Debate Club 

Each week, a large group of students from across the main school come together for Debate Club, to argue for and against a range of Motions on topics such as voting age and environmental issues.

They have been practicing and working on their oratory skills throughout the year, and are continuously making excellent progress. The level of thought and depth of their arguments has been incredible to witness, and it is wonderful to see so many students coming and joining in to give debate a go. Well done to all our debaters!

If you are interested, please join us after school on Mondays, in room 2.3 - we would love to have you!

Naomi Miller
History & Sociology Teacher

Model UN Club

Model UN Club have been meeting on Thursdays after school, debating a range of topics including the global prevalence of child labour, how to eradicate global poverty and the destruction of the Amazon rainforest.

In addressing these issues, we have also been looking at the effectiveness of the Sustainable Development Goals (the UN's 17 objectives designed to serve as a "shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future").

We have regularly had up to 30 Camden girls in attendance (from Year 8 to Year 10), stepping into the shoes of world leaders as the "General Assembly of the United Nations". Credit also to the Year 12 member-leaders who have acted as the "UN Secretariat".

They have all thoroughly impressed with their thoughtful engagement with the issues, their ability to develop and conduct considered debates, and their passion for making the world a better place in the future.

Kate Boyle
Teacher of Geography

Year 11 History Trip

On Thursday 11 May, some Year 11 Historians travelled to the theatre for a pre-exam fun trip to see Six the Musical.

This musical is based on the six wives of Henry VIII, and they each tell their own tale in a surprisingly historically accurate way, with twists of modern feminism.

A lot of fun was had by all, and it was a great way to end the GCSE History course with a fabulous bunch of students! 

Rebecca Maggs
Teacher of History

Exam Preparation Assembly

In Monday's assembly Ms Goldsworthy gave us some brilliant tips on how best to prepare for our upcoming exams.

First, we discussed 'rest', with the question; "How many hours of sleep do teens really need?" projected on the board. After suggestions of 6 (and whispers of 4), a general consensus was settled on at roughly 8 hours. Consequently, there was nary a jaw that hadn't dropped upon hearing that the sweet spot was around 9 hours of sleep! Alas, we learned that because of our circadian rhythms, we're built to get up with the sun (although it was recognised that this has become impossible because of the demanding nature of our modern lives).

Moving on to diet, Ms Goldsworthy asked us to raise our hands if we relied on the Tesco meal deal for our lunches; half of the hall shakily raised their hands as they admitted to the consumption of processed food. Ms Goldsworthy then reminded us that, in the words of Tim Spector, "food is medicine" and we shouldn't feel shame about what we eat, but that we should try to include fresh fruit and vegetables and good sources of protein where we could.

Finally, some final, sage bits of advice:

• Be realistic and flexible.
• Create a good study environment.
• Create checklists.
• Speak to your teachers ("they have nuggets of gold') about preparing for their subject exam.
• Don't think of stress think of eustress [ stress that is not too extreme and is good for someone and which comes from positive challenges or exciting experiences.] when you are going into an exam; adrenaline will help you to perform.
• Learn not to see failure as a negative but as a way of focusing on what you have to continue to work on.

Importantly, remember that you're not starting from nothing as you have been attending lessons all year and will have lots of embedded knowledge.

Year 12 Economics

A group of year 12 Economics students attended The Tacitus Lecture at the Guildhall, City of London on Wednesday 17 May. The lecture was delivered by Rory Stewart OBE, academic, diplomat and former conservative MP and leadership candidate. 

There were positive reviews by students who attended the lecture, as reflected below:

"Rory Stewart's talk on Poverty, Populism and Hope was an accessible and informative overview of global politics and economics over the past 20 years, it was a privilege to attend."

"I found the lecture to be very engaging and eye opening as it introduced me to a topic I didn't know much about." 

"The Lecture was an insightful and enjoyable experience. The speaker delivered an in-depth yet easily accessible talk in which he explored how the confidence in the Western narrative regarding economic and political issues has declined over the last 20 years. This lecture is particularly useful and relevant to A-level students studying social sciences such as economics, politics or sociology. "

There was a reception following the lecture in which Rory was available for an informal conversation with students and other attendees.

Hormoz Firouzbakhsh
Economics Teacher