Cowburn Scholars programme launches to inspire Dame Allan’s highest achievers

Dame Allan’s Schools has introduced a new academic enrichment programme designed to stretch, challenge and inspire its most academically able pupils – with Cambridge physicist and former Dame Allan's Head Boy Professor Russell Cowburn returning to school to officially launch the initiative.

The Cowburn Scholars programme has been established to ensure Dame Allan’s pupils with the highest academic potential have dedicated opportunities to pursue their interests beyond the curriculum, engage with challenging ideas and learn alongside like-minded peers.

Named in honour of Professor Cowburn - a Fellow of the Royal Society who is now a leading experimental physicist at the Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge - the programme combines academic enrichment with mentoring, trips, seminars, cultural experiences and opportunities to explore future pathways.

Professor Cowburn, who returned to Dame Allan’s on Friday 9th October to meet the first cohort of scholars and officially launch the programme, said he was pleased to support an initiative focused specifically on academically able pupils.

“Talented young people need to understand that the qualities that set them apart are not something to be embarrassed about, but something to be celebrated,” he said. “Finding your people is incredibly important, and I hope this programme gives pupils the opportunity to learn alongside others who share their interests and ambitions.”

The programme is initially focused on pupils in Years 7 and 8, with 14 Year 7 and 22 Year 8 pupils currently taking part. If other pupils in these year groups consistently meet high academic standards, they will be invited to join the programme at a later point in their Dame Allan’s journey.

Earlier in the term, scholars travelled to Edinburgh for a study day centred on the question ‘What does it mean to be human?’ with visits to Edinburgh Castle, museums and the historic underground streets of The Real Mary King’s Close.

Further trips and experiences will challenge pupils to explore subjects from different perspectives, while monthly Strive Seminars will give them the opportunity to debate complex questions, explore current issues and lead sessions and presentations.

Mrs Salisbury, Head of Academic Aspiration and Teacher of English at Dame Allan’s, said the programme reflected the school’s commitment to ensuring its most academically able pupils were given the support they needed to fulfil their potential.

“We want our brightest pupils to know that their academic ambitions are recognised and that we are committed to giving them the challenge and opportunities they need to thrive,” she said.

“This is about taking learning beyond the curriculum – giving pupils the chance to grapple with big questions, pursue their own interests, present their ideas and learn from one another. We want scholars to leave the programme not simply knowing more, but thinking more deeply and asking better questions.”

As well as academic challenge, the programme recognises that highly able pupils can face particular pressures. Each year group has a dedicated member of staff responsible for mentoring scholars – Mrs Salisbury for Year 7 and Dr Sinnett, Teacher of Chemistry, for Year 8.

Mentoring will provide opportunities for individual and small-group conversations about pupils’ interests, ambitions and future goals, as well as issues including perfectionism and dealing with setbacks. Staff will also help scholars identify opportunities beyond the classroom that match their individual interests.

Cowburn scholars will also be encouraged to attend academic societies, cultural and educational events, topical Find Out Friday sessions and Futures Focus seminars introducing them to different career sectors.

As they progress through the school, opportunities will become increasingly focused on independent academic work and preparation for life beyond Dame Allan’s, including the Higher Project Qualification, external academic competitions and, in Years 12 and 13, the Extended Project Qualification.

For Professor Cowburn, the programme also represents a personal connection with the school where his own academic foundations were established.

A practising physicist who has spent much of his career at Cambridge, an inventor with over 60 patents and the founder of four technology spin-out companies, Professor Cowburn said the academic rigour of his Dame Allan’s education had given him a strong grounding in the fundamentals of his subject.

“I think compared to my peers, actually, my basics are stronger,” he said. “And I think that speaks to the rigour with which I was taught at Dame Allan’s.”

Now, through the Cowburn Scholars programme, he hopes a new generation of pupils will have the opportunity to take their learning further and see its practical impact.

He said: “I hope it will stretch them, broaden their horizons and show them how the things they learn in textbooks can be applied to different situations in the real world.”