The Roedean Academy is an exciting collaborative programme of academic enrichment for highly talented and aspiring students in the local area in Year 10. If these words describe you and you’re ready to be challenged intellectually and think independently, apply to take part!
This is the fifth year the Academy has run, and it has been so successful that it has grown in scope and reach each year – in 2022-2023, the programme will include up to 100 students from 7 schools in the local area, and collaborative activities will take place each term.
The programme is delivered at Roedean, and is designed to bring together like-minded young people, to provide enriching academic extension far beyond what is required at GCSE, to stimulate and challenge the most able, and to help to prepare them for more detailed and rewarding study in the Sixth Form and beyond.
In order to benefit fully from the Roedean Academy, you need to be ready and willing to contribute and play an active part in all elements of the programme, and to commit to attending all sessions across the year.
The Roedean Academy runs on Tuesday afternoons, from 16:00 to 18:00. Transport from our partner schools will be provided, but all attendees must make their own arrangements for return travel. There is no charge for taking part in the programme.
DrRoss Barrand
Deputy Head: Co-Curriculum and Partnerships
‘This pushed me out of my comfort zone at a place where I still felt comfortablechallenged.’but
Gael (Blatchington Mill)
‘I was able to be more myself, and express my thoughts. I liked that it made me rethink some of my beliefs.’
Trinity (King’s Hove)
‘I have enjoyed it thoroughly, and have been tested in ways I’ve never done before.’
Tegen (PACA)
‘We were given more freedom to share ideas, views, and opinions.’
Willow (Peacehaven Community School)
‘It introduced me to a different way of thinking, and new topics, some of which I didn’t know existed.’
Nicholas (King’s Hove)
‘The teaching style is very engaging and allows every student to be involved in discussions.’
Hua (Blatchington Mill)
‘Having academic opportunities that aren’t just solely based on grades was fun, as we have more freedom to be ourselves.’
Mbali (Roedean)
A selection of titles from June 2022
International Relations Theory: Ukraine – a Case-Study (Politics)
Love It or Hate It... The Physics of Marmite! (Physics) Crystal Lattice Structures (Chemistry)
Shakespeare’s World: Understanding Texts through Objects (English) Covid Recession, Cost of Living Crisis, Climate Crisis! What is Going On? (Economics)
Reality and Illusion –living in Stalin’s Russia (History)
A Study of Animal Behaviour (Biology)
Neurodiversity – A Study (Psychology)
Hollywood Films and their Hidden Meanings (English)
Autumn Term 2022
Black History Month lecture
5 October 2022 – 16:00-18:00
The History of the Windrush – Baroness Benjamin DBE OBE. The lecture is followed by discussion and exploration of this theme in small groups.
February-March 2023
5-week programme, after February half-term, with 2 sessions each week
Students have a free choice of which sessions to attend, allowing each to follow a path which complements their interests, be that in Science, Humanities, or Arts
International Women’s Day on 8 March 2022
Students are welcome to take part in this empowering day of lectures, selecting 5 talks to attend, from a choice of over 20 speakers across the day.
