Director of Admissions for the Cambridge Colleges

Professor Graham Virgo, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education, together with senior colleagues from the Cambridge Admissions Office, have today published an open letter on diversity in admissions.

We are committed to a series of initiatives aimed at increasing diversity among our students

Senate House

Yes

Cambridge's 2017 admissions statistics published

ps748 — Thu, 10 May 2018 09:32:43 +0000

̽��ֱ��latest figures also show an increase in the number of students coming from areas of the UK which have a low participation rate in higher education. Admissions from students in Polar3 Quintile 1 (a geographical area of low participation rates in Higher Education) have risen from 3.3% to 4.6%. Admissions of students identified using other measures of socio-economic disadvantage are also up.

̽��ֱ��proportion of Home applicants accepted who declared themselves to be from an ethnic minority background increased from 21.8% to 22.1%, another record high.

Dr Sam Lucy, Director of Admissions for the Cambridge Colleges, says:

“It’s encouraging to see the ̽��ֱ�� continuing to make progress in attracting more students from low-participation neighbourhoods and other under-represented groups. This is testament to the hard work of Colleges and the ̽��ֱ�� in the range of outreach activity being conducted. While welcoming these figures we cannot be complacent. There is still much work to do to reinforce the message that the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge is open to talented young people, regardless of background. We welcome applications from all academically able students and encourage them to explore our free online extension material available at www.myheplus.com to see if our courses might suit their academic interests.”

̽��ֱ��total number of students applying to Cambridge stood at just over 17,000, a rise of 2.6% on the 2016 cycle, and another all-time high. ̽��ֱ��total number of acceptances was 3,497, an increase of 1.2%.

̽��ֱ�� ̽��ֱ�� spends around £5m a year on outreach activities. These include residential stays at Colleges, open days and visits to schools across the UK.

Professor Graham Virgo, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education, says:

“We take diversity extremely seriously and our outreach teams have been working hard to challenge misconceptions about what Cambridge is like. It’s a tribute to their hard work that more young people from different backgrounds have been given the chance of a world-class education here at Cambridge. I’m delighted that the message is getting through that people can find their place here, no matter where they’re from or whatever their background.”

Details of the 2017 admissions statistics can be found here.

Figures released by the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge show another rise in the number of state-educated Home students being accepted on to a course of study. ̽��ֱ��number, for the 2017 admissions cycle, has increased to 64.1% (up from 62.5% in the 2016 cycle). This is the highest level since comparable records began more than 30 years ago.

While welcoming these figures we cannot be complacent

Dr Sam Lucy

Sir Cam

Graduation ceremony

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Trumpington Cross goes on display for the first time

sjr81 — Thu, 01 Feb 2018 11:57:35 +0000

Read more about the unusual burial of one of England's earliest converts to Christianity.

Extremely rare, early Christian gold cross, gifted to Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology

̽��ֱ��skeleton of the teenage girl, and the remnants of her burial, as discovered by Cambridge ̽��ֱ�� archaeologists in 2011.

̽��ֱ��text in this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. For image use please see separate credits above.

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Closing the Gender Gap

ta385 — Fri, 02 Oct 2015 11:00:00 +0000

Gender diversity, both in education and the economy, is now the subject of serious debate among policy-makers, academics, teachers and employers. Of particular concern is the fact that female participation in STEM subjects – science, technology, engineering and mathematics – suffers from a “leaky pipeline”. Up to the age of sixteen, as many girls as boys study maths and science, but thereafter a gap opens up which continues to widen at each step of the career ladder.

For this reason, many of Cambridge’s access events aim to encourage female students, particularly those in state sector schools and colleges, to continue studying mathematics and science at school and to apply for university courses in which women are currently under-represented across the UK.

Recent events have included

Robinson College’s Women in Science Festival

Robinson welcomed 124 female Sixth Formers from across the country to its inaugural Women in Science Festival, an entirely free one day event aimed at encouraging more young women to pursue further study in science and maths related disciplines.

̽��ֱ��event opened with five talks by female scientists currently making waves at Cambridge. Dr Liisa Van Vliet spoke about microscopy, Dr Teresa Tiffert on Malaria and Anaemias and Dr Athina Markaki on Cardiovascular stents. They were followed by two PhD students – Joana Grah discussed the use of Mathematical Image Analysis in Cancer Research while Diana Vasile revealed the computer science behind mobile devices.

