Thinking Matters 2018

Thinking Matters 2018

THINKING MATTERS

Dulwich Political 4 3

CONTENTS PAGE

6 A level Plus

Introduction: Free Learning

9 Symposium

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24 Chemistry 36 Economics 14 The Scholars’ Programme 46 Mathematics 56 Politics

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The Extended Essay

18 Libraries and Archives 40 Geography 30 Computer Science 50 Music

52 Physical Education 42 History 32 Drama 20 Art

Careers

44 Lower School Science 34 Design & Tecnology 54 Physics Biology 22

58 Religion and Theology 48 Modern Foreign Languages 38 English 26 Classics

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INTRODUCTION: FREE LEARNING Since the last publication of Thinking Matters, the College has adopted a new timetable in which the length of lessons has increased from 35 to 55 minutes. Along with reducing the time spent running from lesson to lesson, a major reason for the change was to give pupils more time to work independently and to give teachers more time to demonstrate how their subjects apply in the world beyond the classroom and to engage the intellectual curiosity of pupils. In other words, to make Free Learning part of what teachers do every day. Many of our supra- curricular activities, those intellectual activities that exists between the classroom and the co-curricular sphere, no longer take place in the crevices of the timetable or in stolen minutes at break, lunch and after school, but during lessons. The new timetable also afforded us an opportunity to devise a bespoke course for the Upper School, called A level Plus. This course offers in-depth and inter- disciplinary investigations of areas of study pupils are looking to follow at university and are co-taught by teachers from different departments. A level Plus, along with the Upper School Symposium, our Creative Learning Weeks, our Scholars’ Programme and Extended Essays, capture the essence of our Free Learning initiative.

In this booklet, you will read about the ways in which our pupils are pursuing their academic passions across all subjects. We believe these opportunities are enabling them to develop their creativity, independence and sate (or perhaps extend) their thirst for knowledge. The possibilities are endless; bounded only by the boys’ own motivation. Whether it be showing qualities of leadership by running events, debating with others from different cultures, or participating in national competitions, everything our pupils undertake is serving to broaden their minds and foster resilience and independence of thought. Free Learning has become part of the DNA of the College. We believe that those boys who most enthusiastically engage in Free Learning opportunities perform best in public examinations and are those who are most likely discover a richness in life beyond Dulwich.

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

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The annual Dulwich College Free Learning week is now well established and eagerly anticipated, and the politically themed 2017 event did not disappoint. The aim was to encourage our students to be thoughtful, informed, and active citizens. In a time of such political uncertainty, we want our pupils to be able to make sense of the world around them and have the confidence to go out and make a difference. Throughout the week, students were encouraged to have their say , through debating competitions, giving speeches at ‘Speakers Corner’, contributing to the suggestion boards for what Brexit and the Budget should look like, a school-wide daily vote on issues from prisoner incarceration to nuclear weapons, and much more.

put together a model of how our economic system works and discussed how politicians can influence the distribution of resources in our society. The highlight of the day was actor Pip Utton, who stole the show with his captivating performances as both Winston Churchill and Adolf Hitler, which was enjoyed by pupils from across the age ranges. ‘The Winston Churchill portrayal was brilliant; hilarious and historically accurate. His speech gave me the shivers.’ Hasan, Year 11, on An Hour in the Company of Winston Churchill. On Day 2, Junior School pupils enjoyed a thought- provoking assembly on refugees, and what home means. Year 10 pupils were asked to challenge the status quo of society with speakers from The Advocacy Academy and Amnesty International showing our students just what a difference People Power can make. Lunchtime events ranged from Lionel Barber OA giving an insight into how Westminster works, to Lower School boys debating the merits of lowering the voting age. After school The Fawcett Society led a brilliant workshop with DC boys and JAGS girls on suffragist history and contemporary women’s issues. The day ended with a lecture-concert on The Politics of Music and the Role of the Composer . Dr Cameron Pyke provided a historical perspective into what it was like for Shostakovich and Prokofiev to compose in the Soviet Union, before outstanding performances from the DC Piano Quintet, a piano sonata by Luis Pares, and a joint DC-JAGS Chamber Orchestra performance with some 56 performers.

The week started with a bang with assemblies on topics ranging from refugees to Soviet composers. Lower School pupils were given an introduction to Superpowers and encouraged to focus not only on ‘hard’ power, but also think about the ‘softer’ powers that play such an important role in modern politics. Year 9 pupils enjoyed a workshop led by the team from the charity Economy , who helped students as they Pupils ‘have their say’ during Dulwich Political.

