Cambridge Maths School or Hills Road

Hey! Currently student at Hills, studying the same subjects as you and also hoping to go to Cambridge.

If you get in to the Maths school (which will be very hard, considering there are only 40 spaces) , you might consider it (especially since it has links to the actual university). However, my experience with Hills has been so far so good.

The main problem I see with the maths school is the lack of diversity. Sure, if you are an extreme introvert (I am pretty introverted) and you life revolves around only academics and good grades it might be good for you; however Hills is already a big and established school with a really awesome community (with some awesome teachers too!).

For example, Hills has a bunch of enrichment and society type groups which kind of give a break from the subjects and are good for university too (E.g. Hills Road Robotics).

However, some benefits of the Maths school are that they probably focus on the students more and probably push you harder (Hills is good as long as you put in the effort). One thing you can compare is that the maths school forces you to stay the whole day (as far as I know, according to their "typical timetable"; with a double period of "sports and games"????), while hills, you can do whatever you want when you dont have a schedueled lesson (leave the premises freely). Also maths school starts their day half an hour early (8:30, compared to 9:00) but ends at the same time (16:00) but thats kind of personal preference.

Overall, its up to you

Hey! Currently student at Hills, studying the same subjects as you and also hoping to go to Cambridge.

If you get in to the Maths school (which will be very hard, considering there are only 40 spaces) , you might consider it (especially since it has links to the actual university). However, my experience with Hills has been so far so good.

The main problem I see with the maths school is the lack of diversity. Sure, if you are an extreme introvert (I am pretty introverted) and you life revolves around only academics and good grades it might be good for you; however Hills is already a big and established school with a really awesome community (with some awesome teachers too!).

For example, Hills has a bunch of enrichment and society type groups which kind of give a break from the subjects and are good for university too (E.g. Hills Road Robotics).

However, some benefits of the Maths school are that they probably focus on the students more and probably push you harder (Hills is good as long as you put in the effort). One thing you can compare is that the maths school forces you to stay the whole day (as far as I know, according to their "typical timetable"; with a double period of "sports and games"????), while hills, you can do whatever you want when you dont have a schedueled lesson (leave the premises freely). Also maths school starts their day half an hour early (8:30, compared to 9:00) but ends at the same time (16:00) but thats kind of personal preference.

Overall, its up to you

That’s really useful, thank you. Hills is a great option. I’ve got a few years yet (Year 9) so the whole society thing will probably grow at CMS. What’s your personal experience at Hill’s been so far?

So, I'm currently in CMS, and because youre year 9, they'll be admitting 100 people as they're moving to a new site.

In terms of diversity, there's plenty, and almost everyone knows each other and is part of a friend group. This happened within the first week, even though there are around 45 people from 34 different schools.

I'm taking Chemistry and Physics, so I can't speak for Computer Science, but so far, everything has been great.
Regarding university plans, most people are aiming for Cambridge or Oxford (you cant apply to both), and everyone is engaging in a variety of super-curricular and extracurricular activities to strengthen their applications. This includes participating in programs like COMPOS, STEM SMART, robotics club, Olympiads (at CMS, everyone is entered for UKMT for free, unlike Hills where you need to pay. Also, if you want to enter Kangaroo because you didn't qualify through UKMT, you would also have to pay at Hills), and various competitions.

The school obviously supports us with applications, but mostly, we do STEP questions in class if we want to, and if we finish the work before everyone else, otherwise, you just chill

if you have any questyions just do a long list of q&a and ill answer them asap

That is so useful, thank you! CMS is definitely where I'm aiming for, it just seems like such an amazing school. What's the workload like at CMS, compared to other schools?

Just depends on how organised you are and how quickly you do work,
if you let it build up its going to be annoying but if you do it asap the workload is chill.

