Millfield students gain professional insight from expert guest speakers

Millfield students have been able to hear from over 35 experts from fields including academia, professional music and sport as part of their remote learning programme.

As part of the Millfield Summer Courses, which include the Millfield Diploma and the Millfield Certificate, students have been able to access national and international experts in their fields to gain insights into the professional and academic world beyond Millfield. The courses consist of 40 lessons over eight weeks during the summer term.

Speakers have included British writer and analyst, and Director at the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and Political Violence at King's College, London, Shiraz Maher, who presented a lecture for students taking the History and Politics Certificate course discussing foreign policy perspectives; Giles Helbert, the General Manager of Queen’s Tennis Club, who spoke to students studing the Sport and Exercise Science Diploma about running the club, event management and working in the sports industry; and Partnership Manager at professional cycling team, Team Ineos (formerly Team Sky), Lee Kenny, who discussed sport sponsorship with Millfield’s Director of Sport, Dr Scott Drawer.

Music students were also able to meet former Millfield pupil and now world-renowned violinist, Anna Im in a virtual Q&A, where Anna discussed the transition from Millfield to professional music and performed for the students. Anna recently won First Prize at the prestigious 2019 Michael Hill International Violin Competition.

In sport, students have been able to access lectures and Q&As from the world of professional football, cricket, hockey and swimming, including former Man Utd coach Tony Strudwick, Ashes Winning Captain Michael Vaughan, British Hockey’s Elite Development Programme (EDP) Head coach, Jody Paul, and British international track cyclist Milly Tanner.

The OM Society have also worked with the Careers Department to connect students with former pupils who are now excelling in the professional world in fields including Property, Investment Banking and Medicine. The series has included ten video interviews sent to Lower Sixth students to help them learn about their career options in the future.

Learn more about Millfield's Remote Learning programme here.