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Hills Road

I got a place at Hills Road and I'm not from Cambridge, are there any other people out there who are in the same position? It's pretty daunting XD

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Original post by hunamunapina
I got a place at Hills Road and I'm not from Cambridge, are there any other people out there who are in the same position? It's pretty daunting XD


Not in that position but I'm going into Year 13 there and I'm happy to answer any Qs you might have :smile:
Original post by studenty99
Not in that position but I'm going into Year 13 there and I'm happy to answer any Qs you might have :smile:


Ok thanks, are there many out of area students? Also, does everyone from Cambridge seem to know each other already or are they all strangers to each other? Ooh and I've heard it's a brilliant school - what's your impression? :smile:
Original post by hunamunapina
Ok thanks, are there many out of area students? Also, does everyone from Cambridge seem to know each other already or are they all strangers to each other? Ooh and I've heard it's a brilliant school - what's your impression? :smile:


You'll be in a minority, but not insignificant - I think there were a couple in each of my classes last year. Clearly there will be some pre-established friendship groups but the majority of people won't know each other anyway as the student body is so large. It can be a bit daunting I'd say but Hills can be great if you work hard and take the opportunities that they offer you :smile:
Original post by studenty99
You'll be in a minority, but not insignificant - I think there were a couple in each of my classes last year. Clearly there will be some pre-established friendship groups but the majority of people won't know each other anyway as the student body is so large. It can be a bit daunting I'd say but Hills can be great if you work hard and take the opportunities that they offer you :smile:


Thanks so much, it sounds good :biggrin: one more question - is there any sort of dress code restrictions? It's pretty obvious it's casual clothes but is there any guidelines? :smile:
Reply 5
as far as I can tell hills road is a rubbish school that doesn't give a damn about its students. all it cares about are grades. they kick people out who are falling behind rather than help them. it's got the highest sixth form suicide rate for a reason.

I have lots of friends who have been there, people who did well and people who did badly, none of them liked it.
Reply 6
Hills Road was the best, my teachers were great, it's right next to the leisure centre as well
what subjects are you doing?
Original post by yoda123
Hills Road was the best, my teachers were great, it's right next to the leisure centre as well
what subjects are you doing?


I'm doing Biology Chemistry and Geography, what did you do?
Reply 8
Original post by hunamunapina
I'm doing Biology Chemistry and Geography, what did you do?

Cool, I did Biology, Chemistry, Maths, Economics (dropped after AS). I'm starting Dentistry next week.
You'll want Dr Harvey for biology and Dr Mould for Chemistry they were my favourite teachers. My secondary school was netherhall so I already had a group when I moved to Hills but join societies and you'll make friends really easily
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by yoda123
Cool, I did Biology, Chemistry, Maths, Economics (dropped after AS). I'm starting Dentistry next week.
You'll want Dr Harvey for biology and Dr Mould for Chemistry they were my favourite teachers. My secondary school was netherhall so I already had a group when I moved to Hills but join societies and you'll make friends really easily


Thanks. How did you find biology and chemistry? Half of the reason I'm doing Chemistry is because I was told it links into Biology really well, is this true?
Original post by hunamunapina
Thanks. How did you find biology and chemistry? Half of the reason I'm doing Chemistry is because I was told it links into Biology really well, is this true?

Biology was my easiest subject, I found chemistry a little tough
Yeah you'll learn about hydrogen bonding, amino acids, fats, oxygen binding with haemoglobin in chemistry
They were both really interesting subjects and I'm glad I did them
Only the plants, sampling/quadrats stuff were really boring since we covered sampling at GCSE, AS and A2
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by yoda123
Biology was my easiest subject, I found chemistry a little tough
Yeah you'll learn about hydrogen bonding, amino acids, fats, oxygen binding with haemoglobin in chemistry
They were both really interesting subjects and I'm glad I did them


Oh brilliant, interesting is exactly what I'm looking for :smile: I sort of expected chemistry to be hard, but I will accept the challenge.

Yeah, I found the quadrat stuff boring even at GCSE - managed to hit my teacher with one by accident AND got one stuck in a tree when we were collecting data...fun times.

Do you remember the enrolment day? Only mine is on Wednesday and I have absolutely no idea what will happen.

Thanks :smile:
(edited 7 years ago)
Hills Road isn't too bad but be warned, it applies an incredible amount of pressure to its students. The number of kids I know who've been there and dropped out with severe mental health problems and health issues caused by stress is kind of unreal.
Original post by hunamunapina
Oh brilliant, interesting is exactly what I'm looking for :smile: I sort of expected chemistry to be hard, but I will accept the challenge.

Do you remember the enrolment day? Only mine is on Wednesday and I have absolutely no idea what will happen.

