Humanities

ACADEMIC LECTURE SERIES ACADEMIC LECTURE SERIES

A Business Purpose: Necessity or Nonsense?

By Tom Hall

Managing Director, Alitex Ltd.

Thursday 30 September 4.15pm

Lecture Theatre

ChurchersCollege.com

Trading in Commodities

By Martin Perry

Senior Trader, Bartholomews

Thursday 14 October 2021 4.15PM

Refreshments available from 4pm in the gallery Churcher’s College Lecture Theatre

ChurchersCollege.com

Business

Twenty-two Upper Sixth Formers took our Business A Level this year. Despite a disrupted Lower Sixth year, the students rose to the challenge of revision, exam technique, and hard work. For the first time, we also had a cohort of Fifth Years taking the Business GCSE exam. These 12 students worked with enthusiasm, showing a keen interest in the world of business throughout the year. Thankfully, we were able to restart our Business CCALS speaker programme this year, with Martin Perry, Senior Trader at Bartholomews, joining us in November to talk about about trading in agricultural commodities. We also welcomed Tom Hall, Managing Director of Alitex, to discuss the importance of values, mission, and vision in business when he spoke in September. As ever, a number of our Upper Sixth Formers intend to continue their study of Business at university. Whatever they choose to do next, they leave us with our very best wishes for the future.

Classics

The Classics Department celebrated the new year by moving into our new classrooms and office in Goodfield, with two fantastic rooms for teaching Latin, Classical Civilisation, and Ancient History. In the classroom we have introduced a new Second Year Latin course, De Romanis, giving pupils a flavour of Greek and Roman life as well as building their proficiency and confidence with the language. In the Third Year, the popular Classical Civilisation course has introduced new topics on Myth and the gods. Numbers have remained high for both Latin and Classical Civilisation at GCSE, with two sets of Classical Civilisation and one of Latin.

In the Sixth Form, our A Level courses have also enjoyed an enthusiastic following, with four Latinists and eight Ancient Historians in the current Lower Sixth. As well as attending an excellent lecture on Augustus and Aeneas by Dr Tristan Franklinos from Oxford University in March, they are all joining the department for our Greece tour next October. Ms Elson and Mr Gibbins have taken a committed group of Fourth and Fifth Years through an Ancient Greek language course after school throughout the year, leading to an exam in May - the new Intermediate Certificate in Greek Language. It is great to see some of the pupils taking up GCSE Greek next year as a result.

In June, our Fourth Year Latin and Classical Civilisation pupils took part in a trip to the British Museum, examining many of the artefacts that they have studied over the year. They then enjoyed the annual King’s College Greek play, the Plague at Thebes - a dynamic reworking of Sophocles’ Oedipus Tyrannos and Antigone.

Jon Hegan

Economics

As the influential US Economist, Ezra Soloman, once said, “The only function of economic forecasting is to make astrology look respectable.” We are living in extraordinary times. Twelve months ago, who would have predicted a cost-of-living crisis with

inflation reaching a 40-year high? Who could have foreseen a war on European soil with reconstruction costs estimated to be upward of $750bn? In recent weeks, we have also witnessed 50 Conservative MP’s resigning in the space of 48 hours, and been saddened by the tragic and senseless death of the former Japanese leader, Shinzo Abe, whose economic legacy is defined by his namesake strategy, ‘Abenomics’. Never before has there been a more pertinent time to be studying this discipline. Future generations need to be equipped with the skills to confront global issues, to be analytical and evaluative, to think creatively and conceptually, and to be strong-minded and solution-focused.

At Churcher’s, the students stay abreast of all the latest developments across the global economy through their subscriptions to the Financial Times and the Economics Today journal. With a strong interest in society and values, they are wellversed in current affairs. They revel in academic debate, where views are expressed in an eloquent and persuasive manner. Despite the challenges and disruptions of the pandemic, the students’ impressive commitment and passion for Economics is unrelenting.

The Economics Department has undergone a period of transition in recent times, with the departure of Martin Hill, the Head of Department, and the arrival of myself and Karen Naylor, however, there is plenty to look forward to on the horizon. I would like to congratulate Alice Wadley Stroud, Joe McLarnon, Frank Hodges, and Ollie Bowen on their recent appointments as Economics prefects. The standard of applications was exceptionally high and we look forward to working closely with them next year to improve the department.

