An Educational Superhighway

One of our earliest alumni to achieve great things, Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton, OM, PC, FRS, served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1957 to 1963. After a speedy rise through the ranks of the Conservative Party, Macmillan took charge of the country during a time of economic turmoil. Due to the state of the country, he even told Queen Elizabeth II that he did not think that the new government would last longer than six weeks. In fact, Macmillan was able to turn the fortunes of the UK around, raising employment rates and boosting the economy, coining the phrase ‘you’ve never had it so good.’

Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier of Brighton – also called Sir Laurence Olivier – was a towering figure of the British stage and screen, acclaimed in his lifetime as the greatest English-speaking actor of the 20th Century. Olivier played roles in over 50 films during his acting career, before enjoying success in television. Among Olivier’s most famous films are Wuthering Heights (1939), Hamlet (1948) and Spartacus (1960).

Bear Grylls is an adventurer, writer and television presenter, most commonly known for his shows Man vs Wild’, Running Wild with Bear Grylls and The Island with Bear Grylls. After leaving school, he enjoyed a brief spell hiking in the Himalayas, before joining the British Special Forces. Having served the SAS for 3 years, Grylls was forced to quit after an extreme parachuting accident. However, he soon recovered from his injuries and began a highly successful career in television.

Phillip Pullman, CBE, FRSL, is an author of novels for children and young adults, who is best known for the fantasy trilogy His Dark Materials (1995–2000), which has recently been adapted into a TV series. Pullman went on to study at the University of Oxford. He remained in Oxford following his education and became a teacher, and started to write novels. His first titles The Haunted Storm (1972) and Galatea (1976), were oriented towards adult readers. Later he targeted a young adult audience, achieving great success.

Eddie Redmayne, OBE, is currently one of Britain’s leading actors. He has starred in a number of critically acclaimed films, such as The Theory of Everything, Les Miserables, The Danish Girl and the Fantastic Beasts film series. Redmayne has won a number of accolades, including an Academy Award, a Tony Award, a BAFTA award and two Olivier Awards. He studied at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he read History of Art, before starting his acting career in the West End.