My view may be a bit bias bc i wish i went to hills instread because i appreciate the social side of sixth form (its kinda dead here). It aint bad here but it could be better

As far as I know we are ahead in chemistry and maths, idk about physics, cs or bio

So, I'm currently in CMS, and because youre year 9, they'll be admitting 100 people as they're moving to a new site.
In terms of diversity, there's plenty, and almost everyone knows each other and is part of a friend group. This happened within the first week, even though there are around 45 people from 34 different schools.
I'm taking Chemistry and Physics, so I can't speak for Computer Science, but so far, everything has been great.
Regarding university plans, most people are aiming for Cambridge or Oxford (you cant apply to both), and everyone is engaging in a variety of super-curricular and extracurricular activities to strengthen their applications. This includes participating in programs like COMPOS, STEM SMART, robotics club, Olympiads (at CMS, everyone is entered for UKMT for free, unlike Hills where you need to pay. Also, if you want to enter Kangaroo because you didn't qualify through UKMT, you would also have to pay at Hills), and various competitions.
The school obviously supports us with applications, but mostly, we do STEP questions in class if we want to, and if we finish the work before everyone else, otherwise, you just chill
if you have any questyions just do a long list of q&a and ill answer them asap

Just wanted to ask a few questions :

Thanks, would much appreciate your response ASAP 🙂

Can't answer any questions because I have not applied to sixth form yet, but are you interested in attending CMS? It would be great to meet people who may attend at the same time as I do

Yes, I am 🙂

Just wanted to ask a few questions :

Thanks, would much appreciate your response ASAP 🙂

1. Are the teachers passionate about the subjects they teach?
Yes, its apparent that the teachers love their jobs and its clear they love teaching from all the extension stuff we do in lessons e.g. going outside alevel syllabus and seeing questions that wouldn't normally appear in alevel papers
2. Do you do any projects outside of the curriculum ?
We do a project and I'm going to assume the options you can do vary year to year its sort of like a mini EPQ that we aren't assessed on and can write on our personal statements (You would mention this in an interview as I believe they are being scrapped for when your year applied to uni)
Its essentially an academic research poster - Im doing 2 but one is with the school and the other is own my own because we didn't get many chemistry options (they were mainly Math/Physics).
3.Do they provide opportunities for supercuriculalrs ? And can u give some examples
Everyone is entered for UKMT, and for my cohort everyone was entered for the online physics challenge
Optional competitions: riteangle, this bio thing (idk much about it i can ask the students taking part if you want to know more), Senior Physics challenge (paper version) and Chemistry Olympiad (Designed for Year13s)
We also did British Informatics Olympiad for CS students but im unsure if they all had to participate
The chemistry teacher also plans on entering everyone for the lower sixth chemistry challenge
The projects we do outside of the curriculum could also be considered a super curricula activity
3. Are there any clubs we can join for entertainment outside the school
Yeah there are tons of local stuff people can do you would just have to look around, a lot are paid tho which sorta sucks.
5. Is there any advantage of the school being linked the the UofC?
Not really other than we get to go to lectures every so often during the school day
6. What is the workload like ? ( bulk of assignments/HW etc )
Maths we get one piece of homework weekly and its like 80 marks of a recent topic we have completed – not many assignments we do one I want to say at the end of every half term/term.
Chemistry homework is usually always in 4 parts, and an optional extension
Physics no idea varies so much but its more than chemistry, no extension tho
7. Is it a bad thing that CMS doesn't offer EPQ projects, like hills?
I mean not really but its down to personal preferences – some make the argument that it lowers grade requirements for some universities but Universities like Oxbridge will almost never lower grade requirements.
if you have anymore questions do lmk, or if you need further detail for any of the questions