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On Day 3, the Master addressed Lower School pupils on the History of Political Thought. By starting with a comparison between Plato and Aristotle, he showed that there has always been a tension between idealism and realism; optimism and pessimism; freedom and security. Dr Spence ended with a clarion call for this generation of Alleynians to engage in an optimistic and inclusive politics, which will help guide society away from extremism. Year 11 pupils were treated to a talk on How Social Media is Changing the Nature of News and Politics by James Carson, Head of Social Media at The Telegraph and Mr O’Siochru gave a compelling talk on Machiavelli. However, the day will be most remembered for its performing Arts; a staff band performed an incredible montage of political rock music at lunchtime, the Niall Kelly band gave a memorable evening performance reciting politically inspired rock and folk music songs and A level Politics students attended the play Young Marx in the West End. On Day 4, Year 12 enjoyed a Question Time chaired by the BBC’s Justin Webb. In a relaxed yet combative atmosphere students were exposed to the political fault lines in UK politics as Richard Angell of the centrist Labour pressure group Progress clashed with Lord Butler and the Lib Dem’s Gail Kent and Conservative Siobhan Baillie more than held their own. At lunchtime Angus Hanton and Beth Jenkinson from the Intergenerational Foundation laid down the gauntlet to the assembled younger voters asking them to do more than just tweet their dissatisfaction to address the economic plight of young people. Lower School pupils learned about how sports teams were selected in Apartheid South Africa and Professor Anna Jackman gave a compelling lecture on drone warfare. A politically themed Middle School House Drama competition provided evening entertainment, with Grenville’s treatment of provocative subject matter securing first place with their excerpt from Black Watch. ‘It opened my eyes and made me realise my natural privilege over most people.’ Eddie on the Advocacy Academy’s workshop, The Power of the People.

The final day of Dulwich Political saw girls from JAGS triumph in the final of the week-long inter-school politically themed French debating competition. Mr Davidson gave a talk on the great age of migration, while Professor Dwayne Heard from Leeds University talked to students from schools across South London on his research into climate change, and the political challenges involved in coordinated global action. This was followed by a seminar with DC boys and students from partnership schools. Other events included a discussion on what fairness means according to Rawls at the meeting of the Philosophy circle. The Master rounded off the week with a standing-room-only affair in the Masters’ Library, with the concluding talk of the three-part lecture series on Political Philosophy. Students and staff not only learned about the ideas of John Stuart Mill, but were challenged to be brave enough to debate ideas openly, and resist the ‘safe space’ culture while acknowledging that the ‘harm principle’ needs to be recognised. All in all, an immensely successful week that was enjoyed by staff, parents and students. Watch this space for the special 400th Quatercentenary Dulwich Creative. ‘It was great how students’ views were incorporated into the debate and the adults responded to them.’ Tobias on Year 12 Question Time. Power of the People’. “This was the best free learning week so far as there was so much genuine involvement from boys.” Joseph, Year 13

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The A level Plus programme is an exciting new ‘invention’, introduced in the past year, and one which offers a unique and inspiring opportunity to all Remove students: to explore more deeply the areas of academic subjects which they have chosen for their A levels, but which are not contained within their syllabi. Yet A level Plus is not simply divided into the same subjects as the A level timetable: the programme offers exciting, cross-curricular courses (of which students take two across the Remove year, consisting of three lessons a fortnight) which frequently straddle multiple subject areas in their explorations of knowledge, culture, knowledge and invention. The courses are unexamined, and their freedom from syllabi allows teachers’ personal subject enthusiasms and expertise to connect with students’ interests, stretching their intellectual horizons. ‘What really struck me about A level Plus - and something I wasn’t necessarily expecting - was how holistically helpful the courses can be. After spending a term learning about why we wage war, I was surprised at how often I found myself linking curricular work back to this new content, which gave extra clarity and understanding to all of my studies.’ Jacob, Year 13, War A LEVEL PLUS The courses are varied, both in terms of their subject matter but also their outcome; some culminate in essay responses, whilst others invite students to produce mechanical, technological or cultural

artefacts; all, though, are showcased in an evening in the Summer Term, in which each course opens its doors to parents, other students and staff, with students presenting inventions, artefacts, experiments and mini-lectures which demonstrate their intellectual journeys over the period of their courses. Here’s a taster sample of some of the courses on offer: Weizmann Safe-Cracking This exciting course invites students of Physics and Design Technology to design and build the ultimate safe - based on Physics puzzles - with student teams entering the Weizmann competition, an international contest in which UK student teams attempt to ‘crack’ each other’s safe by solving the puzzles, competing for the chance to represent the UK in annual finals at Israel’s Weizmann Institute of Science.

The exciting Weizmann Safecracking A level Plus invites students of Physics and Design Technology to design and build the ultimate safe.

