Extended Thinking Celebrated

Thursday evening saw the annual Ithaka Award Evening take place in the DRT. As a part of our core curriculum, all pupils in Year 12 follow our Extend course. Pupils work alongside a supervise to undertake an extended project on a topic of their choice, identifying appropriate sources and methods for their research. Pupils can choose between completing an EPQ or our longstanding in-house PGS Extend project. Congratulations to all finalists and to Annika B. who was announced as the winner of the 2024 Ithaka Award.

The event was a chance to honour and celebrate the pupils who produced outstanding pieces of work, in either their EPQ or our in-house PGS extend project. The awards were held in the David Russell Theatre and began with a talk from our Head, Mr David Wickes.

The finalists were then introduced by Mr Paul Gamble, Co-coordinator of Sixth Form Extend and EPQ.

The ten finalists were as followed:

• Alec B -With a focus on three separate case studies: is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights still appropriate and relevant for the world of today? (EPQ)
• Annika B - Can Physical and mental exercise be effective in delaying the onset of Alzheimer’s Disease? (EPQ)
• Ashnah E - A critical analysis of the diagnosis and treatment of squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity. (EPQ)
• Edward H - Assess the causes of Brexit. (PGS Extend)
• Duncan J - Assess whether governance is the most important factor that causes urbanisation to result in economic growth in Shanghai, People’s Republic of China and Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. (EPQ)
• Grace K - ‘Drawing a fractal in order to explore the combination of a Dragon Curve and Apollonian Gasket.’ (EPQ)
• Henry L - What evidence is there for curved spacetime? (PGS Extend)
• Darria M - With consideration of the impact of cognitive processes, is grammar-translation an effective method for foreign language teaching? (EPQ)
• Samir P - Assess the significance of the USSR in the outcome of the German capitulation during the Second World War. (EPQ)
• Hannah W - Design and make a multimedia blanket inspired by the landscapes in the novels of the Bronte sisters. (EPQ)

Nine of the pupil finalists then gave a presentation about their project.

Below are the comments from the judging panel, taken from the evening:

To pay the full tribute that each pupil deserves would take up several hours; so, this evening, I will restrict myself to a brief summation of the skills, qualities and values that particularly impressed the judges and that led to each of these candidates being selected as Ithaka finalists. 

Firstly, the judges wish to commend Alec for combining cogency of argument with incisive and nuanced analysis. Annika demonstrated intellectual adaptability in her engagement with a range of perspectives and a consistent sense of the social and ethical context of her scientific research. Ashnah’s active commitment to learning and the maturity and confidence of her research were remarked upon by the judges, as were Ed’s intellectual independence and the comprehensiveness of his methodology. The extent of Duncan’s global understanding and his capacity for academic self-reflection were notable. The judges were also impressed by the interdisciplinary nature of Grace’s approach, combining analytical precision and artistic flair. We were struck both by the scale of Henry’s intellectual ambition and his ability to grasp and distil complex concepts. Dasha’s project was notable for its conceptual originality and for the critical rigour that she brought to her research. The judges noted Samir’s intellectual integrity and his careful evaluation of sources. Finally, Hannah impressed with the way that she combined imagination and craftsmanship with sophisticated literary analysis and a sense of social responsibility.  

In sum, the judges were deeply impressed by all ten of the finalists, and salute the skills, qualities and values that they have each demonstrated. Their projects may be vertiginously varied in focus and style, but they are united by a shared sense of intellectual ambition and integrity. I commend them to you.