Twelve courageous Sixth Formers then took to the stage to give five minute presentations about a STEM topic which they feel passionate about, earning feedback from an expert judging panel. After taking lunch at Robinson with College Fellows and students, the participants visited the Department of Materials Science & Metallurgy to experience ̽��ֱ��-level laboratory work. ̽��ֱ��most popular experiment involved measuring the temperature-dependent properties of rubber, with the participants using liquid nitrogen to cool their samples.

Robinson’s Dr Rachel Oliver, a Reader in Materials Science, said "We believe that many young women have the potential to make a real contribution in STEM subjects, but they are sometimes put off by misconceptions about science and engineering, or about the people who work in those fields. We wanted to give Sixth Formers the opportunity to meet real female scientists and engineers and be inspired by the work they do.”

Gonville & Caius College’s Women in Economics Day

Highly respected female economists including Dame Kate Barker, a former member of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee, and Dr Vicky Pryce, former joint head of the Government Economic Service, gave 100 Sixth Form girls a clear message: “Economics Needs You!”

Women currently represent about 36% of applications to study economics at Cambridge and receive 37 per cent of offers. This is significantly higher than the UK average. A recent study by the ̽��ֱ�� of Southampton found that women account for just 27 per cent of economics students in the UK, despite making up 57 per cent of the overall undergraduate population. Nevertheless, the Collegiate ̽��ֱ�� would like to see more women studying Maths in Sixth Form and going on to apply to study economics.

̽��ֱ��event at Gonville & Caius was run by Dr Victoria Bateman, Director of Studies for Economics at the College. Dr Bateman told a packed auditorium "Sadly, the lack of female representation in the subject has meant that economists have built a model of the economy which tells only half of the story. ̽��ֱ��future of economics – and the economy – is in your hands.”

̽��ֱ��students received a welcome message from Carolyn Fairbairn, who gained a double first in economics at Caius and becomes the CBI’s first female director general in November 2015. Ms Fairbairn said economics was too often seen as “a science that only an elite of often male experts are qualified to comment on” and argued that women’s views were vital if economic policy were to respond to the needs of both genders.

Corpus Christi College’s STEM Summer School for Years 12 & 13

For the first time, Corpus Christi ran a three-day STEM event for 16-18 year old female students from across the country. 86 schools, the vast majority state sector, selected one hundred participants to take part in recognition of their impressive academic achievements and their passion for one or more of the STEM subjects.

̽��ֱ��event combined hands-on activities, departmental visits and lectures on a diverse range of topics, from the chemistry of water to a programming language for blind children. It also included a practical advice session on STEM interviews at Cambridge.

Unforgettable words of encouragement came from Dame Athene Donald, Professor of Experimental Physics and Master of Churchill College, Cambridge, who spoke of the importance of perseverance and the increasingly interdisciplinary nature of the sciences.

Event leader, Dr Sophie Zadeh, Fellow in Psychology at Corpus Christi College, said “We’re thrilled that we’ve been able to offer these young women the opportunity to experience Cambridge but we want to ensure the impact of this event reaches far beyond the attendees. We want to help close the gender gap in STEM across the country.”

More information and photos here.

Newnham College’s Joan Clarke Maths Residential

Joan Clarke achieved a double first in Mathematics at Newnham in the 1930s and went on to play a crucial role in the Second World War by helping to crack the Enigma machine at Bletchley Park.

Named in her honour, Newnham’s inaugural maths residential gave thirty Year 13s studying Further Maths at state schools an inspiring taste of STEM subjects at Cambridge.

̽��ֱ��programme included lectures, seminars, discussion groups, practical work and social activities, as well as the opportunity to meet current staff and students.

This entirely free event was made possible by alumnae donations made specifically to encourage more women from state schools to apply for science and maths based courses at Cambridge.

Dr Sam Lucy, Newnham’s Admissions Tutor, said: “This initiative gives very bright young women the information they need to make competitive applications to Cambridge and other top universities, while also helping them to explore the different types of maths taught on STEM courses."

More information here.

Murray Edwards College’s ‘She Talks Science’

Murray Edwards recently set up ‘She Talks Science’, a blog designed to give young women the opportunity to share their passion for science with each other and with Murray Edwards students, Fellows and alumnae. Previous posts have included thoughts on snowflakes, micro-seismic activity and an inspiring introduction from the College’s President, Barbara Stocking.

̽��ֱ��College’s annual Pathways to Success conference introduces high-achieving Year 12s from schools across the UK to students, graduates and staff at Murray Edwards. ̽��ֱ��event aims to encourage young women to expand their horizons and to embrace aiming high. Previous guest speakers have included high-flying alumnae who studied science at the College.