Steve Huckle

Geography

ADespite covid, our GCSE and A Level exam cohorts have both been able to complete their respective specifications in full, and benefitted from the narrower revision focus. After two years of disruption, it has been wonderful to get back to unmasked, face-to-face teaching in the classroom, and fieldwork in the real world, free from groupsize restrictions, social-distancing, and PPE. This year’s fieldwork has included two trips to Highcliffe, with the Fifth Year visiting in September, postponed from last summer, and the Fourth Year visiting in June. The sun shone on both occasions, and the pupils were able to collect primary data on the causes and impacts of the contrasting coastal management strategies at Highcliffe Town and the adjoining holiday park at Naish Farm. The Second Years were also able to travel to sunny West Dorset to explore the roles of geology and erosional processes in the sequence of landform development at Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door.

In June, 22 Lower Sixth geographers returned to the Field Study Council’s centre at Nettlecombe Court in Somerset. In three and a half days of gloriously sunny weather, the students were able to investigate beach morphology in Porlock Bay, appraise contrasting places at the villages of Exford and Dunster, and assess the

impact of coastal management at Minehead. The purpose of the trip was for the students to practise fieldwork data-collection, presentation and analysis techniques in a variety of environments, and to help them choose a focus for their own NEA titles once back in Petersfield. This year’s Upper Sixth NEA submissions comprised a real breadth of foci and locations, ranging from groyne effectiveness on the Isle of Wight, to the impact of wave energy on beach profiles in Cornwall, and differences in place perception by age in Hambledon. The best investigation was judged to be Adie Matson’s assessment of the extent to which, the presence of national multiple stores along the High Street rendered Chichester a “clone town”. The sun-soaked fieldwork year ended with the First Years investigating biogeography at Marwell Zoo, exploring the Tropical Rainforest and Savanna Grassland biomes, and conducting individual investigations into species adaptations to habitat in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.

We were delighted to welcome Sacha Neill of Coastal Partners in October 2021 to deliver an online lecture on coastal management at Hurst Spit. Aimed at GCSE and A Level students, Sasha’s excellent presentation covered coastal processes, and monitoring, management, and funding for this geomorphologically and culturally significant landform. With COP 26 in Glasgow, floods and heatwaves across the globe, conflict in Ukraine, a hotly debated UK migration policy, a volcanic eruption in Tonga, and an earthquake in Afghanistan, geography has been prominent in the news throughout the year. This has catalysed some heated discussion in the classroom and, reportedly, over quite a few family dining tables!

History

The Eurostar to Paris, the train up to the Cabinet war rooms, coach trips to Hampton Court, The Tower of London, and Suffolk ‘trenches’, as well as a multitude of live lectures: it’s good to be back to the norm! We have had a fantastic year getting back into our stride.

Paris with the Sixth Form

There was a sense of euphoria as we stepped into the Gard du Nord and headed for two days of “living history lessons”, as one student put it. Seeing the Palace of Versailles, and following in the steps of the revolutionaries in Paris with the indomitable Mr McLearie as our guide, was both amusing and enjoyable.

The Houses of Parliament and the War rooms with our Upper Sixth

We had a fantastic day exploring the underground bunkers where Churchill led the strategic war effort, and then had a highly informative tour around the Houses of Parliament, which included seeing the Commons in action and chatting to our local MP.

The ‘Trench experience’ with the Third Years

We headed to Suffolk where pupils tried on military uniforms, toured WW1 graves, and went into trenches had been used in film sets, replete with barbed wire, shell holes etc…

The Tower of London and the Docklands Museum with the Second Years

We were treated to a Norman or Elizabethan workshop, and then toured the Docklands Museum to see the slavery galleries and focus on the Transatlantic trade.

Hampton Court Palace with the First Years

We had a fun-filled day touring the Tudor palace and being enlightened by experts about the Tudor religious rollercoaster and life at the Tudor court. The maze also proved to be a fun diversion.

We have also had some excellent CCALS lectures which have consolidated class work: • From hope to terror: the French revolutionary rollercoaster, 1789-94,

Prof David Andress • Mrs Thatcher and me, Tim Flesher:

Private secretary between 1982-86 • Holocaust Memorial Day: HET lecture to all the Fourth Years • The inexorable rise of Napoleon,

Prof William Doyle Once again, the Third Years produced some magnificent pieces of art work and poetry, for our annual World War 1 competition.

To enrich our students’ knowledge, enthusiasm, and curiosity of many things historical has been a real delight, and one which the History Department has relished. We are busily plotting more enriching experiences for next year…

Helen Jolliffe

Politics

How wonderful to return to a sense of normality this year, with students able to enjoy the usual smorgasbord of trips and lectures in the flesh. It was wonderful for the Upper Sixth to make it to Westminster to see the Houses of Parliament, Supreme Court, and to meet Damian Hinds MP, as well as take in the newly refurbished Big Ben.

