BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

The John Locke Essay Competition is a prestigious global essay competition for students aged 18 and under. It encourages critical thinking, independent thought, and strong argumentation skills by having participants write essays on challenging questions across subjects like Philosophy, Politics, Economics, History, Psychology, Theology, and Law. Winning essays are judged by academics from top universities like Oxford and Princeton, and awards are presented at a ceremony at Oxford's Sheldonian Theatre. Lower Sixth Formers, Olly and James were shortlisted for the competition.

"I entered the competition as it was suggested to me by my economics teacher Mr Fulford-Brown, and I had been looking for an essay competition to participate in. I chose the psychology question "What is self deceit" as I was really intrigued by what routes I could take from that unique question. I researched into the development of cognitive biases over a period of time, biblical perspectives on the 'sin' of deceiving oneself and the long term impacts of self-deceit, such as shifting/reinterpreting external world view. I found this a really engaging topic and enjoyed writing an essay for the John Locke Insitute. I was delighted to be shortlisted and, although we didn't win, James and I had a great night at the gala dinner getting to know a wide range of people from all over the world - getting into various conversations on history, politics, and more from applicants of each category."

Olly, Lower Sixth Form

"Around this time last year I heard of the John Locke Essay prize, and was interested. It seemed that they asked the most interesting questions of various competitions, and to be frank, they seemed the most accredited and prestigious competition in the eyes of universities. Part of essay competitions is showing universities that you are truly fascinated by a course; the founder spoke at the gala dinner about the passion (bordering on "lunacy") necessary to write a 2000-word essay at the start of summer. But also, once you start writing, you become increasingly proud of your work and more hopeful about your chances for success: the "what ifs" start to come to mind.

I chose to consider the economics questions, one of which seemed very interesting. The question asked whether "behaviour engendered by a hope of profit" benefited society more or less than charitable or government activity. I started by considering the microeconomics of Non-Profit Organisations versus the objectives in Profit-Seeking firms. Using the US health sector as my case study, I analysed various theories - I wanted to give a balanced perspective, but one that explored more nuanced arguments rather than the simple back-andforth between right-wing economists and those on the left. This was the battle with this question, it lent itself to a simple age-old political debate, and I felt I could write a stronger, more academic essay by making the simple points quickly, and moving onto a more valuable discussion. I think the project helped me improve my academic tone and research skills plenty, with many redrafts and replans before the final send-off. Mr Fulford-Brown in particular, was a very helpful reference point, encouraging me to look far from the A-level syllabus and write about what interested me rather than trying to tick boxes, and I am very grateful for all the criticism and encouragement he gave.

I was subsequently thrilled when I received the email that I had been shortlisted. Just to be considered for such a competitive award made me feel proud of the work I had put in. On the night of the results dinner, I was far more invested than I had anticipated. I think that once you get there, there is a part of you that really wants to win it. No joy this time, but with the skills I have picked up, I am optimistic for my academic work in the future; getting practice in now will certainly make university a gentler learning curve."

James, Upper Sixth Form

Alban (Fourth Form) and Isaac (First Form) proudly represented St Albans School at the Abbots Langley 5K. The organisers were thrilled to see the SAS logo, highlighting their long-standing connection to the school through George Harrison MBE, our former running coach and race co-founder in 1982. They shared inspiring stories of Mr Harrison, who coached into his 90s and played a pivotal role in raising the standard of school running. Alban and Isaac ran neck and neck throughout the race, with Alban edging ahead at the finish. Alban finished in 19:53 and Isaac close behind in 20:07. Both boys displayed outstanding sportsmanship, representing the true spirit of St Albans School both on and off the course. Post-race, they met the Mayor and Reg Hunt, the police officer who co-founded the event with Mr Harrison.

Well done to Lower Sixth Form cellist Alex who has been accepted into the National Youth Orchestra. This is an exceptional achievement and builds on his success as part of the Pro Corda national Chamber Music Competition-winning Quartet performances last year.

Aaron (Fifth Form) played in a National Community rackets event at the beginning of September, placing first in the U16 doubles and singles for table tennis and second in the U18 for squash.

Shay (Fifth Form) competed at an MMA championship in San Sebastian, Spain in June. In the U16 Middleweight division, he faced two opponents and came home with a gold medal. He now sets his sights on the British Championships in November.