Cavendish Inspiring Women (CiW)

CiW was set up by two Cambridge PhD students, Sarah Morgan and Hannah Stern, together with Dr Elsa Couderc, a former post-doc at the ̽��ֱ��, and Dr Atefey Amin, a research associate, to encourage young women to pursue careers in science, or to use their science training to further other career paths.

CiW introduces promising teenage scientists to inspiring role models by holding regular speaker events at the Cavendish Laboratory. Previous speakers have included Dr Sarah Bohndiek, a lecturer in biomedical physics and a junior research group leader at the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute. CiW also provides advice via its website and recently published ‘What is so Exciting About Physics?’ a free booklet aimed at secondary school students featuring insights from several female scientists.

Hannah and Sarah said “We both really enjoy studying science and haven't felt disadvantaged by being women. But we have noticed how few female scientists there are in comparison to men and we know that the way society portrays scientists can sometimes be very stereotypical. So we started Cavendish Inspiring Women to promote the visibility of women in science and to show that it can be an excellent career path for women as well as men.”

Every year, 200,000 young people participate in access initiatives run by the ̽��ֱ�� and the Colleges. This programme includes a wide range of opportunities specifically designed to inspire young women and to foster greater participation in certain areas of Higher Education and work.

"We promote the visibility of women in science and show that it can be an excellent career path for women as well as men".

Sarah Morgan & Hannah Stern, Cavendish Inspiring Women

Robinson College’s Women in Science Festival

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Mystery of Anglo-Saxon teen buried in bed with gold cross

bjb42 — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 09:08:45 +0000

One of the earliest Anglo-Saxon Christian burial sites in Britain has been discovered in a village outside Cambridge. ̽��ֱ��grave of a teenage girl from the mid 7^th century AD has an extraordinary combination of two extremely rare finds: a ‘bed burial’ and an early Christian artefact in the form of a stunning gold and garnet cross.

̽��ֱ��girl, aged around 16, was buried on an ornamental bed - a very limited Anglo-Saxon practice of the mid to later 7^th century - with a pectoral Christian cross on her chest, that had probably been sewn onto her clothing. Fashioned from gold and intricately set with cut garnets, only the fifth of its kind ever to be found, the artefact dates this grave to the very early years of the English Church, probably between 650 and 680 AD.

In 597 AD, the pope dispatched St Augustine to England on a mission to convert the pagan Anglo-Saxon kings; a process that was not completed for many decades. Using the latest scientific techniques to analyse this exceptional find could result in a greater understanding of this pivotal period in British history, and the spread of Christianity in eastern England in the Anglo-Saxon period.

Was this teenage girl an early Christian convert, a standard-bearer for the new God? “Christian conversion began at the top and percolated down,” says Dr Sam Lucy, a specialist in Anglo-Saxon burial from Newnham College, Cambridge.

“To be buried in this elaborate way with such a valuable artefact tells us that this girl was undoubtedly high status, probably nobility or even royalty. This cross is the kind of material culture that was in circulation at the highest level of society. ̽��ֱ��best known example of the pectoral cross was that found in the coffin of St Cuthbert now in Durham Cathedral.”

“That this is a bed burial is remarkable in itself - the fifteenth ever uncovered in the UK, and only the fourth in the last twenty years - add to that a beautifully made Christian cross and you have a truly astonishing discovery,” says Alison Dickens, who led the excavation for the ̽��ֱ��’s Archaeological Unit.

“We think there’s only been one other bed burial combined with a Christian pectoral cross ever found - at Ixworth nearby in Suffolk in the 19^th century; the records of this find are unclear, however. ̽��ֱ��fact that we will be able to apply modern techniques to thoroughly investigate the site is a thrilling prospect.”

̽��ֱ��bed consisted of a wooden frame held together by metal brackets, with further pieces of looped metal fixing the cross-slats to create a suspended bed base, similar to modern beds, but with a straw mattress. ̽��ֱ��body was then placed on the bed, probably when it was already in the grave.

Dr Richard Dance, an expert on Old English at the ̽��ֱ��, has pointed out that the Anglo-Saxon word ‘leger’ can mean either ‘bed’ or ‘grave’. “Etymologically, the word means 'place where one lies', but there are examples of this meaning both bed and grave in literature of the time,” says Dr Dance. A clue to the possible symbolism of bed burials perhaps? But why only a chosen few were buried in their beds remains a mystery.

