Author: Brian Foster

The University of Cambridge’s Foundation Year Programme offers a fully-funded, year-long, residential programme, targeted at students who have experienced a range of educational disadvantages or disruptions.

The academic entry requirement is 120 UCAS points. This is equivalent to BBB at A-Level, but allows for easy equivalence of a wide range of Level 3 qualifications, and for fair consideration of combinations of qualifications such as BTECs and A-Levels.

The new Foundation Year will admit its first class of students in October 2022. Interested students will apply directly to the Foundation Year via UCAS by the January 2022 deadline for study beginning in October 2022. You can find out more here: www.cam.ac.uk/foundationyear.

Students admitted to the Foundation Year will also receive a full scholarship to cover rent and other living costs.

On the Foundation Year, students can expect a challenging academic curriculum in the arts, humanities and social sciences. This offers the best possible preparation for the rigours of a Cambridge degree by broadening and deepening knowledge and understanding as well as introducing the ways students learn at Cambridge.

Students admitted onto the Foundation Year will become part of a College community; they will live alongside other undergraduates and have full access to all the University’s societies and facilities. Their learning will be supported by lectures, seminars and supervisions.

An important aspect of the programme is to provide a new pathway to a Cambridge degree for students who have experienced disadvantage and disruption during their education. Therefore, from an early stage in the Foundation Year’s academic programme, senior academic staff in Colleges will be providing students with advice and support regarding their degree subject choice.

All Foundation Year students who complete the programme with a Pass or above will receive a recognised Level 4 CertHE qualification from the University of Cambridge, which will enable them to access a wide range of undergraduate level courses. Those attaining at 65% or higher will be able – should they wish to do so – to progress straight through to a full undergraduate degree at Cambridge in one of eighteen courses in the arts, humanities and social sciences.

It was with great sadness that we learnt of the sudden passing of Ainlee Ryalla Duffy.

Ryalla had lived the life, lit many fires and told many stories.

Siobhan Spencer

Ryalla was well known to many ACERT members. She participated in the ROMED training in 2014 and, as well as participating actively in the training and discussions, she submitted an exceptional personal study.

“The period since [waggon time] has seen a gradual, intentional and unrelenting erosion of rights of an entire way of life, aided and abetted by legislation and media bias.”

Ryalla Duffy

Ryalla and her family went through endless enforcements themselves from 1987 in Sussex when they had to leave their own land. She was well known in the southern counties (as well as the Midlands).

Ryalla was an excellent representative for her people and Romany rights. She was very knowledgeable of the New Forest families and saw the comparisons of enforced camps and the final solution and wrote a chapter on this history of the “compounds” in the Patrin book as part of the Patrin project with the Monitoring Group, seeing the similarities of this particular aspect of Romany Gypsy history.

Ryalla worked hard in Lincolnshire and was responsible for getting the much-needed work undertaken on the Summergangs Lane site, in Gainsborough.

…. a wonderful character who fought continuously for her people and their rights and who was the author of several books and the star of 2 or 3 dvds.. She was also the subject of the classic Anglo Romani book ‘Born on the Straw’ by Dorothy Strange (1968). The community will miss her hugely and I shall miss a very dear friend. 

Bob Dawson

In 2005 Ryalla was one of the founder members of the National Federation of Gypsy Liaison Groups and took part in police training, parliamentary meetings and conferences.

Despite the knocks, it illustrates her sense of humour and the truth in life and how I would like to remember her.One of the last days we spent together was with Lord Bourne, for a heritage tribute as he laid a wreath at the grave of Private John Cunningham receiver of the Victoria Cross, in commemoration of the 100 years centenary of the Great War, a great day with her which, as usual, ended with great laughter.

Siobhan Spencer

She leaves behind her 4 daughters, 2 sons and all of 13 grandchildren.