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‘A level Plus provided the unique, and excellent, opportunity for me to explore and go beyond the curriculum of the subjects I love. In Relativity and Quantum Theory we explored Einstein’s most famous theory and I was fascinated to see how such a seemingly abstract concept is actually used and observed everyday (through GPS, for example). In Abstract Problem Solving we tackled maths problems that appeared impossible at first, but that you soon realised simply required a new way of thinking. All in all, A level Plus was a thoroughly enjoyable and engaging experience and I enjoyed every minute of it. Tom, Year 13, Relativity and Quantum Theory, Abstract Problem Solving Cities of Dreadful Delight This course, which spans disciplines as varied as English and European literature, Art, Geography and Economics, explores the dawn of modernity in three major metropolises: London, Paris and New York from the mid-19th century to c. 1930. Students explore the ways writers, artists, film makers, and cultural historians have imagined the modern metropolis as a place of both disorder and opportunity, progress and danger, confusion and corruption, and a space for new social and personal futures. Drawing on a range of texts from literature, sociology, psychology, film, and visual art, the course approaches modern urban experience from a number of different perspectives: flanerie, crime, poverty, intoxication, madness, empire, race and sex.

Strength and Conditioning at the Summer Term showcase.

‘In studying musical performance, the school allowed our group to record a song as well as learn how to mix and edit this on our Music School’s Apple Macs which meant we were able to develop our own editing skills with help from teachers. Additionally lectures on music, ranging from organ performances to recording Acapella, gave us a wider appreciation of the musical world outside what we ordinarily listened to. Overall the experience was entirely worthwhile, engaging and extremely rewarding. Obafemi, Year 13, Music Performance Studies the world, and how people have responded to and challenged the social norms which gendered social technologies have created. The course looks at scientific and philosophical understandings of gender, seeking to place them in their cultural and historical contexts, and at the influence of feminist thought and political action throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, and reactions both in support of and opposing feminist aims. Discussions have also covered intersectional understandings of identity, queer theory and transgender theory, as well as alternative ideologies such as androcentrism/ masculism. Gender Studies This course, aimed primarily at Humanities A level students, looks at how gender informs and structures

A level Plus musical showcase.

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Studying Quantum Theory and Relativity at A level Plus.

Business Management & Enterprise Are you the next Steve Jobs? This course introduces students to the world of business, combining practical activities with theory to explore what it means to be an entrepreneur and run a business unit. It covers the role and importance of entrepreneurs in society, what makes for strong leadership and management, motivation theory, and also introduces key ideas in marketing and advertising, finance and strategy. Dipping their toes into business management, students run their own (real or hypothetical) enterprise through modelling the decisions and activities of a real-world entrepreneur, and also consider the role of social enterprise and corporate social responsibility in the modern labour market. Law and Critical Thinking This course is aimed at both aspirant lawyers and those who wish to have a better understanding of the English legal system. It covers the development of the English legal system; differences between the English and the continental legal traditions, including a consideration of the adversarial and inquisitorial systems; criminal and civil law; the justice system; jurisprudence and theories of punishment; legal problems and critical thinking for lawyers. Wherever

possible, students approach topics through case studies and contemporary news stories to demonstrate the law’s impact on our everyday lives.

Liberal Studies In addition to their chosen subjects, all pupils in both the Remove and the Upper Sixth follow a Liberal Studies programme which is run jointly with James Allen’s Girls’ School. Pupils are asked to choose courses from a wide selection offered by teaching staff, with most courses lasting one term. Some courses are designed to stimulate an intellectual enthusiasm for a new, and often unusual, area of study; others to broaden awareness of particular global or topical issues; others, still, to develop practical or study skills. There are a couple of courses which aim to assist those pupils applying to Oxford or Cambridge, particularly in relation to the assessment tests that occur before any interviews. There is a lecture programme as well, and recent speakers have included Matthew d’Ancona and Justin Webb.

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The Upper School Symposium Taking place every October, and now in its ninth year, the Upper School Symposium is a day of high-level interdisciplinary enquiry for all Upper School students, who are given a day off-timetable to attend a range of intellectually stimulating talks, workshops and seminars offered by visiting speakers, teachers and boys. The theme for 2018 was ‘Tradition and innovation’.

In addition to attending the keynote address, students choose from a programme of around 30 workshops and seminars given by teachers and contributors from the worlds of theatre, art and technology. This year, seminars and workshops included:

• Tradition and innovation in the British monarchy

• From matchboxes to talking billboards: tradition and innovation in advertising

Neuroscientist Annie Brookman-Byrne.

