Educational Visits
A key part of the ULMaS experience is travelling together to explore universities and key sites in the development of science and engineering. The 2 years you spend at ULMaS are an intense period and we like to get students to know each other quickly in Year 12 by taking them all away on an overnight visit together in October followed by yet another, longer residential in term 2 and then an overseas visit in Term 3.
3 residential visits for the whole year group is a lot of work for the staff and a lot of time out of lessons but we believe it is crucially important for the personal development of the students for the following reasons:
- The visits develop independence and self management, especially for the less confident students.
- On these visits students rapidly develop their social skills, teamwork and adaptability.
- They make a great start on exploring university options and thinking about career possibilities.
- Perhaps most importantly they make friendships that could last a lifetime.
"One of the things about the school I found that were quite positive were the school trips, allowed for us to find more out about career options as well as as socialise and mingle with year." (Student Feedback Survey 2025)
We do less travelling in Year 13 because students need more time for UCAS, university interviews and preparing for A-Level exams - but we still manage to fit in a visit to Alton Towers to help students to relax before the final push for the summer exams.
Scroll down to find out more about the visits themselves.
Educational Visits
Year 12 Term 1 University Residential
This year we took all of Year 12 to Cambridge University for 2 days to visit Magdelene College and St John's College.
Students enjoyed exploring Cambridge City Centre, various colleges and university departments, a tour of St John's, lunch and maths challenges at Magdelene, a walk around "the backs" and a fun quiz in the youth hostel in the evening.
In previous years we have visited Oxford and Cambridge or York University. This first visit is a great way for students to make new friends and start to develop the confidence they will need to explore universities and prepare to leave home. We often have students on this first visit who, for personal or financial reasons, have not been able to participate in school residentials before: it can be challenging but it is often transformational for them.
Year 12 Term 2 Longer Residential
This year we ran a 3 day, 2 night residential in London for Year 12. Students visited the Palace of Westminster, Imperial College, London, King's College London and several museums. We stayed in YHA London Central Hostel and students explored the local cafes and restaurants each evening.
Year 12 Term 3 Overseas Residential
In previous years we have visited CERN, Geneva, and Grenoble. This year we will be visiting Berlin. We will be visiting a particle accelerator, BESSY (a synchrotron radiation source) and the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society. The research taking place in both is heavily linked to the STEM subjects learnt at school and will provide our students with information and role models for future job opportunities or career development. Moreover, visiting Berlin as a city is a unique opportunity to understand Europe through information on all past, present and future. We intend to visit the Pergamon Museum, the Reichstag Building (housing the German Parliament) and the Jewish Museum, as well as places such as the Berlin Wall memorial or Brandenburg Gate . The visit costs £600 and we provide financial support for those who need it, so that every student can participate.
Duke of Edinburgh's Award
For those who participate, the Gold D of E expeditions give yet another chance to travel and develop, with a practice expedition in April and the qualifying 4 night expedition in Snowdonia in July.
