This week marked a real milestone: I finished my HPQ database and finally got to present it to the AHLU team. There's something nerve-wracking about putting weeks of research in front of the people who actually built this program, but the feedback session ended up being one of the most useful hours of my whole placement. The team pushed me to think harder about accessibility, how does someone with zero background in art history actually navigate this thing, and I spent the rest of the week reworking the structure and language so it would make sense to a total beginner rather than someone who already knows the material.

No sooner had I closed one chapter than I opened another. I started the research process completely from scratch, just like I did back in Week 1, because I've now moved on to building the EPQ/A-level database. That meant setting up a fresh round of meetings with the staff and teachers who develop EPQ and A-level resources, essentially re-learning how a different corner of the organization operates. I also sat in on an online A-level revision session so I could actually understand how A-level exams and specifications function in practice. It turns out this is a much more constrained space to design for than the HPQ: because A-level content sits at the very heart of a fixed exam specification, the team has far less room and freedom to get creative with materials, which completely changes how I need to approach building the database.

Outside of work, this was a week for reconnecting. I caught up with old high school friends I hadn't seen in ages, and we made a point of watching World Cup matches together at local pubs, an experience made infinitely better when England won and the whole place erupted. Between matches and catch-ups, I've also been trying to strike a balance between cooking sensible, budget-friendly meals at home and giving in to the pull of London's tourist traps. It's an ongoing negotiation with my wallet, but so far I'm managing to have my cake and eat it too, quite literally, some weeks.