Writes Alex Miller, Head of Scholarship
On Friday 15 May, Merchant Taylors’ hosted its inaugural Scholars’ Presentation Evening: a celebration of intellectual curiosity, independent research and the impressive work completed by our academic scholars throughout the year.
The evening began with music from our piano trio as guests arrived, setting the tone for what we hope will become an important annual tradition in the life of the School. Parents, pupils and staff then enjoyed a wide-ranging programme of presentations, videos and awards, showcasing the breadth of interests and ambitions within our Scholars’ Programme.
This year, boys in the Thirds, Upper Thirds, Fourths and Divisions have taken part in weekly scholarship sessions, with each half-term offering a different academic focus. The Presentation Evening gave guests the chance to see a sample of this work, much of it produced in a relatively short space of time, and to hear directly from the boys about the questions, ideas and projects that have captured their imagination.
Highlights included a presentation by Fourth Form students Ethan D., Alexander B., Lithum A. and Aarav K. on Bloom Doodles, the sustainable colouring crayon they had designed; an introduction to Psychology by Ishaan N. and Samuel LPdW; and a thoughtful study by Archit R. in the Divisions into Marcel Duchamp’s controversial artwork Fountain, asking the enduring question: “Is it art?”
Other scholars presented video projects on an equally varied range of topics, including the Cuban Missile Crisis, the use of Mathematics in Biology, the causes of falling inflation after Covid, and the design of products to help young people recognise fake news and the use of AI.
The Lower Sixth scholars have also been given greater opportunities for autonomy this year, with staff facilitating seminar groups, lectures and competitions. The Merchant Taylors’ Video Essay Competition formed a significant part of this programme, encouraging boys to develop not only subject knowledge, but also the communication, analysis and independent thinking skills that will serve them well beyond School.
A particular highlight of the evening was an address from guest speaker Mr Chrishan Raja OMT, himself a former academic scholar at Merchant Taylors’, whose journey has since taken him to Oxford and on to partnership at a law firm. Mr Raja spoke warmly about the influence of his time at Taylors’ on the person he is today, reflecting on the confidence, curiosity and habits of thought that were encouraged during his school years. His words were a powerful reminder that scholarship is not simply about academic achievement, but about developing the character and intellectual independence to make a meaningful contribution in later life.
The evening concluded with the presentation of awards for essays and projects completed over the summer holidays. These were awarded to Ahris C. from Merchant Taylors’ Prep, Aditya I. in the Fourths, Daniel S. in the Divisions and Albert V. in the Lower Sixth.
Scholar of the Year Awards were presented to Medhi B. in the Thirds, Easher S. in the Upper Thirds, Lithum A. in the Fourths and Archit R. in the Divisions. Shay N. in the Lower Sixth was named winner of the Sixth Form Scholars’ Video Essay Prize.
It was a fitting celebration of the creativity and ambition of our scholars, and a wonderful opportunity to recognise the boys’ achievements in front of their families. We look forward to seeing the Scholars’ Presentation Evening grow in the years ahead.
Scholar of the Year Awards were also awarded to Medhi B. (3rds), Easher S. (U3rds), Lithum A. (4ths) and Archit R. (Divs). Shay N. (L6th) was winner of the Sixth Form Scholars’ Video Essay Prize.
