A murder mystery quiz put school pupils visiting a Cambridge College to the test.

Who killed Dr Quackford, the pompous talking duck? Was it Geoffrey Mustapha, the aristocratic academic? Or could it have been Florence Shufflebottom, the dour secretary?

Only Subo Wijeyeratne knows the answer.

Subo is the Schools Liaison Office for Emmanuel College, Fitzwilliam College and New Hall. It is his role to encourage more high-achieving state school pupils to consider making an application to Cambridge.

Faced with the challenge of engaging groups of secondary school pupils in team activities during day visits to the University, Subo sat down and devised a murder mystery quiz based on the bitter rivalries of a group of mythical academics and set in the dim and distant past.

He says: “I wanted it to be an activity that was both fun and challenging. I also got to indulge in my love of writing and Sherlock Holmes.”

Since last October, hundreds of teenagers have puzzled over the comings and goings of jealous lovers and disgruntled dons, and been side-tracked by the many red herrings in the Dr Quackford case.

“The teams that get the right answer are the ones that divide the activity up amongst individual members,” says Subo.

A former pupil of a Cambridgeshire comprehensive, Subo read history at Emmanuel College, graduating in 2004 and going on to spend two years in Japan teaching English. In 2006 he was appointed as SLO for three Cambridge colleges in a two-year post.

“When I was in the sixth form, one of my history teachers encouraged me to apply to Cambridge, something I never would have considered without his support,” says Subo. “At Emmanuel I did well, both academically and socially. That's why I'm quite passionate about encouraging others to aim high.”

Subo's family is Sri Lankan, and his childhood was split between the UK, Russia and Sri Lanka. “I think my experience has given me a broader take on the big topical issues, like education,” he says.

“My background is an advantage when it comes to breaking barriers. I don't fit into any of the stereotypes young people might have about Cambridge. I hope it makes them realise that it's the substance of a person, not their superficial characteristics, that we're interested in here.”

Emmanuel, Fitzwilliam and New Hall work with schools in Essex, Lancashire and Cumbria. Schools close to Cambridge are able to bring pupils on day trips. Subo, and groups of undergraduate volunteers, visit more distant schools on tours organised by organisations such as AimHigher.

He says: “In March I went on a tour of schools in Liverpool, Manchester and Sheffield. I hadn't really travelled in the north of England much and its beauty was a real revelation. Schools vary hugely in the proportion of Oxbridge candidates they have every year, and a lot of work needs to be done in certain areas, especially Cumbria.”

At each school, Subo met groups of high-achieving pupils and their teachers to talk about life at Cambridge and the application process. Many of the groups were set the Dr Quackford Murder Mystery. “I do make it clear to that Cambridge isn't quite as wacky as the game would suggest,” he says.

A second, and even more complicated, murder mystery is in the pipeline. “I am in the process of writing a challenge based in the middle ages,” says Subo. “I hope people find it as interesting as the last one, even without a genius duck as victim.”


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