Summer Term 2023
Academic Symposium
7 June 2023 – 16:00-18:00
Students research and prepare an academic paper on a topic of their choice over the course of the term, then deliver a 5-minute lecture to an audience of their peers
16:00-17:00
17:00-18:00
Introduction to the Academy in the Old Ref & Tour of the School
• Attitudes Towards Gender-Neutral Spanish (Languages –Ms Ibanez-Barcelo)
• Ethics in Sport (Sport Science – Miss Kirby-Jones)
• Myths of Transformation: Conceptualising Change in Ovid’s Epic Poem, the Metamorphoses (Classics – Mr Barber)
• Physical Theatre Improvisation (Drama – Mrs Woodbridge)
• Stencil and Screen (Art – Miss Phillips)
• What it Takes to be a Doctor or Dentist? (Science – Dr Staniford)
16:00-17:00
• Chemical Analysis Challenge (Chemistry – Miss Walker)
• ‘Mini-budget Mayhem, Rampant Inflation, and National Strikes – Help! What is Going On and What Can We Do About It?’ (Economics – Mr Clingan)
• Crash Course in British Sign Language (BSL – Mrs Palmer)
• The Language of the Inter-Generational War: Gen-Z, Millennials, Gen-X, and the Boomers… (English – Mr Woodhouse)
• In Harmony – Recorder Group from Scratch! (Music – Mrs Mendes)
• ‘Should museums return their treasures?’ (History – Ms BentonStace)
17:00-18:00
• Code-Breaking – Patterns in Language (Languages – Dr Barrand)
• The 8 Billion Population Ceiling has been Smashed – Is Planet Earth now Facing a Population Crisis? (Geography – Mr Carter)
• Magic Mathematical Moments (Mathematics – Mr Halsey)
• Bach to Beyoncé – How Core Musical Elements can Illuminate the Connections between Different Styles and Genres (Music –Mr McGregor)
• An Introduction to Life Drawing (Arts – Ms Strachan)
• Virtue Theory: Why Should I Be a Good Person? (Philosophy –Mr Megahey)
All day / pm only
International Women’s Day [- see separate programme]
16:00-17:00
• Is Facial Recognition the Worst Invention in Tech History? (ICT – Mrs Griffiths)
• Why Do We Need Bees? (Ecology – Mrs Hawkins)
• Mega-Catastrophes (Geography – Mrs Sharp)
• The Power of Literary Letter-Writing (English – Ms Saville)
• Neurodiversity – A Study (Psychology – Mr Harrison)
• Sustainability in Design: What is the future of our materials? (Design – Mrs Quirk)
17:00-18:00
Researching and Writing an Academic Paper (Dr Hannan)
16:00-17:00
• A Study of Innate Animal Behaviour (Biology – Mrs Borsberry)
• ‘Eat Well For Less’ (Mathematics – Mr Lutwyche)
• American Politics (Politics – Mr Marchant)
• Gorgons and Goddesses – How Women in Mythology Continue to Shape our View of Feminine Power (Classics – Mrs Miller)
• Hip-Hop – A Street Dance Experience (Dance – Ms Abaza)
• Introduction to Russian (Languages – Dr Barrand)
17:00-18:00
Reception with Feedback in the Old Ref
(Languages – Ms Ibañez-Barceló)
In this module, we will be exploring how language adapts and evolves to fit the needs of our ever-changing society. We will focus on the how the Spanish language is becoming more and more inclusive, and the debates revolving around the use of gender-neutral language.
(Sport Science – Miss Kirby-Jones)
With sport being such a lucrative business in the modern era, and the margins between winning and losing getting finer and finer, have the ethics in and the reason behind taking part in sport become blurred?
(Classics – Mr Barber)
Do you enjoy Greek mythology? Do you know little about Greek mythology, but want to discover some of the most famous Classical myths in the literary canon, and ponder their universal significance for our understanding of the human experience? This whistlestop tour of a selection of the most renowned stories from the masterpiece of the 1st century AD love elegist, turned epic poet and general ‘jack-of-all-trades’, Ovid, will awaken to you a whole range of symbolic meanings behind the concept of change. No prior understanding is required!
(Drama – Mrs Woodbridge)
Please join us for an hour of physical theatre, where you can improve your co-ordination and co-operation skills. It’s an active class, so please wear relaxed clothes that you can move in. The session will be based on A Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night Time, using Frantic Assembly techniques.
(Art – Miss Phillips)
This screen-printing activity is an exciting opportunity for students who would like to explore new processes and techniques, as well as developing existing techniques. You will get a chance to do a combination of both hand-cut stencils and digital screen-printing.
(Science – Dr Staniford)
In this session, we will look at what it takes to become a doctor or dentist in the NHS, giving you tips on how to prepare yourself, and also an opportunity to have a go at some of the problems you might face at an interview. This session would of interest to anyone considering a career in health care, medicine, or dentistry, along with those that are interested in STEM generally. This session will be interactive, involving discussions in small groups and problemsolving, so come prepared to think and contribute!
