Durham University Trip

Giggleswick School aims to help pupils to make an informed choice about their future path.  To see the campus and accommodation with your own eyes, to speak with students, alumni, and lecturers in the intimate setting of a small group setting where everyone has the opportunity to ask their own questions and form a genuine impression of the university. All of this makes the picture painted by websites and rankings more complete and personalised

Our Teacher of Business & Economics, Mr. Joshua Parker says,

“University trips are one of the most important ways we can expose our students to one the opportunities that lie ahead of them after they leave Giggleswick. These experiences allow students to engage with higher education and interact with university students, helping them understand the differences between school and university life. However, the most valuable aspect is the chance for students to gain first-hand experience of potential future pathways. This can be a defining moment that inspires them to focus and strive for success in their education”.

Durham University

Founded in 1832, Durham is a leading research-intensive university and a member of the Russell Group. It offers a broad range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses across the Arts and Humanities, Sciences, Social Sciences, and Business.

As a World Top 100 university (QS World University Rankings 2025), Durham combines academic excellence with a strong commitment to providing students with opportunities to develop into highly motivated, well-rounded, and socially engaged leaders of tomorrow.

Durham University  has long been an aspirational institution for many of our students. "By forging closer relationships with the university, we are providing more opportunities for students to engage with the institution and understand the steps required to attend a university of this calibre. We are further expanding this relationship to ensure that not only Giggleswick benefits from this partnership, but also the wider Craven district", says Mr Parker.

On campus

Yesterday’s trip was an Open Day hosted especially for our pupils. They spent the entire day on campus in St. Mary’s college. Pupils were introduced to the concept of Joint Degrees, including their benefits, flexibility, and structure. Another important aspect covered was the bursaries and scholarships offered by Durham University. It’s worth considering these well in advance to prepare and secure the necessary financial assistance.

 

 Insights from current students

Current Durham students(some are our Alumni), studying both Single Honours and Joint Honours across Sociology, Languages, and other departments, came to share their experiences. Pupils were divided into several small groups with each current Durham student sharing their experience. So, at the end of the day pupils spoke to each Durham student, widening their view about the programmes and subjects.

Entering the day with, for example, a fixed idea of pursuing a law degree, pupils were encouraged to think outside the box and explore what other paths might spark their curiosity, what options were available, and what might be the best fit for them.

University life is very different from life at Giggleswick. However, as a campus university, Durham University shares many similarities with our setup, just on a larger scale. Each college has its own catering and housing system, so it was useful to see not only how academic life but also day-to-day life will look. And, of course, reflect on whether that really suits.

What our pupilsthought

Piet

"I personally really enjoyed my visit to Durham university as it allowed me to build an impression from more that just websites and people talking about it. The one thing I particularly liked was the unique way they do colleges. It doesn’t separate you from the rest of the University but it allows you to tailor the experience ever so slightly to you. The academic aspect of the university is held in very high regard, but we were also told, by our own alumni, how Durham is the perfect balance between the Uni life everyone wants and pushing yourself academically".

 

 

Chloe

"I really enjoyed the visit to Durham, as I was able to get a feel of a quieter university and understand if I want to be located in a smaller place unlike the larger cities. During our talk I found the topic of having a family very interesting because this is unlike anything I have heard before. This is where you have “siblings” and an older “mother/father”, these people in your family should be taking similar courses to you making them able to help if you get stuck on a topic/essay. I like the idea of the colleges being a community as it reminds me of houses within school. There are many opportunities to get involved in your college, this can be done by joining varsity teams/clubs or attending balls. And finally, when we were given a tour around the accommodation, I took a liking to the college John Snow which is more modern, containing a communal kitchen, single rooms, and sometimes an ensuit bathroom. I much prefer this to the older building St Mary’s as I would rather cater for myself, and eat at any time rather than having a set meal period".

 

Jack

"Our trip to Durham University was very insightful, as we found out about the collegiate system they use at Durham and how that creates a ‘family’ away from home for many people. As we were toured around two of the different colleges, we were able to see the difference between the older vs newer colleges and location within the university, to see how this influences people’s decisions when selecting their preferred college. The tour of the campus was very interesting as we were shown where many different course locations are and their facilities. It was also very useful to find out about the scholarships, bursaries and grants, which the ‘Saint Mary’s’ college provided for their students. Finally, hearing about experiences from Giggleswick Alumni, allowed us to see the similarities and differences between life at Giggleswick". 

 

This trip is the part of various opportunities organised by our Sixth Form and Careers Head - Anne Coward, aiming to support our pupils in choosing their future pathway.