This year’s keynote speakers were cinematographer Richard Edwards-Earl, who discussed traditional narratives and innovative techniques in cinema, and neuroscientist Annie Brookman-Byrne, who explored innovation within the emerging discipline of educational neuroscience. ‘Symposium day was a breath of fresh air. It introduced me to completely new ideas, such as cinematography, as well as deepening my knowledge of subjects I am studying for A level.’ Henry, Year 13 ‘Given that I hope to become a cinematographer, Richard Edwards-Earl’s seminars gave me a great opportunity to discuss the details of working in the film industry with an expert in the field.’ Hugo, Year 12

• Innovative traditionalism: reactionary political thought after the French Revolution

• Emotion, emojis and electronic texts: communicating tone in the 21st century

• The physics of ballistics: military technology through the ages

• Public schools and the inventing of antiquity

• (Re)defining the African-American identity through cultural innovation

• Can we use chemical chaos to innovate?

• Neitzsche’s perspectivism: invention versus tradition Photography: a return to analogue

• Tradition or innovation within Labour party politics

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‘Mr Cleary’s seminar looking at the 1983 Labour Party Manifesto, known as ‘the longest suicide note in history’, was really interesting, and Mr Fox’s talk on the British Monarchy gave me insight into how flexible and adaptable the monarchy has had to be. I hope to study History and Politics at university, so both seminars were directly relevant to my current interests and future plans.’ George, Year 12

Dr Joe Spence opens the 2018 Upper School Symposium.

‘I thoroughly enjoyed Symposium day, and especially Mrs Winders’ seminar on death traditions around the world. We learned about how different cultures look at death, burial and the afterlife, including unorthodox rituals I had no idea about previously.’ Thomas, Year 12

The art workshops proved popular with pupils in 2018.

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The Junior School Symposium Taking its lead from the Upper School Symposium, the idea of a day dedicated to cross-curricular enquiry has become a feature of Junior School life. The Junior School Symposium is run in partnership with James Allen’s Girls’ School, and the theme for 2018 was ‘Time’. Teachers from both Junior and Senior schools, as well as outside speakers and performers for the headline events, offered a range of challenging, thought-provoking sessions. By the end of the day, every pupil had taken part in events exploring time through thinking, problem-solving, discussion, debate, analysis, evaluation and creativity. Drumming at JAPS and speed-stacking here at the College were particularly enjoyed by the participants, the latter quite possibly inspired by the short clip of a champion speed-stacker who is a pupil at Dulwich College Singapore.

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Pupils particularly enjoyed speed stacking at the Junior School Symposium.

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Each pupil, with the aid of a subject expert from the teaching staff, selects a research area and, over the summer holiday at the end of Year 12, writes an undergraduate-type essay of about 2,000 words. On occasion, extended essays are submitted as part of a university application. Some abstracts from subjects across the range are reproduced here.

Cheks, Yr 13 Is Jurassic Park a complete fantasy? Spielberg’s Jurassic Park captured the imagination of both audience and critics. The events of the film concern the attempt to clone and resurrect extinct animals in order to create a theme park. The theory behind the formation of a ‘Jurassic Park’ and the revival of extinct species has its roots in a developing area of science called resurrection biology. But despite its scientific underpinning, how legitimate is the science behind the film? And will we ever be able to bring back the dinosaurs? Saatwik, Yr 13 Is the implementation of a decentralised, Blockchain-based currency as a globally adopted means of exchange viable and beneficial? The rapid rise in the price of cryptocurrencies has been the recipient of much hyperbolic media attention. However, they are scarcely used for their intended purpose: a digital medium of exchange. Some economists believe that this is because of a few intrinsic flaws, such as price volatility and high transaction costs. On the other hand, computer scientists tend to believe that these are minor hurdles. Through the combination of analysis on the original Blockchain technology and innovative new cryptocurrencies, this project attempts to decide if there is a future for cryptocurrencies as genuine currencies. Furthermore, this essay describes how they could transform the global economy by creating global privately supplied currencies.

Jacob, Yr 13 Geopolitical blame game: colonialism and environmental degradation What are the effects of colonialism - and its modern successors - on the global distribution and perception of environmental damage? Discussed are the lasting effect of imperialism, the modern equivalent of colonialism in the form of TNCs’ influence, and the political confusion that has led public opinion to blame the developing world for the decreasing health of the planet. Harry, Yr 13 John Bull, the Hermit and Dirty Dick: Crime and criminal justice in Georgian Dulwich This essay situates some conclusions, drawn from hitherto unstudied archival material, about crime in Georgian Dulwich in relation to the existing literature on eighteenth- and nineteenth-century English society and politics. This material includes documents from the Dulwich College Archive, the London Lives >Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60

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