Session 1 – 16:00-17:00
(Chemistry – Miss Walker)
With a trip to the Chemistry labs, you are set the challenge of determining the identity of four unknown compounds using chemical means. No prior knowledge is required, as full instruction will be given. This is a practical session, so come prepared to get involved.
(Economics – Mr Clingan)
Every month we seem to be facing a new economic crisis! How can we understand it all, and how can we find solutions to create the perfect world? Come and gain an exciting insight into the world of Economics, and maybe consider it as a career!
(BSL – Mrs Palmer)
Have you ever wondered how exciting it would be to ‘speak’ a language that not many other people speak? Sign Language has recently been accepted as an official language by law, and it is definitely increasing in popularity as a result of wider exposure, like Rose Ayling-Ellis’ success on Strictly Come Dancing. If you would like to learn the alphabet and some greetings in BSL, you would be very welcome!
(English – Mr Woodhouse)
Have you ever argued with older relatives and thought their ideas hopelessly old-fashioned? The session will look at how language has been weaponised in an attempt to carve out distinct generational identities and win ideological battles, and the fight to claim the moral high-ground by pre-empting concepts linguistically. We will look at the language theory of Bakhtin, and invoke other key theorists to help us understand who is right and who is wrong –assuming it is possible to know…
(Music – Mrs Mendes)
Can you remember playing the recorder many years ago? Have you never played the recorder but want to try? In one hour, we will use 4 different sized recorders (and some percussion) to play a lively medieval tune about clowns. Teamwork, improvisation, and listening skills are needed, as well as a good sense of fun. Don’t worry if you cannot read music!
‘Should museums return their treasures?’
(History – Ms Benton-Stace)
This session will be an exploration of the role of museums through the past, and some of the modern controversies of whether artefacts, such as the Elgin Marbles, should be returned to their place of origin.
(Languages – Dr Barrand)
English is an incredibly irregular language, Finnish has 14 cases and is in the same linguistic group as Mongolian, and there are over 500 native languages spoken in Nigeria. In this module, we will look at other alphabets and scripts to see how they are constructed and ‘break their code’, and then work together to try to identify what you do to make a noun plural or put a verb into the past tense. If you want to pursue languages, or perhaps learn a new language at university, this is for you.
(Geography – Mr Carter)
This session covers the implications for the world now that we have exceeded the 8 billion people mark. Should we be optimistic or pessimistic about the immediate and long-term future of our planet?
(Mathematics – Mr Halsey)
Discover real-life applications for Mathematics within the world of mechanics.
(Music – Mr McGregor)
Nietzsche said, ‘A life without music would be a mistake.’ But what type of music? The sheer amount of music in the world can be overwhelming: streaming algorithms narrow our view, and unfamiliar genres seem alien. This seminar will explore some fundamental building blocks of music, and seek to show how these are common to different styles. By examining how music is crafted from shared core elements, we can gain a deeper understanding of the significant connections between different music, and find ways to challenge our preconceptions about the unfamiliar.
(Arts – Ms Strachan)
This session will focus on drawing directly from the model, and observing the human figure. You will learn the following:
• draw what you see, not what you think a figure should look like
• it is about the process of drawing, not the outcome – it’s learning to see and to trust your eye
• pencil miles – put the time in and you will reap the benefits
(Philosophy – Mr Megahey)
Why should I be a good person? One of the key areas in ethics that has often been overlooked has answers at least as far back as Aristotle over two thousand years ago. In this session, we will explore what the key questions are in ethics, what we should prioritise when considering morality, and how modern developments have revived an ancient theory.
(ICT – Mrs Griffiths)
In this module, we look at how facial recognition is being used in society, and investigate and debate if it really is as sinister as the reports suggest.
(Ecology – Mrs Hawkins)
Bees, buzzing around, getting stuck inside, and stinging people! Bees really are misunderstood, and often maligned. Why is it so important that we look after bees and their habitat? Not only are they gentle and rarely sting, but they do so much good. In this session, we will explore the benefits bees bring, and what we can do to support them in their work.
