Torch Lectures Enrich Students’ Learning

An inspiring mix of external speakers, workshops and quizzes characterised this half term’s Torch Lecture series in a variety of academic subjects.

OOs Dan Timmerman (’17) and Harry Smith (’16) returned to their former school to give advice to current Oakhamians studying GCSE, IB, and A-Level D&T and talk about their careers since leaving Oakham. Dan is the founder of Grounded Sensors and Harry is currently working on developing next-generation offshore renewable technology.

Former Oakham School English teacher Dr Diana Hallam returned to give an inspiring English Torch Lecture on Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, providing valuable insights into the text for the 70-strong audience.

The Psychology Department hosted a hands-on workshop where students designed and analysed their own inkblots, recreating the Rorschach test to explore personality traits and emotional functioning.

Mathematicians were very fortunate to meet and listen to Maths author and presenter Alex Bellos in the final week of this half term. Alex delivered a bespoke puzzle solving workshop to a group of Form 5 mathematicians in the afternoon before discussing the world’s favourite numbers, how prime numbers are used to save the world and the value of the number 7 with our Upper School mathematicians.

Alex spoke brilliantly about the links between maths and philosophy, computer science and areas of the curriculum and the students learned an awful lot over the course of the evening. Who knew that Shakespeare even believed that odd numbers are better than even ones?!