John Lyon’s Excellence Programme provides an opportunity for all pupils, no matter their academic ability or age, to maximise their potential to learn and to discover their passion.
The Excellence Programme’s activities vary every term. It works with all the academic departments to help deliver in-house and external competitions, lectures from leading academics, workshops and discussion groups.
The Programme also oversees the School’s student-led Academic Society lectures, and JLx, a programme of 15-minute lunchtime lectures delivered by teachers on subjects beyond the curriculum.
Excellence Programme pupils have exclusive use of the 1876 Reading Room, a quiet space dedicated to independent thinking and research.
Pupils can be nominated to the Excellence Programme by any teacher. They can also put themselves forward to participate. Any pupil wanting further information about the Excellence Programme or to find out about joining the Excellence Committee, which helps organise events should contact excellence@johnlyon.org
Upcoming Excellence Events
From Fact to Film to Fiction
Jane Hawking
Tuesday 22nd June 2021
6.00 – 7.30pm
Boyd Campbell Hall
Registration details coming soon
Award-winning writer and teacher Jane Hawking will talk to pupils, parents and staff about her life and career as an academic and writer, including how her autobiographical book, Travelling to Infinity, was turned into award-winning movie The Theory of Everything, an examination of her relationship with Stephen Hawking, as he was diagnosed with motor neurone disease and rose to global fame as a physicist.
Excellence Programme Guest Speakers
Since the launch of the Excellence Programme by Lord Winston in 2017, many guest speakers have visited us in North West London to deliver lectures to pupils and their parents. Recent speakers include BBC journalist Emily Maitlis, and four-time Olympic champion Sir Matthew Pinsent.
Excellence speaker: Sir Matthew Pinsent
Excellence speaker: Emily Maitlis
Excellence speaker: Lord Winston
Talks-on-the-Hill
The Excellence Programme has also launched Talks-on-the-Hill, an annual lecture series which brings together pupils, teachers, subject experts and Harrow residents to deliver short lectures on a given subject.
Talks-on-the-Hill: The UK Space Agency's Jeremy Curtis
Talks-on-the-Hill: Lower Sixth student Adam Zoromba
Talks-on-the-Hill: Professional photographer and Harrow resident Lucy Baker
1876 Reading Room
Located in the Red House, the 1876 Reading Room was opened in 2017 by Lord Winston. It has been designed for exclusive use of boys on the Excellence Programme for reading and further study. Here they can access a variety of books, publications and research for furthering their knowledge in a peaceful space.
Students using the 1876 Reading Room