Latest news with #deans
The Sun
3 days ago
- The Sun
One of the UK's biggest cathedrals to open for overnight stays for the first time ever
THERE are certain stays in the UK that have an added touch of grandeur - including this one at Winchester Cathedral. For the first time ever, visitors can stay on the site of Winchester Cathedral in a house with plush velvet sofas, huge bathrooms and a secret English garden. 5 5 For the first time ever, Winchester Cathedral will welcome tourists for short-term holiday lets. The home to the deans of Winchester, aptly called The Deanery, is available to book for a memorable city break. The house sleeps up to 10 people across five bedrooms, and has four bathrooms, including two ensuites, some with double sinks. There's a large modern kitchen as well as a large gallery that was first created to entertain King Charles II. The house is filled with antique furniture and there's a huge library full of antique books. Outside is a huge English garden where guests are welcome to play some lawn games, eat outside and of course, take in the view of the impressive cathedral. There's also a secret garden, called the Lower Deanery Garden which is not open to the public. It's described as being a "charming riverside retreat" and is guaranteed to be a peaceful spot away from any other visitors. It's pretty costly coming in at £4,500 per week, which jumps up to £5,500 per week over Christmas and New Year. The Pigsty in Winchester tops the list of most lusted after Airbnb homes by Brits 5 5 The money raised will go towards maintaining and operating Winchester Cathedral. And anyone wanting to stay will need to book sooner rather than later as the house is only available for a limited time until the new dean moves in next year. There's plenty to do around the city too, Sun writer Mia Lyndon, took a trip to Winchester earlier this year where she embarked on a 90-minute walking tour down the UK's oldest high street and gazed into the Itchen River. She also discovered cobbled backstreets and local boutiques like The Hambledon as well as P&G Wells, a 296-year-old bookshop with thousands of vintage novels. Another popular spot nearby is the village of Chawton, where you can visit Jane Austen's house where she worked on her novels, including Pride And Prejudice. You can take a look at her writing desk and ponder over her handwritten letters - entry costs £15 per person. Winchester Cathedral itself is the main attraction of the city and tickets to go inside cost £13 for adults and £5 for children. And here's a top travel destination in the UK that's often overlooked but has great secret spots and new attractions. Plus, check out Europe's best city break destinations where you only need two days to explore.
Irish Times
01-07-2025
- Health
- Irish Times
Colleges to alter entry requirements for medicine amid concern applicants ‘gaming' aptitude test
Medical schools are planning to change entry requirements for studying medicine in Irish universities following concern that many applicants are 'gaming' tests aimed at determining their aptitude for working in the sector. Applicants are required to combine their Leaving Certificate results with the Hpat (Health Professions Admission Test), which was introduced in 2009 to assess skills deemed important for medicine, such as reasoning, problem-solving and interpersonal skills. While the 2½-hour test was initially envisaged as one which candidates could not study for, there is now an extensive private tuition industry where students can spend up to €800 over 15 weeks to prepare for the assessment. [ My daughter wants to study medicine. Are grinds for the Hpat worth it? Opens in new window ] The deans of Irish medical schools met recently and agreed to significantly reduce the weighting attached to the test, according to well-placed sources. READ MORE The planned changes, which will require sign-off by the academic councils of universities, would likely have a two-year lead-in time before they are implemented, according to informed sources. The Hpat is marked out of a total of 300 points, which is added to a candidate's Leaving Cert score. For example, a student who gets 500 points in the Leaving Cert and 200 points in the Hpat gets a combined score of 700 points. Under revised plans, the Hpat would be reduced to 150 points. This, say sources, means the test would carry the equivalent weight of about one extra subject for entry purposes. About 3,000 students take the test each year, which is required to study undergraduate medicine at University of Galway, the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Trinity College Dublin, UCC and UCD. University of Limerick also requires the Hpat for entry to its master's in occupational therapy and speech and language therapy. The Hpat was introduced under then minister for education Mary Hanafin, following concern that only those scoring very high Leaving Cert points were guaranteed entry to medicine. She said at the time that students would no longer need a 'perfect Leaving Cert' to enter medicine. However, university sources say students who are able to afford extra support for their exams and Hpat tests are at a significant advantage when it comes to studying medicine. Latest Higher Education Authority data, for example, show about 33 per cent of medicine students are from affluent backgrounds, compared with 18 per cent of students overall. Only 3 per cent of medicine students are from disadvantaged backgrounds, compared to 11 per cent overall.