(English – Ms Saville)
We’ll be looking at the way famous authors use and used letter-writing as a space of refuge and creativity. Oftentimes, these letters seem to go beyond the boundaries of space and time and reveal something unique about their authors. Literary letters have even inspired and changed the way people study English. In this workshop, we will be reading and discussing the ideas and lives in these letters, and experimenting with the form and genre of letter-writing ourselves.
(Geography – Mrs Sharp)
You are probably used to hearing about volcanic eruptions and earthquakes on the news… but are you aware that a volcano significantly bigger than Yellowstone nearly wiped out the human race 75,000 years ago? Or that a huge tsunami off the coast of Norway disconnected the UK from mainland Europe? In these sessions, we will investigate past events and their destructive power. We will also explore predicted mega-catastrophes and why we are potentially at risk of a mega-tsunami here in Brighton. This module would suit any humanities students who have an interest in the natural world and past events.
(Psychology – Mr Harrison)
The neurodiversity session will address the current complexities and confusions surrounding the diagnosis of neurological and developmental differences in general, and Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) in particular. Students will participate in activities designed to raise awareness of the issues surrounding the classification systems used to diagnose these conditions. The history of Autism will also be discussed; and finally, students will consider how teaching and learning strategies may be modified to accommodate ASC learners.
(Design – Mrs Quirk)
A new generation of designers is rethinking our relationship to everyday things. From fashion to food, electronics to construction, and even packaging – finding the lost value in our waste and reimagining a future of clean materials.
(Research – Dr Hannan)
In preparation for the ‘Roedean Academy Symposium’ on 7 June, this session will take you through some tips on preparing a short research paper. Researching a topic that you choose and give your own individual direction to, and then sharing your findings with others, can be hugely exciting and rewarding. It will also help you to further develop your skills of scholarship that universities really value, as well as the skill of presenting ideas clearly and with authority that future employers will be impressed by.
We will be covering:
• How to identify a topic and to narrow down on a research question
• How to find relevant research resources
• How to record your research
• How to plan and write your academic paper
• How to prepare a short presentation
Session
1 – 16:00-17:00 Tuesday
(Biology – Mrs Borsberry)
Students will investigate how temperature affects animal behaviour, taking into account the safe and ethical use of organisms. The organisms used will be maggots or woodlice. Students will also learn how to assess the significance of their results, using statistical analysis. This will be a practical session taking place in the Biology labs.
(Mathematics – Mr Lutwyche)
Were you confused by the title? – this is Maths, and here’s why: how do supermarkets and price comparison sites work? The answer is matrices… We will also look at transformations involving matrices used in animation.
(Politics – Mr Marchant)
(Classics – Mrs Miller)
In this session, we will explore feminine power in mythology, and its influences on Art and Literature from classical times to the modern age.
(Dance – Ms Abaza)
What are ‘spongebobs’, the ‘alf’, and the ‘cabbage-patch’? Join us for an hour of street dance, where you can explore the historical context and terminology associated with this style. Then we’ll use what we’ve learnt to create a short routine, using Zoo Nation as a starting point.
(Languages – Dr Barrand)
Russian is probably a language that few, if any, of you know? Do you think that it’s hard? Have you wondered what it’s like writing in and reading a different alphabet? Why would you want to learn it? Does the current situation in Ukraine make you feel differently about it? Russian is a wonderful language, with a rich tradition in poetry and other literature, and it has a mystique about it which is inescapable… If you know no Russian, why not find out a little about it – you’ll learn how to introduce yourself in Russian, and learn how to read the Cyrillic script and write it too!
For the Spring term programme, you will need to choose your preferred modules for each session. You will be doing this using an app called SchooolsBuddy – please download this free from the AppStore, and you will be sent an activation code by email.
When making your selections, you should include first, second, and third choices, and the app will make sure that the sessions have balanced numbers, and that you get most of your preferences, if not all.
The deadline for completing your selections on the app is Wednesday 8 February.
If you have any questions, or problems, please contact Annie Bye (aby@roedean.co.uk).
