Sharpening Minds

The Upper Sixth look forward to Friday afternoons – not in anticipation of the weekend, but because of the Upper Sixth Speaker Series.

Each week, organised by our Sixth Form speaker captains, students hear from a brilliant guest speaker, each providing a different perspective on the world. So far this term, the Sixth Formers have welcomed Emma Cole, who spoke about living with HIV and how the treatment and perception has changed over the past 40 years; Harri Hall, feminist writer and lifestyle editor of the Independent; artist Angela Findlay, who shared her stories of teaching art in prisons and prison reform; and, most recently, Oxford Professor, inequality expert and social geographer, Danny Dorling, with his take on Brexit.

To give Year 11 pupils a flavour of life in the Sixth Form, they also enjoyed a taste of the Speaker Series last month: professional golfer John Hoskison delivered a powerful talk on making the right decisions, with his poignant, personal story.  By bringing in inspiring experts, and hearing such diverse and remarkable stories, pupils learn much about the outside world, enriching their learning in preparation for life beyond.