On Monday evening, AKS celebrated a very special milestone as we marked five years of Inquiry Learning with our fifth Evening of Inquiry showcase. The event welcomed the latest cohort of Year 7 students to present their inquiry projects, the culmination of months of research, curiosity, and hard work.
Since October, students have been exploring topics that genuinely fascinated them, asking ambitious and thought-provoking questions across a wide range of subjects. From sport and science to psychology, history, technology, and even the future of Mars, the evening was a celebration of curiosity and independent thinking at its very best.
The room itself was transformed by the exceptional quality of the academic posters on display. Carefully researched, thoughtfully designed, and professionally presented, the posters reflected the high expectations students had worked towards throughout the project. Complete with referenced bibliographies and in-text citations, the work demonstrated not only academic ambition, but also an impressive level of attention to detail and pride in presentation.
A key part of the evening, however, was hearing the students speak so confidently and passionately about their work. Throughout the showcase, students demonstrated excellent oracy skills as they discussed their inquiry questions, explained their research, and responded thoughtfully to questions from parents, staff, and peers. Parents were incredibly proud and full of praise for the maturity, confidence, and enthusiasm shown by the students throughout the evening.
The Evening of Inquiry also highlighted the values at the heart of PEAKS, our Character Education and Future Skills programme. Through the inquiry process, students developed the key future-ready skills that sit at the centre of PEAKS, including inquiry, oracy, and digital literacy. The project encouraged students to think independently, communicate their ideas with confidence, and use technology effectively to research, design, and present their work with clarity and purpose.
This fifth volume of the AKS Big Questions series stands as another reminder of what can be achieved when students are challenged, supported, and encouraged to think beyond the classroom. We are immensely proud of every student who took part and grateful to the families and staff who joined us to celebrate such a memorable evening.
The ASK Booklet can be viewed here: https://isu.pub/YPC02CZ