CURRICULUM & ACADEMICS //
PHYSICS
SENIOR PHYSICS CHALLENGE
Lower Sixth physicists entered the Senior Physics Challenge . This was an exciting opportunity for our brightest students to stretch their problem-solving skills and apply fundamental physical principles to novel situations .
Over 6000 of the best students from across the country take part in the competition , and the challenge itself is notoriously tough . Only around 50 % of the most able of these candidates achieve awards .
Congratulations to : Zac Stewart and Henry Hudson ( Silver Award ), Freddie Taylor , Charles Lin , Jordan Xu ( Bronze Award ), Lamek Abraha and Louis Toulmin ( Commendation ).
JUNIOR PHYSICS CHALLENGE
A number of our 4th Form students entered the Junior Physics Challenge which is part of the British Physics Olympiad . All 21 students gained an award , with Tommy Zou , Dipo Abayomi , Freddie Woodruff , Venus Tam and Imogen Spear achieving prestigious gold certificates .
PHYSICS OLYMPICS
Pocklington took a team of 2nd Form students to the annual Physics Olympics at St Peter ’ s to compete against 25 other schools . The pupils demonstrated great organisational and science practical skills during the event . These included , calculating moments , using a diffraction grating to create a calibration curve , tower building , and maximising the speed of a small electric boat . The day also incorporated a notoriously difficult maths estimation challenge known as the Fermi quiz . Well done to Joe Symes , Giles Rowley , Katy Brown and Sophie Blight .
OF POPES AND UNICORNS
Mr Hutchings ’ third book , Of Popes and Unicorns , was published by Oxford University Press , to rave reviews . A history of science and religion , its dust cover makes the following promise :
This is a tale of Flat Earths , of anaesthetic , and of autopsies ; of Creation and Evolution ; of laser-eyed lizards and infinite worlds . It is a story of miracles and mathematicians ; souls and Great Libraries ; the Greeks , the scientific method , the Not-So-Dark- After-All Ages ... and , of course , of Popes and Unicorns .
28 THE POCKLINGTONIAN