Scholars’ Programme 2017-2018
Eclectic Joys... Welcome to the Scholars’ Programme for 2017/18 Scholars are in a privileged position at Culford, both in their status and because of the financial awards they receive. We expect them to show real commitment to the academic life of the school, therefore; not just by working to their own benefit, but also by being leaders in their subject areas and advocates for their passions.
The programme is designed to supplement scholars’ normal academic studies and takes on a variety of forms; from guest speakers to regular Oxbridge-style tutorials, debates and holiday reading. The schedule is good preparation for the mixture of reading, lectures and tutorials that scholars will meet at university.
The Scholars’ Programme is overseen by the Headmaster and the Deputy Head, as a mark of its importance. It comprises a series of tutorials, seminars and workshops designed to inspire our most able pupils to achieve their full academic potential. Scholars are expected to attend all events as their first priority unless excused by the Headmaster. However, you do not need to be a scholar to attend; all pupils in the Senior School are very welcome to come to the majority of the events and are encouraged to do so.
By the time they reach the Sixth Form we expect pupils’ academic passions to have become clear enough to allow all scholars to undertake a Research Project. The experience of writing an extended dissertation, or producing a suitable musical, dramatic or artistic composition, is good experience of university-style study and clear evidence to top universities of academic interest in a relevant subject.
We try to capture a wide range of interesting topics, in our programme of speakers, allowing scholars to dip their toes into various academic areas. The following pages underline the breadth of topics we seek to offer with relevance to a variety of academic subjects.
Such learning should also, however, be a stimulating experience in its own right: as should attending the programme of events laid out over the following pages. I hope this brochure will whet the appetite of our scholars, therefore, and leave them keen to be involved.
Julian Johnson-Munday MA MBA Headmaster
Autumn Term 2017 FRIDAY 22 SEPTEMBER Scholars’ Seminar ‘Coffee Cups and Donuts - A Topologist’s View of the World’ Speaker: Brian O’Riordan PhD BSc Dr Brian O’Riordan teaches Maths at Culford. He graduated from University College of Wales, Aberystwyth in Pure Maths and completed his doctorate in topology at Sussex University. Prior to entering teaching, Brian had a 20 year career in IT, initially applying his maths skills in a variety of research and test scenarios. Time: 4.00pm Venue: Watson Lecture Theatre All Scholars and Exhibitioners All pupils welcome
FRIDAY 13 OCTOBER Scholars’ Seminar ‘Britain and Europe in the Middle Ages’ Speaker: Marios Costambeys PhD BA (Hons) FRHistS Marios Costambeys is a Reader in Medieval History at the University of Liverpool. He completed his PhD at the University of Cambridge on peasants and monasteries in medieval Italy, and continues to research those themes, as well as the empire of Charlemagne, the history of the city of Rome, Christian-Muslim relations in the medieval Mediterranean, and the history of wine. He is the author or editor of, among others, The Carolingian World and The Medieval World. His book on Rome in the Early Middle Ages will be published next year. Time: 4.00pm Venue: Watson Lecture Theatre All Scholars and Exhibitioners All pupils welcome
FRIDAY 10 NOVEMBER Scholars’ Seminar ‘The Role of a Statistician in Medicine Development’ Speaker: Nigel Baker MSc C Stat Nigel Baker has a first degree in Applied Statistics and a Masters in Statistics from the University of Kent. He has worked as a statistician in the pharmaceutical industry for the whole of his career. He has helped scientists design and analyse studies in all phases of the medicine development process, from the experiments in the laboratory, through the animal testing and all phases of the clinical development. He has worked in a range of therapeutic areas including antifungals, asthma, renal disease, cancer and the side effects of cancer treatment. He now works for AstraZeneca as a Statistical Science Director, where he has global responsibility for the statistical aspects of the clinical development of a medicine that treats several different types of cancer.