Undoubtedly, the standout moment of the year was the headline guest lecture from Sir Vince Cable, the former Liberal Democrat leader and cabinet minister. The department has been extremely lucky to welcome some high-profile speakers in recent years, but Sir Vince certainly represents a major coup. The lecture, entitled ‘Money and Power’, covered the influence of famous politicians on economics, and how their policies reflected the work of major economic figures. To close, Sir Vince took a range of questions from students and audience members and was happy to spar with those of all political persuasion. Sir Vince also graciously agreed to meet with Sixth Form Politics students prior to the talk, to pass on his advice, experiences, and thoughts about the current political landscape, and even how some might pursue their own dreams of standing at the ballot box. It was a fantastic evening and the students did the department proud. The event, in conjunction with One Tree Books, who organised a book signing afterwards, was able to raise a substantial sum for the charity Off the Record, a young people’s mental health charity in Twickenham, as well as sending Sir Vince on his way with a bottle of Churcher’s own tercentenary fizz. OC, Lt Col Chris Parker, kindly returned to give the students his thoughts on the state on global politics from a military perspective, as well as touching on the political challenges faced in combat zones and the human cost of the elites’ political machinations. We also shared a fantastic lecture with the History department, ‘Mrs Thatcher and Me’, by Tim Flesher, who served as private secretary to Margaret Thatcher. Tim discussed the challenges of prepping for PMQs and what it was like to go for dinner with the Iron Lady!

A new venture for the department this year, saw our first group of students enter the John Locke Essay Competition - an international essaywriting competition organized by Oxford and Princeton Universities. Of the five Churcherians who entered, we were thrilled to find that two of our students were shortlisted in their category for the top prize; Adam Smith for his essay on political donations and party funding, and James Restell for his piece on the Metaverse. Both essays were chosen from over 7,000 submissions and they have been invited to attend gala dinners in Oxford where the winning essays will be announced. An outstanding achievement! In the annual Great Debate assembly, Lower Sixth students devise a title and select speakers to perform a public debate to the Third and Fourth Years, before inviting them to have their say at the ballot box. This year’s title was, ‘The United Kingdom should introduce an elected President

as Head of State’. Sophie Knowles and Luke Watson made passionate cases for introducing an elected President, focusing heavily on their perceived failings of Boris Johnson’s government, whilst Adam Smith and Lizzie Scrutton provided a compelling case for keeping both a Prime Minister and Monarch. Ultimately, Adam and Lizzie’s case won the day, with 67% to 33% in favour of retaining the current system. With news that Boris Johnson was to step down following only days afterwards, we hope that the students will continue to display such exceptional powers of prescience and foresight in the coming year.

Patrick Cheshire

Psychology

This year, we welcomed Amanda Bridger into the department, and whilst we can’t really call ourselves the ‘new kids on the block’ anymore, we can continue to boast about how popular we are! That there are now 10 sets across the Sixth Form is just one indicator of the rude good health of Psychology at Churcher’s College. Psychology is also enjoying a popularity boom across the country, with students recognising its value as a discipline that goes well with most other subjects.

Our students have been fantastic. Engaged and hardworking, they have prepared themselves well for the exam hall (something we haven’t done in a while), with some super days around school collecting data on helping behaviour and social media use. It was great to see our young psychologists out and about collecting data and interacting with their participants. For many, we know it will be the start of a long journey of research, especially if they’ve made the decision to read Psychology at university.

Many of our students have also become published authors in the ATP Psychology magazine, on topics from phobias to the mind of psychopaths. The drive our students demonstrate to get up and write is indicative of the fabulous students we have in our department, and they are the reason for our continued success.

Gary Glasspool

Religion & Philosophy

For years, the R&P Department has been the pillar of stability in terms of staff. Mr Baker, Mr Lofthouse, and Mr Ostersen have made up the core for the last 10 years. This year, however, something new happened - we gained Mrs Wilson. She has joined us from Horndean Technology College and we have welcomed all her new ideas, resources, and enthusiasm.

In addition to the change in staff, we added a new trip to our curriculum: a tour around the churches of Petersfield for our Fourth Year GCSE class. It was the brainchild of Mr Lofthouse, which meant the trip included a scheduled stop in Café Nero. We had a great time discussing the moral issues of the day with the Roman Catholic Church, the Methodist Church, and then ended up at St. Peter’s Church. At the end of the trip, Mr Baker gave us a guided tour of Petersfield cemetery and we finally all got to see where Sir Alec Guinness (Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars) is buried.

This year’s A-Level leavers chose the Sermon of the Mount as their leaving picture. We are looking forward to next year where we once again will be enjoying two Lower Sixth classes.