Quadrivium

Lower Sixth pupils opted for one of 11 rigorous and intellectually challenging Quadrivium courses. Ranging from architecture to zoology and from the role of engineering in modern society to the influence of Classics in later European culture, each bespoke course was designed by a member of staff with interests outside their subject’s main curriculum. Quadrivium day trips were followed by the annual Quadrivium Lecture, given this year by Old Oundelian Dr Seb Falk, now a historian, broadcaster, historical consultant and Fellow of Girton College, Cambridge. His talk showed the true interdisciplinary potential of Quadrivium, blurring the boundaries between science, art and religion across different times and places.

“Mapping the Heavens and Earth in Medieval Science and Art” 2022 Quadrivium lecture by Dr Seb Falk (B 99)

Lower Sixth pupils undertook AQA’s Extended Project Qualification, in which they chose to research a topic beyond their examined subjects and spent the year independently researching and producing that project under the supervision of a member of staff. The EPQ qualification teaches pupils how to conduct proper academic research as well as developing the skills necessary to manage a large-scale project, potentially earning them up to half an A level worth of UCAS points. Pupils showcased their final work at a Project Presentation Evening in Great Hall.

Topics include:

● An analysis of the Ramayana

● Whether Critical Race Theory should be taught in schools

● The impact of colonialism in Kenya

● The effectiveness of neuromarketing

● The prescription of antidepressants.

39 university offers included the EPQ.