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The curriculum at CLC is designed to foster a curiosity about the world and to equip students with tools to question, reason and communicate articulately. From the start at CLC, we hope to nurture a passion for learning, and we continually explore new ways to do this. It was therefore very exciting to launch something special for our LC2s this year: a project to explore how distinct types of knowledge can come together to form a deeper, truer, and more interesting understanding of the world.

Led by Anna Saunders (IB DP Coordinator and Teacher of Religious Studies & Philosophy), every student in LC2 worked on a brilliant initiative: “DaVinci: The Art of Thinking”. It was set up as an interdisciplinary project, combining principles from the practice of philosophical inquiry and the inquiry-based approach to learning, with many ideas based on the IB Learner Profile and Theory of Knowledge.

LC2 students considered a selection of pioneering thinkers and the interconnectivity of knowledge using the work and approach from some of history’s greatest minds, such as Leonardo Da Vinci. Our inspirational educators designed sessions to develop students’ ability to work collaboratively and with respect for one another. LC2s were urged to think creatively and critically, developing their awareness of the benefits and limitations of diverse ways of thinking, including how different types of knowledge and perspective interact.

The Da Vinci project culminated in the Summer Exhibition led by Ms Ashworth (Head of Year for LC2). We were delighted to invite staff, students and parents who were all most impressed by the outcomes of this exceptional experience for LC2.

Eliza (LC2), commented afterwards, ‘I think that participating in Da Vinci: The Art of Thinking has expanded how I think about things and how I approach problems. I am very grateful for my Da Vinci teachers for doing this.’

The presentations by the LC2s were of a very high standard and it is clear they really did grapple with some big questions and definitely learned more about the Art of Thinking. I am very proud of them indeed, and I am also deeply grateful to the remarkable team of staff who inspired them!

Read further for Anna Saunders’ comments on the background for the project:

Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) is a captivating figure in the history of Western art, renowned for his artistic talents and scientific contributions.

Trained under Andrea del Verrocchio (1435–1488) in Florence, he possessed an unrelenting curiosity and thirst for knowledge. Leonardo was constantly engaged in observation, experimentation, and invention, using drawing to document his explorations of the natural world. Whilst his completed works are limited, he left behind a vast collection of approximately 2,500 drawings, mostly compiled in notebooks.

He primarily worked in Florence (1472–ca. 1482, 1500–1508) and Milan (ca. 1482–99, 1508–13), but spent his final years in Rome (1513–16) and France (1516/17–1519), where he died. His artistic and inventive genius continues to inspire artists and scientists alike, even centuries after his death. Despite being renowned as an artist, Leonardo da Vinci's scientific and inventive pursuits exemplify him as a true Renaissance thinker.

He serves as a role model for applying the scientific method to all aspects of life, encompassing art and music. While his dramatic and expressive artworks garner the most recognition, Leonardo also meticulously planned and conducted numerous experiments and crafted groundbreaking futuristic inventions for his time.

A Renaissance learner is an individual with talents and proficiencies in cognitive, physical, and social endeavours. This term emerged during the Renaissance and stemmed from the humanist tradition. Traditionally, Renaissance individuals excelled as philosophers and possessed charismatic qualities.

The attributes of a Renaissance thinker align with the IB learner profile, which is a program taught here at College.

Ms Woodhead, Head of Lower College and Wellbeing Coordinator