Luke Gittos "Challenged to engage"

Thomas Tallis Sixth Form will prepare you excellently for your exams.  But for many Tallis attendees,  the exams are only a starting point.  I remember, following a challenging Philosophy lesson addressing the distinction between the mind and the brain, that our teacher handed the class a printout of an article by Thomas Nagel.  We asked whether we would need to read it for the next lesson.  We were told that it would not be on the exam, in fact it had nothing to do with the syllabus, but it was an example of what we may read if we decided to take Philosophy seriously outside of the classroom.  This drive to push ourselves as thinkers and to explore the topic on its own terms was extremely exciting and led many of the class to take the topic at University.  Sure enough, the same article landed in my lap during my final year reading the subject as an undergraduate. 

I also remember participating in the Institute of Ideas Debating Matters competition during my final year as a member of the Tallis team.  This was a fantastic competition in which we had to research and argue about animal rights. amongst many other topics, in front a panel of experts!  It was daunting, but it was certainly another example of Tallis taking its students seriously and challenging them to engage in the tough arguments being had in the real world whilst, of course, preparing us excellently for our exams.

After sixth form I studied Philosophy and Music at Sussex University.  Having completed my degree I won a scholarship to train as a barrister.  I now work for a criminal law firm in central London.  I also write about the law and have been widely published. I chair a monthly discussion group on the law called the London Legal Salon (http://londonlegalsalon.blogspot.com)