Four of our Lower Sixth German students, Hugh, Lydia, Zahra and Joel, have achieved national succes in this year's Oxford German Olympiad, a highly regarded competiton organised by the Oxford German Network at the University of Oxford.
National win for German students in prestigious Oxford Olympiad
Open to learners of German from Year 7 to Year 13 across the UK, the Olympiad celebrates linguistic talent and creativity. Our students captured first place in the group category with a wonderfully imaginative video project in which they explained the rules of their favourite sport, netball, to an alien. Joel took on the role of the curious extraterrestrial, while the rest of the team acted, scripted, and directed the entire production. The video was primarily in German, with added elements of Italian and Turkish, reflecting the group’s diverse language skills and collaborative flair. A level photography student Max also played a crucial role behind the scenes, expertly managing the filming.
In June, the group travelled to Oxford for the official prize-giving ceremony, held at the historic Bodleian Library. During their visit, they stayed at Jesus College, experiencing life at an Oxford college and gaining valuable insights into university life, particularly relevant as three members of the team are considering applying to Oxford in the coming year.
Subject Leader for German, Catherine Davies, praised the students' achievement and said:
The Oxford German Olympiad was a great experience from start to finish. I was confident that this talented group had it in them to produce a successful entry, and I was over the moon when we heard that they were winners. Our trip to Oxford to receive their prizes was a fantastic experience, particularly as three of the group are interested in applying to Oxford next year. We were able to get a feel for college life and even speak to professors of German, who offered very helpful advice. The students thoroughly enjoyed planning and filming the entry back in February, and the project has really united our German set, inspiring them to continue their A level journey with confidence and enthusiasm. Very well done to our four pupils on their outstanding achievement.
The students shared thier own reflections on the experience:
What inspired you to take part in the Oxford German Olympiad, and how did you come up with the idea for your video?
We all really love studying German and really loved the idea of doing something a bit different!”
What was it like performing in multiple languages?
Since three of us in our group are bilingual in German, Italian or Turkish, it was nice to get to use those skills all at the same time.”
What did you enjoy most about the experience?
We all loved getting to be really creative during the filming, and getting to dress up! With the award, it was so cool getting to go down to such a prestigious university to collect!”
How did it feel to win first place in a national competition?
We found out as a surprise from Hugh in our lesson, and we were all so shocked and excited.
What advice would you give to other students thinking about entering?
Definitely do it! Just have fun with it and be as creative and as yourself as possible.
We are incredibly proud of Hugh, Lydia, Zahra, Joel, and Max for their creativity, teamwork, and exceptional linguistic ability. Their national win is not only a brilliant achievement but also a testament to the power of passion and collaboration in language learning.
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