Thinking Matters 2017

Thinking Matters 2017

THINKING MATTERS

CONTENTS

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10 24 Careers 37 Music Chemistry 48 Design & Tecnology

26 12 40 Classics Libraries and Archives Physics

Art

16 29 Geography 54 Mathematics 42 Politics Lower School Science 66 The Scholars’ Programme

Biology

44 Physical Education 32 Religion and Theology 18 English 56 Modern Foreign Languages

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History

58 Free Learning Weeks 46 Computer Science 34 Economics

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Drama

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64 Symposium

The Extended Essay

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INTRODUCTION: FREE LEARNING

In the previous edition of Thinking Matters , we asked the question: ‘what should good learning look like?’ In this edition we will explore how to promote learning for learning’s sake.

Free Learning is a term which has become common parlance at the College and denotes an aspect of Dulwich education of which we are truly proud. Free Learning means the learning that goes on when teaching is freed from the constraints of covering the syllabus or teaching to the exam, and is driven by the intellectual curiosity of the boys and fed by the enthusiasm of their teachers. This booklet abounds with examples of boys pursuing their academic passions in our ‘supra-curriculum’, the area that exists between the classroom and the co-curricular sphere. Such projects enable boys to develop their creativity, independence and sate (or perhaps extend) their thirst for knowledge. Whilst the majority of today’s young people, the ‘YouTube Generation’, learn about the world around them through screens, these activities empower boys to learn by doing and debating. They are pioneers, in Kennedy’s famous words, taking their first steps into robot design, performing in a major concert or giving a presentation to their peers “not because [it is] easy, but because [it is] hard”.

The possibilities are endless, and bounded only by the boys’ own motivation: whether it be showing leadership by running events, meeting others from different cultures, or participating in national competitions, everything our pupils undertake serves to broaden their minds and foster resilience and independence of thought. Such qualities resist easy measurement and can thus be overlooked in the drive for the highest possible examination results (although we believe these follow for those who engage most enthusiastically in Free Learning opportunities). At Dulwich we believe that imparting these skills is embedded in what we do every day; they are part of our DNA. We are proud of what we provide for our pupils and believe, with Einstein, that education is what remains after all that has been taught in the classroom has been forgotten.

D A P King Deputy Master Academic Dr Joe Spence Master of Dulwich College

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opening, Peter Randall-Page RA inspired a further drawing-based workshop programme hosted at the Dulwich Picture Gallery. The students exhibited their Variations on a Theme responses in the new James Caird Hall and engaged in an ‘In Conversation’ with Peter Randall-Page led by assistant curator Helen Hillyard from the gallery. The Art Department encourages every possible opportunity for our boys to experience cultural life beyond the campus. Boys visit galleries here in London as well as in New York, Florence and Madrid, to name but a few. At time of writing, 24 Upper School students have just returned from a five-day trip to Berlin. Extracts from one student’s commentary sum up the value and impact of these experiences from farther afield: ‘Concrete deserts, a reserve of fat, dead corner, monstrous Trojan horse, soullessness, freedom of expression, the absurd, manifestos of artists, Futurism, Abstraction, Creationism, Suprematism, Dadaism, Flux vs Reform were a fraction of the themes explored at the Hamburger Bahnhof, where the exhibition, Das Kapital involved issues concerning DEBT, TERRITORY and UTOPIA. In the afternoon we explored entangled paths, criss-crossing

Art at the College is not limited to the Art Department. Despite the fact it is undeniably an energetic and inspiring environment, the way in which our students engage with real-life artistic practices means that they are always developing as artists, designers and architects beyond the classroom. Most recently, Upper School boys have worked alongside OA and Turner Prize winner, Jeremy Deller on English Magic , a collaborative film project which responded to Deller’s own submission to the Venice Biennale. Following on from a collaborative project with Conrad Shawcross to create a sculptural installation for the new science building, The Laboratory, and its subsequent

Afternoon lesson at The White Cube gallery in London.