“Bed burials were never widespread, but there is a little cluster around the Cambridge area and another in Wessex, with a solitary very high status example in Teeside” says Dr Lucy. “Where we do find them they seem to be predominantly burials of females, and date to the mid to later 7^th century; most have indications of high status such as fine jewellery or burial under a barrow.

̽��ֱ��gold and garnet construction of the Trumpington cross also tends to be used for female associated items, although the recently discovered Staffordshire Hoard, as well as the slightly earlier famous ship burial at Sutton Hoo, show that such material was also used in high status weapon fittings throughout the 7^th century. It is interesting that the same decorative techniques are seen both in overtly pagan and overtly Christian settings.”

̽��ֱ��cross itself - 3 and a half centimetres in diameter - is only the fifth pectoral cross to be discovered in the UK. As well as the examples from Ixworth and Durham, one example was picked up as a stray find in Holderness, East Yorkshire, and another was a 19^th-century find from Wilton in Norfolk. These other crosses are pendants designed to hang suspended on a necklace, whereas the Trumpington cross has a loop on the reverse of each arm, so that it could be stitched directly onto clothing.

“You can tell from the shiny look of three of these loops, where they have rubbed against fabric, that this item was worn in daily life, most likely as a symbol of social status as well as religious affiliation,” says Dickens.

̽��ֱ��excavations at Trumpington Meadows on the southern city limits of Cambridge, funded by the property developers Grosvenor, have unearthed significant findings from the Neolithic and Iron Ages, as well as material from a contemporary Anglo-Saxon settlement. ̽��ֱ��Christian girl was in one of a very small group of four graves, along with an unsexed individual in his or her twenties and two other slightly younger women.

̽��ֱ��graves are thought to be broadly contemporary with each other, although the team are only at the very beginning of the investigative process. This will include radiocarbon dating of each of the bodies (to establish their date of burial) and isotopic analysis of their bones and teeth, to help determine both their diet and hopefully to establish where they had lived in childhood.

Detailed study of their skeletons will be able to tell, in addition to their sex and age, their stature, health and any visible medical conditions. Analysis of the gold and garnets in the cross will also reveal further details about its place of manufacture; garnets in this period were probably imported from the Black Sea or even further afield, from Asia.

̽��ֱ��teenager’s grave also contained other items. An iron knife and a chatelaine (a chain that would have hung from the waist) were found in the girl’s grave, along with some glass beads which seemed to have been kept in a purse on the end of the chain. Preserved textile on the iron knife and chain offers the possibility of reconstructing her burial costume.

“ ̽��ֱ��custom of grave goods was long-established in the pagan period, but it doesn’t mean that the burials at Trumpington weren’t Christian” states Dr Lucy. “ ̽��ֱ��church never issued any edicts against the use of grave goods, but it’s something that does seem to fade away by the 8^th century, just at the point where Christianity was becoming the dominant religion. There is, though, a time through the second half of the 7^th century, where clearly Christian people were still making use of a limited range of goods within their burials, and these often carried explicitly Christian symbolism, such as the cross here.

“ ̽��ֱ��Trumpington bed burial does seem to belong at that transition between the two religions. Did she have a formal role in the church? ̽��ֱ��site is just behind the village church, which is first documented over 400 years later. Perhaps there was a monastery – even a nunnery - there before that we don’t know about. This is certainly something worth looking into.”

A small number of structures associated with the burials seem to represent part of a settlement that was in use at the same time. Analysis of the finds from these will help to determine the nature and function of that settlement; initial assessment of the pottery has suggested the presence of some high status imports, of a type usually only associated with high status ecclesiastical centres.

There may even be a possible link to the founding of the first monastery in Ely at around the same time. St Æthelthryth (or Etheldreda), daughter of King Anna of East Anglia, established the female-headed house at Ely in 673 AD. A cemetery found in Ely by the CAU in 2006 also contained a later 7^th-century burial of a 10-12 year-old with a delicate gold cross pendant, who was thought to have been associated with the monastery. ̽��ֱ��parallels between this site and Trumpington are intriguing, and suggest a more interesting origin for the village than has previously been thought.

Extraordinary 7th century discovery on outskirts of Cambridge offers unique insights into the origins of English Christianity.

To be buried in this elaborate way with such a valuable artefact tells us that this girl was undoubtedly high status, probably nobility or even royalty.

Dr Sam Lucy

Cambridge Archaeological Unit

Anglo-Saxon bed burial with gold cross

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