School Matters 36

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LONDON LIBRARY VISITS SUPPORT EPQ RESEARCH Sixth Form pupils headed into town for twilight trips to the iconic Piccadilly institution otherwise known as the London Library.

‘Science and Miscellaneous’ section proved particularly fruitful! With over one million volumes to choose from it is hardly surprising that no-one came away empty- handed. There is now a rather impressive mini outpost of the London Library in the School library with an intriguing array of titles such as Why the Sky is Blue and Snake Oil Science . The pupils’ enthusiasm during the trips and stash of research spoils just shows that the printed word is most definitely not dead yet. Ms Helen Cleaves, Librarian

In addition to borrowing books by post and having access to its vast collection of digital resources such as JSTOR, our school membership means that we are also able to visit in person and benefit from research support from the London Library team. One of the librarians gave a brief introduction to the library and its unique classification system and explained the Humanities focus of the library’s holdings. The institution’s award-winning architecture did not fail to impress, and pupils snapped photos of the stunning design that incorporates the nineteenth-century building with the contemporary twenty-first- century development to accommodate the ever-expanding collection. Having established that no-one suffered from a fear of heights (the gaps in the floor can be rather dizzying) and having become accustomed to the slightly unnerving movement underfoot (the floor is not fixed but kept in place by the books!) pupils were let loose in the bookstacks. To help them get started, each pupil was provided with a list of relevant shelf-marks and titles based on their EPQ question. With research topics ranging from aeronautical engineering and Artificial Intelligence to porpoises, the wonderfully eclectic

IPS POTTERFEST There was magic in the air as Potter fans from Senior 7 – 10 convened after school for a celebration of all things Hogwarts, aka our belated ‘Harry Potter Book Night’. Given their extensive Potter knowledge, it was a case of fastest first in the Ultimate Potter Kahoot! quiz. Congratulations to Poppy Rendell, S9 who held on to the top spot throughout despite fierce competition from fellow super-fans. Well done to runners up Fleur Granier-Deferre, S8 and Bella Riad, LVI. After a brief lesson from Professor Trelawney, pupils attempted tasseography, seeking answers to the vital questions of the day such as ‘Will I get a dog?’ in their tea leaves. All were relieved that no ‘grims’ were found lurking at the bottom of their teacups although that could be a fair description of the not entirely popular hibiscus fruit tea! Along with an encouraging future ahead, every guest took home a handmade Patronus charm bracelet. Thank you to Miss Levesque, Bella and Joe Lee, VI for helping to run the event.