Abbey College Cambridge is leading the way in international remote learning, as recently shown when both the college and one its inspiring students overcame substantial distance and available resources to acheive a highly successful conclusion.
A Level student San Eaint Phoo was not going to allow a mere 5,500 miles come between her and her art assignment, driving her to go to remarkable lengths to complete it in time and with top marks.
Home learning in Myanmar, San was keen to join her online clay lesson hosted in Cambridge, but was unable to buy, or have delivered any modelling clay due to Covid-19 and political unrest in her home country.
Demonstrating her resilience and determination, not to mention the extent to which she was inspired by her art teacher, San took to her own garden for a solution. San dug up some earth from outside her house, and with remote help from the Head of Art at Abbey College Cambridge, Serena O’Connor, she made her own clay to partake in the lesson. In doing this, San needed to process the clay, washing and drying it out, and then wedging it, which she did meticulously to create a beautiful sculpture of a female figure.
Dr Julian Davies, Principal of Abbey College Cambridge comments: “In dealing with the challenges of the pandemic and remote learning, we have seen a great many inspiring examples of both our staff and students going over and above to ensure that learning progress is fully on track.
“However, this most recent example is truly extraordinary, and San is a wonderful example to us all, of how sheer determination, focus and a passion to achieve an end goal, can deliver the desired results. Well done San, we are hugely proud of you.”
Abbey College Cambridge, based at Homerton Gardens, Cambridge, is renowned for teaching and supporting both UK and international students, in a community that is energised by the love of learning. The college is a place where students feel at home, where they can make friends from all over the world, share unforgettable experiences and go on to achieve amazing things together.
It has an A Level A* and A pass rate of 74% in 2021, compared to an average of 34% in other UK schools. Abbey College Cambridge students are driven by a desire to attend one of the UK’s best universities. That desire, coupled with the excellent academic progress they make, results in around one third of their A Level students joining one the UK’s top five universities every year.
The campus boasts impressive contemporary facilities including 117 single and 5 twin en-suite student bedrooms with full board facilities, common rooms and social areas, 42 fully equipped classrooms, 12 state-of-the-art science laboratories, two libraries, two Art studios and two dedicated music performance studios.
