Page 9 - The Year at Millfield 2024-2025

ACADEMIC

Chess
The Millfield School Chess Team had an
outstanding year, marked by impressive
competitive achievements and continued growth
in both skill and teamwork.

The team proudly competed in the English Schools'
Chess Championship, progressing through multiple
challenging rounds to reach the regional final – an
accomplishment that highlights their dedication,
focus, and strategic strength.
Further success came at the British Team Chess
Challenge, also hosted at Millfield. After a series
of strong performances, the team triumphed on
the regional stage, earning a coveted place in the
national final. 02

Brilliance Breakfasts
Brilliance Breakfasts are student-led events where
individuals or small groups pick a topic that they
are interested in, that aims to challenge people’s
thinking beyond the syllabus. They then present
on this topic to a group of up to 60 of their peers
over a sit-down breakfast. This year the events
have been hugely popular with over 350 students
from Year 9 to Upper Sixth engaging with either
presenting or attending, with topics ranging
from ‘The Dark Matter Enigma’, to ‘The Effect of
Globalisation on Culture and Languages’.

History and Politics Conference
The 2025 Millfield History and Politics Conference 03
welcomed Sixth Form students and local guests to
hear leading academics explore diverse historical
topics. Dr Simon Choat opened with a talk on
liberalism’s evolution. Professor Neil Gregor
followed with an insightful session on Weimar
culture as a potential ‘golden age’, while Dr Simon
Topping concluded with a powerful analysis of the
NAACP’s shifting political strategies in the 1930s
and 1940s. The event, held in the Meyer Theatre,
provided enriching perspectives and aimed to
deepen understanding and inspire future study in
history and politics.

PolEcon Conference, London
In March, Sixth Form Politics students attended
the PolEcon conference in Central London. The
day saw speeches from, among others, former
Conservative Cabinet member Jacob Rees-Mogg,
Richard Tice of Reform UK, Tony’ Blair’s former
Press Secretary and seasoned broadcaster Alistair
Campbell, and Lib Dem Deputy Leader Daisy
Cooper. The event saw students pose challenging
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The Year at Millfield 2024/2025 7