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Collecting street art in Berlin during the five-day trip.

and colliding with the wrapped, twisted and broken forms within the Jewish Museum. A fractured disorientating building guiding us through human atrocity and survival.’ Jamie Spillet, Year 12

waning, enthusiasm built within the group. ‘The best day yet,’ said Year 12 and 13 students in full agreement after a morning at the East Side Gallery, wrapping their heads around The Wall followed by guided tours of the incredible Boros Collection and its bunker (tickets are like gold dust). This experience was summed up as: ‘Unapologetic, in your face, edgy, raw, downright disturbing, social realism, feminist yet misogynist (is that possible?), resonating, badass, ripped, torn, bent, high art, low art and everything in between. I’m tired, but it’s a good tired… I now need to let things settle in my brain and reflect.’ Back in London, boys regularly visit Tate Britain, Tate Modern, The White Cube, Bermondsey, The Wallace Collection, Whitechapel, Frieze Art Fair and The Courtauld Institute. We also make frequent trips to work with artists, art historians and curators at Dulwich Picture Gallery. Talks, lectures and ‘In Conversations’ are embedded into our curriculum and wider learning: the atmosphere is very much ‘Art School’ rather than ‘School Art’. ‘Art trips are not passive events or time spent aimlessly wandering through a gallery with an exhibition guide – they are fully immersive activities that reveal to us

Experiencing cultural life beyond the campus.

Berlin is unapologetic, it is confrontational, kind and practical. This trip above all was inspiring as well as exhausting. Nearing the end of the trip rather than

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Year 10 students drawing at the coast in St. Ives.

the possibilities of what we can create as we mature as artists.’ Josh Cotton, OA (Kingston University Foundation/Brighton BA(Hons) As well as visiting galleries we have curated, hung and hosted no less than eight exhibitions over the past academic year, including: Year 10 presenting their inaugural show Calder Re-Imagined , Sixth Form and GCSE ‘interim’ and final exhibitions plus 100 Works on Paper an annual finale for Founder’s Day where every boy has the chance to enter pieces from Year 7 upwards. Boys are challenged to be the artist, the curator, the project manager, a team leader and a team player. Furthermore, we host exhibitions on the Dulwich College site presenting art and installation experiences from the wider creative community. Our recent artist in residence, Cara George, curated Creative Matters in The Store. This exhibition featured nine recent MA graduates from the Royal College of Art, working in disciplines including interactive design, sculpture, metal work and graphic design. Currently we have Luc Nonga’s haunting paintings and mixed media sculptures as part of In Transit; an exhibition exploring issues around migration, which not only keeps us in tune with the zeitgeist, but also provides an artistic hub for the 2016 free learning week Dulwich Linguistic.

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Biology is a wonderfully diverse and exciting discipline and this is reflected in the wide range of co-curricular activities supported by the Biology department.

Our co-curricular programme is run under the auspices of our Biology Society (BioSoc). The Society runs a weekly programme of practical activities and talks and we encourage the boys themselves to organise and help run these events. We also have a very active Medical and Dental Society for those boys wishing to pursue an interest in the medical professions. Trips and outings with a biological theme are also a prominent feature of our provision outside the classroom. ‘The Bodies of Knowledge trip was great fun. It was very interactive and I enjoyed the skeleton masterclass the most. We also learnt about the work of an archaeologist which was very informative.’ Andrew Tse, Year 13

Upper School students take part in Operation Wallacea.

We run an annual two-day course at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine where Upper School boys are able to practise genetic technologies that we are unable to do at school. Potential medical students also attended a one-day conference at the Royal Society of Medicine and had the option of visiting the Bodies of Knowledge exhibition at the Wellcome Collection where they learned how our knowledge of anatomy has evolved over the years. ‘The pig’s head dissection was really cool, especially holding the brain. I was surprised at how easy it was to pull apart.’ Alfie Cook, 10P

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