Time: 4.00pm Venue: Billiard Room All Scholars and Exhibitioners All pupils welcome
Spring Term 2018
FRIDAY 26 JANUARY Scholars’ Seminar ‘Art and Hell’ Speaker: Dr Lisa Wade PhD LFHEA SFHEA Lisa Wade is an Art Historian and Head of the Department of Arts and Humanities at the newly independent University of Suffolk on the historic Ipswich waterfront. She completed her PhD at the University of Essex where she remains an honorary Senior Fellow within the School of Philosophy and Art History. Lisa’s specialist interests are the imagery of Hell and the Last Judgement in the art of the Italian Renaissance in particular. She has appeared on TV and radio over a number of years in discussion on the subject and has contributed to large volumes including Phaidon’s 30,000 years of Art. She has recently completed a chapter to be included in a handbook of Visual Criminology which is shortly to be published by Routledge. Time: 4.00pm Venue: Watson Lecture Theatre All Scholars and Exhibitioners All pupils welcome
FRIDAY 9 FEBRUARY Scholars’ Seminar ‘Architecture in Practice’ Speaker: Professor Jonathan Ellis-Miller BA (Hons) BArch (Hons) FRSA RIBA ARB Trained at the Liverpool School of Architecture where he won the Sikorski Prize, Jonathan began his career working with the late modernist architect John Winter. Jonathan established EllisMiller in 1991, winning the first of seven RIBA awards for the internationally acclaimed 83-85 Mansell Street in the City of London. He has continued to design a range of award-winning schemes from one-off houses through to large multi-stakeholder projects. He has been a member of many Design Review Panels and a chair of the 2014 London RIBA Awards. Jonathan has taught in architecture schools throughout the UK, including Norwich University of the Arts and served as a member of the RIBA/ARB Validation Board. Time: 4.00pm Venue: Watson Lecture Theatre All Scholars and Exhibitioners All pupils welcome
FRIDAY 9 MARCH Scholars’ Seminar ‘Why shouldn’t we break the law?’ Speaker: Dr Crispian Strachan MA Crispian Strachan studied Law at Oxford University and Criminology at Sheffield University. He served in the Metropolitan Police from 1972 until 1993, undertaking a wide range of operational duties as well as Royalty and Diplomatic Protection and hostage negotiation. He became Assistant Chief Constable in Strathclyde Police until 1998 then Chief Constable of Northumbria Police from 1998-2005, when he retired. He was awarded the QPM and the CBE for his police service. He is also currently a non-executive director of not for profit company Restorative Solutions CIC, and a Visiting Scholar in Applied Criminology and Police Management at the Institute of Criminology in Cambridge University. Time: 4.00pm Venue: Watson Lecture Theatre All Scholars and Exhibitioners All pupils welcome
FRIDAY 23 MARCH Scholars’ Seminar and Dinner ‘Social Media and Resistance’ Speaker: Dr Zeena Feldman PhD MA Zeena Feldman is Lecturer in Digital Culture in the Department of Digital Humanities, King’s College London. Zeena’s research investigates intersections between communication, technology and everyday life. She is especially interested in how digital technologies impact upon the understanding and performance of traditionally analogue concepts – for instance, friendship, work and wellbeing. She has published widely, including in OpenDemocracy, TripleC, Information, Communication & Society and Cultural Policy, Criticism & Management Research. Her edited collection, Art & The Politics of Visibility (IB Tauris), was recently published. Her monograph, Belonging in a Social Networking Age, will be out later this year. Time: 6.00pm Venue: Watson Lecture Theatre All Scholars and Exhibitioners All pupils welcome
Autumn Term 2017 15 September
4.15pm
Scholars’ Assembly and Reading Tutorials ALL YEARS
29 September
4.15pm
Scholars’ Academic Tutorial
9 November
6.00pm
UCAS AND BEYOND LOWER SIXTH
17 November
4.15pm
Scholars’ Tutorial UPPER FIFTH, LOWER
ALL YEARS
SIXTH AND UPPER SIXTH
1 December
4.15pm
Scholars’ Termly Debate ALL YEARS
7 December
4.15pm
Scholars’ Reading Tutorial ALL YEARS
Spring Term 2018 12 January
4.15pm
Reading Tutorial ALL YEARS
2 February
4.00pm
A Level Extended Project Qualification LOWER SIXTH
2 March
4.15pm
Scholars’ Tutorial FORM FOUR, LOWER FIFTH, UPPER FIFTH AND UPPER SIXTH
2 March
4.15pm
UCAS Tutorial LOWER SIXTH
16 March
4.15pm
Scholars’ Tutorial FORM FOUR, LOWER FIFTH, UPPER FIFTH AND UPPER SIXTH
16 March
4.15pm
UCAS Tutorial LOWER SIXTH
Date TBC
Aspirant Oxbridge Candidates Conference LOWER SIXTH
Summer Term 2018 27 April
4.15pm
30 June
4.00pm
Reading Tutorial FOURTH FORM AND LOWER FIFTH
Scholars’ Assembly Reading Tutorial FOURTH FORM AND LOWER FIFTH
Dates TBC
Life After Culford LOWER SIXTH
ACADEMIC SCHOLARS’ TUTORIALS AND DEBATES Academic scholars are required to attend several tutorials a term. Subjects discussed include academic issues, news items, UCAS applications to university, interview skills and the Student Investor Challenge. There are also termly debates where academic scholars can debate with members of the Common Room on the topic of their choice.
FRIDAY 11 MAY Scholars’ Seminar ‘Rachmaninoff, the Last Great Romantic’ Speaker: Peter Burge MusB LTCL ALCM Director of Music at Culford, Peter Burge studied at Manchester University, the Royal Northern College of Music and London Institute of Education, University of London gaining a Mus.B (Hons) degree in Music and PGCE in Secondary Music. He has performance diplomas on both the clarinet and piano and has led music tours to many European countries as well as Canada, America, Dubai and Hong Kong. Time: 4.00pm Venue: Billiard Room All Scholars and Exhibitioners All pupils welcome ‘A composer’s music should express the country of his birth, his love affairs, his religion, the books that have influenced him, the pictures he loves. It should be the sum total of a composer’s experience’ Sergei Rachmaninoff
Culford School Bury St Edmunds Suffolk IP28 6TX Tel: 01284 728615 admissions@culford.co.uk culford.co.uk