Lights, Laughter, and Learning: A Creative Week at Cambridge College

The past two days at Cambridge College have had a lovely energy as students settled into the rhythm of summer school life. With sunshine overhead and the promise of a heatwave to come, the team has been making the most of the cooler mornings and evenings. The atmosphere has remained upbeat, even as the students start to feel the effects of long, activity-packed days. There’s a shared sense of purpose across the campus, with students forming strong bonds and becoming more confident in their routines.

Wednesday’s focus was entirely on industry experience, giving students the chance to explore practical aspects of their academic subjects with support from a brilliant range of guest speakers. The Art & Design students enjoyed a filmmaking workshop led by Elton and Jack from Chocolate Films. They learned how to operate professional cameras, tried panning and tilting techniques, captured audio, and then ventured into Cambridge to record their own mini documentaries. Their chosen locations—Jack’s Gelato and Bennet’s Café—offered a flavour of the local culture, and students experimented with voiceovers, focus and aperture techniques.

In Science and Technology, the day took to the skies—almost literally. Hyett Education introduced the students to the basics of commercial drone operation. Working in small teams, they practised take-offs and landings with lightweight drones before building and testing out robot vehicles using modular block kits. The students remained engaged throughout, enjoying the opportunity to apply technology in a hands-on way.

The Business and Social Sciences students came together for two insightful sessions. First, Katie Hart ran a seminar on how people perceive online versus in-person events, drawing on ideas from neuroscience, psychology and marketing. This was followed by a lively masterclass led by Stephen from Bright Futures Experience, where students tackled group activities on branding, negotiation, teamwork and entrepreneurial thinking. One member of staff described it as a great balance of lecture and active participation.

Meanwhile, Medicine students received essential emergency first aid training, covering CPR, AED use and response protocols for a variety of scenarios. They worked through simulations and practical exercises, and will soon be receiving their official certificates—a proud achievement and a valuable skillset to take home.

Wednesday evening gave everyone a chance to wind down in different ways. Students headed out to Parker’s Piece for football, where the warm golden light and open space made for a cheerful evening. Teams formed naturally and everyone played with great enthusiasm and teamwork, regardless of skill level. Back on campus, others enjoyed bracelet-making with College Mentors Milo and Jules. Embroidery techniques were taught alongside more classic beadwork, and many students ended up creating pieces as gifts for new friends. In the arena, the ‘Secret Film’ evening, hosted by mentor Becky, included film quizzes and a music-themed Kahoot that led to lively debates about favourite movies and soundtracks.

By Thursday, the pace of the week had started to catch up with a few students, and there was a noticeable drop in energy. Several took well-earned naps during the day, recharging after busy schedules and travel fatigue. The campus remained upbeat though, with everyone in good spirits and looking forward to the evening’s relaxing activity. A movie night was just what was needed. Students had earlier voted from a list of 15 films, and four were screened across different parts of the school. “Men in Black” proved especially popular. With popcorn and sweets in hand, students settled in for a comfortable and cosy evening with friends.

Even the meals have played their part in keeping the mood high—chicken fried rice and pulled pork burgers were firm favourites, while sausage and mash offered a taste of home for many. Staff gave special mention to the flapjacks, which quickly disappeared at lunch.

As the week draws on, it’s been lovely to see students becoming more relaxed, more connected and more open to new experiences. The balance between energetic exploration and calm, shared downtime is helping everyone to make the most of their time here. The creativity shown during film shoots and bracelet making, the collaboration during drone flights and branding workshops, and the simple joy of laughing together over a quiz or football match are exactly what make SBC such a rewarding place to be.