12 October 2022
Two extremely impressively essays written by Woldingham Upper Sixth Formers Victory and Pollyanna won plaudits in this year’s John Locke Essay Competition, which is judged by senior academics from the University of Oxford. This is a fantastic achievement by both students, given the highly competitive nature of this internationally renowned competition, which receives thousands of submissions each year from all over the world.
Victory and Pollyanna both chose to address the same question in the psychology category: Are men and women psychologically different and does it matter? Victory’s essay was commended and Pollyanna’s was highly commended.
Victory attended the academic conference in Oxford for shortlisted candidates on Saturday 1 October. Of the series of lectures from academics from Oxford and Cambridge universities she listened to, her favourite was ‘How to write a compelling essay’, something she clearly already knows a lot about. The conference was followed by a dinner at Wadham College, where Victory received her award. Describing the experience, Victory said, “It was a once in a lifetime opportunity. From having debates with academics and other shortlisted candidates, who came from all over the world, to building my networking skills, the experience was phenomenal."
Pollyanna, who is also completing an EPQ connecting aspects of psychology to AI, said she was thrilled to hear the news of her highly commended award.
Head of Psychology Mrs Ruth Deaney said, “I am delighted at the news of Victory and Pollyanna’s success in this highly prestigious competition, which is testament to the application they have both put into their A Level study of psychology and their understanding of the subject. They should feel very proud to include this achievement in their university applications and CV.”