School_Matters_Issue_35

PVI AND UVI SUMMER SCHOOL 16

PHILOSOPHICAL REASONING An ambitious group led by Mr Swift took on formal logic to practise constructing deductive and inductive arguments. They analysed reasoning techniques and associated fallacies including Rotating Validity, Ad Hominem, Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc, Straw Man critiques, spurious correlations, and the fallacy of induction. Working through the lens of “imagining if Donald Trump could reason effectively” the philosophical novices emerged with a newfound passion for argument mapping.

POTTERY PAINTING Mrs Davies and Mrs Hibbert took pupils to the Pitter Potter Pottery Café in Putney for an afternoon of pottery painting. They were delighted to be able to paint a variety of things from bowls, plates, and mugs to ice-creams, owls, and cupcakes. Everyone did a wonderful job and many of them created complicated designs. Once completed, the pupils’ masterpieces were set aside for glazing and firing.

ROMAN LONDON Ms Combe’s tour started at Cleary Garden, built on the foundations of a former Roman bath. The group then travelled to the crypt at All Hallows Church, built on the grounds of a Roman house. Here, a church guide explained how the Saxons had recycled Roman tiles. On Cooper’s Row and St Alphage Garden, pupils examined walls left behind from the structure of Londinium, and saw the influence of Roman architecture around the Royal Exchange. The highlight was a visit to the Roman amphitheatre at Guild Hall.

SEXUAL DIMORPHISM IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM Why did sexual reproduction evolve? What are the mechanisms involved in sexual selection? What are the different types of mating and child-rearing behaviours and how do they impact sexual dimorphism? What are the sexual dimorphisms observed in the Great Apes (which include humans), and what can we infer about mating and child rearing behaviours? As one might expect, there was much to discuss, and Mr Kerr had the answers to the pupils’ questions.

SOAP MAKING Besides being a useful practical skill to know, soap making is an enjoyable way to express yourself creatively. Pupils had fun making their own handcrafted soap bars with Mrs Harris, while Miss Taylor explained the science behind the process. They used natural essential oils, dried flowers, IPS honey and wax as well as natural pigments to add colours. The results were exceptional and the soaps looked almost good enough to eat!

SUSTAINABLE LONDON From retrofitting Centrepoint, via hidden gardens, to Living Walls and Victorian gaslights, the Insider London tour led by Mrs West certainly delivered an intriguing insight into the many ways in which London is going greener. This relaxed walking tour looked at diverse aspects of the challenges of delivering sustainability, especially in a large city and helped us to remember that lots of small things can add up to a big difference.

THINKING FAST AND SLOW In this session, Mr Kerr explored Daniel Kahneman’s idea that human cognition involves two systems. Decision-making driver ‘System 1’ is fast, instinctive, and tied to emotions and experiences. ‘System 2’ is slow, hard work, and the focus of most formal schooling where the primacy of thinking over emoting is stressed. Kahneman reminds us that we think much less than we think. In the real world, many important decisions are driven by System 1; an insight that could help us better understand and explain our world.

VOLLEYBALL Sunny afternoon on the beach volleyball courts at Barn Elms Sports Centre or tropical vacation in the Maldives? Miss Bills inducted pupils in the game’s fundamentals and progressed to using the strict formation required to gain the winning point. Some were challenged to use “anything but arms” for their final game. This proved to be most exciting with some brilliant moves, most notably a bicycle kick to achieve the match point!

VEGETARIAN COOKERY After fifteen months of dormancy, it was wonderful to recommission the Cookery Suite and have pupils once more use its splendid facilities to craft some homemade fayre which serves the “healthy eating agenda”. Several participants joined Headmaster Mr Wolsey to create a vegetarian moussaka, using green lentils as a replacement for the traditional lamb mince. The final dishes produced by our Junior Master Chefs were excellent.