1. Are the teachers passionate about the subjects they teach?
Yes, its apparent that the teachers love their jobs and its clear they love teaching from all the extension stuff we do in lessons e.g. going outside alevel syllabus and seeing questions that wouldn't normally appear in alevel papers
2. Do you do any projects outside of the curriculum ?
We do a project and I'm going to assume the options you can do vary year to year its sort of like a mini EPQ that we aren't assessed on and can write on our personal statements (You would mention this in an interview as I believe they are being scrapped for when your year applied to uni)
Its essentially an academic research poster - Im doing 2 but one is with the school and the other is own my own because we didn't get many chemistry options (they were mainly Math/Physics).
3.Do they provide opportunities for supercuriculalrs ? And can u give some examples
Everyone is entered for UKMT, and for my cohort everyone was entered for the online physics challenge
Optional competitions: riteangle, this bio thing (idk much about it i can ask the students taking part if you want to know more), Senior Physics challenge (paper version) and Chemistry Olympiad (Designed for Year13s)
We also did British Informatics Olympiad for CS students but im unsure if they all had to participate
The chemistry teacher also plans on entering everyone for the lower sixth chemistry challenge
The projects we do outside of the curriculum could also be considered a super curricula activity
3. Are there any clubs we can join for entertainment outside the school
Yeah there are tons of local stuff people can do you would just have to look around, a lot are paid tho which sorta sucks.
5. Is there any advantage of the school being linked the the UofC?
Not really other than we get to go to lectures every so often during the school day
6. What is the workload like ? ( bulk of assignments/HW etc )
Maths we get one piece of homework weekly and its like 80 marks of a recent topic we have completed – not many assignments we do one I want to say at the end of every half term/term.
Chemistry homework is usually always in 4 parts, and an optional extension
Physics no idea varies so much but its more than chemistry, no extension tho
7. Is it a bad thing that CMS doesn't offer EPQ projects, like hills?
I mean not really but its down to personal preferences – some make the argument that it lowers grade requirements for some universities but Universities like Oxbridge will almost never lower grade requirements.
if you have anymore questions do lmk, or if you need further detail for any of the questions

1. Are the teachers passionate about the subjects they teach?
Yes, its apparent that the teachers love their jobs and its clear they love teaching from all the extension stuff we do in lessons e.g. going outside alevel syllabus and seeing questions that wouldn't normally appear in alevel papers
2. Do you do any projects outside of the curriculum ?
We do a project and I'm going to assume the options you can do vary year to year its sort of like a mini EPQ that we aren't assessed on and can write on our personal statements (You would mention this in an interview as I believe they are being scrapped for when your year applied to uni)
Its essentially an academic research poster - Im doing 2 but one is with the school and the other is own my own because we didn't get many chemistry options (they were mainly Math/Physics).
3.Do they provide opportunities for supercuriculalrs ? And can u give some examples
Everyone is entered for UKMT, and for my cohort everyone was entered for the online physics challenge
Optional competitions: riteangle, this bio thing (idk much about it i can ask the students taking part if you want to know more), Senior Physics challenge (paper version) and Chemistry Olympiad (Designed for Year13s)
We also did British Informatics Olympiad for CS students but im unsure if they all had to participate
The chemistry teacher also plans on entering everyone for the lower sixth chemistry challenge
The projects we do outside of the curriculum could also be considered a super curricula activity
3. Are there any clubs we can join for entertainment outside the school
Yeah there are tons of local stuff people can do you would just have to look around, a lot are paid tho which sorta sucks.
5. Is there any advantage of the school being linked the the UofC?
Not really other than we get to go to lectures every so often during the school day
6. What is the workload like ? ( bulk of assignments/HW etc )
Maths we get one piece of homework weekly and its like 80 marks of a recent topic we have completed – not many assignments we do one I want to say at the end of every half term/term.
Chemistry homework is usually always in 4 parts, and an optional extension
Physics no idea varies so much but its more than chemistry, no extension tho
7. Is it a bad thing that CMS doesn't offer EPQ projects, like hills?
I mean not really but its down to personal preferences – some make the argument that it lowers grade requirements for some universities but Universities like Oxbridge will almost never lower grade requirements.
if you have anymore questions do lmk, or if you need further detail for any of the questions

Awesome! Are you at a local secondary school?