Each week, Academic Scholars meet in year group bubbles to explore and debate a range of intellectual topics, ranging from literature to cosmology, from philosophy to classicism. We dropped in on two seminars last Friday. Year 10 were discussing the relevance of poetry with Dr Hodgson-Jones, while next door Mrs Moore-Bridger was leading a discussion about the nature of heroism with Year 12 Scholars.

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Over the course of a term, members of the academic staff set stimulus material on a topic related to, but not covered by, the school’s schemes of work. Girls are given two weeks to complete reading and to form their views around an open question, before discussing the theme with the staff member. To simulate university-style teaching, one or two scholars are selected each time to lead the discussion and to defend their thoughts. Examples of seminar topics:

• “Are we alone in the Universe?” An exploration of cosmology, probability, biology and philosophy
• “Is heroism dead?” From the classical to the modern world, how has the nature of heroism changed?
• “The poet WH Auden famously wrote, ‘Poetry makes nothing happen.’” The importance of literature in, and to, society
• “What makes you the same person you were yesterday?” The concept of self and the philosophy of being