Thanks :smile:


It was 2 years ago so a bit fuzzy but you talk to a teacher and they will confirm your subject choices depending on your grades and then you have your picture taken and get your id card and you go to a computer room and you'll get your login details and you'll confirm your grades and details (e.g. address) then you'll find out your tutor group and your tutor will explain some stuff to you, you'll get your planner i tihnk and you'll socialise for a bit with other people in your tutor group. Then some A2 students will give you a tour. Also I cant remember if this was on enrolment day but we had 2 taster sessions.
Original post by yoda123
It was 2 years ago so a bit fuzzy but you talk to a teacher and they will confirm your subject choices depending on your grades and then you have your picture taken and get your id card and you go to a computer room and you'll get your login details and you'll confirm your grades and details (e.g. address) then you'll find out your tutor group and your tutor will explain some stuff to you, you'll get your planner i tihnk and you'll socialise for a bit with other people in your tutor group. Then some A2 students will give you a tour. Also I cant remember if this was on enrolment day but we had 2 taster sessions.


Thanks :smile: how big are the tutor groups ? My last school had about 180 people - in the entire school - so this is a big step :s-smilie:
I can't comment for everyone but in my experience (and my friends' experiences) it wasn't that stressful even when I was doing 4 subjects but I think i was pretty well organised and me and my friends would help each other in our frees. Also the lunchtime revision surgeries can be very helpful. I do know some people who got kicked out, if you're not doing well (i'm talking well below your target grade) you get put on referral and you might get kicked out if you don't up your game.
Original post by hunamunapina
Thanks :smile: how big are the tutor groups ? My last school had about 180 people - in the entire school - so this is a big step :s-smilie:

Like 25 people
Yeah it is a big sixth form
Original post by ivybridge
Hills Road isn't too bad but be warned, it applies an incredible amount of pressure to its students. The number of kids I know who've been there and dropped out with severe mental health problems and health issues caused by stress is kind of unreal.


Consider me warned. Kind of expected the pressure, that's how they get such a high pass rate.
Original post by hunamunapina
I got a place at Hills Road and I'm not from Cambridge, are there any other people out there who are in the same position? It's pretty daunting XD


I just finished Hills (I start uni in less than a month) and I came straight from being homeschooled so I understand where you're coming from. There were quite a lot of large friendship groups (there are a couple of big state schools that feed in), but it also meant that if you made friends with one person you also got access to a big group of people, which was nice. Also, there are a fair number of people who are the only/one of the only people coming from their school, so you won't be the only one by any means. Just be proactive about asking to sit with people at lunch/break/whatever for the first couple of weeks and you should be fine.

Original post by yoda123
Cool, I did Biology, Chemistry, Maths, Economics (dropped after AS). I'm starting Dentistry next week.
You'll want Dr Harvey for biology and Dr Mould for Chemistry they were my favourite teachers. My secondary school was netherhall so I already had a group when I moved to Hills but join societies and you'll make friends really easily


Dr Mould, man. Brilliant chemistry teacher, but also has the uncanny ability to zero in on you if you don't know the answer and does not accept any form disrespect. I would vote Mrs Caldicott, just for being a fab teacher who was also really kind.
Dr McNaughton and Ms Acford for bio all the way. Also, Ms Acford has a secret double life as a wildlife photographer so, even if you don't get her, look around the department for what she's taken.


Original post by ivybridge
Hills Road isn't too bad but be warned, it applies an incredible amount of pressure to its students. The number of kids I know who've been there and dropped out with severe mental health problems and health issues caused by stress is kind of unreal.


Just out of interest, did you go to Hills yourself? Because before I went I heard a lot of people perpetrating this, but I never found this to be the case for me. I did have the head of student support for my tutor, so maybe 'mental health/etc' was pushed more in my tutor class, but I always found them really supportive and never really felt any pressure that I didn't put on myself. I actually had a friend who'd come from an all girls private school, and she commented on how much less pressure & really laid back in comparison it was at Hills.
Original post by ForeverDay
Just out of interest, did you go to Hills yourself? Because before I went I heard a lot of people perpetrating this, but I never found this to be the case for me. I did have the head of student support for my tutor, so maybe 'mental health/etc' was pushed more in my tutor class, but I always found them really supportive and never really felt any pressure that I didn't put on myself. I actually had a friend who'd come from an all girls private school, and she commented on how much less pressure & really laid back in comparison it was at Hills.


No, I went to a boarding school in the area but I have about 6 or 7 friends who went there and dropped out and another 4 who stayed there for the full thing. It's simpy a warning that it can be that pressured. It doesn't mean some people won't feel that! :smile:

Some teachers at my school had kids that went there with the same problem :smile:.

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