Over the course of the year, boys in Year 7 and 8 work on a piece of research known as their Special Subject. The boys use this independent research and exploration to expand their horizons generally, and aid their preparation for interviews and assessments for senior schools. The boys relish the opportunity to pursue a substantial and demanding subject that interests them personally. Year 7 work towards producing a mini thesis on their chosen topic, whilst Year 8 produce a presentation in the form of a TED talk which they present to the rest of their class. This year’s topics were as fascinating as ever, ranging from How could we translate the Voynich manuscript?, Why is it beneficial to be bilingual?, and Why might we or might not have to start geoengineering?