Intermediate Stretch & Challenge
2027 Programme: The Philosophy & Science of Time
Bring this unique interdisciplinary experience to your students and your region.
A one-day conference for ambitious students (Years 7–9) exploring the most profound and puzzling questions:
Students don’t just learn about ideas, they learn how to think.
Why Host
Host a Thriving Minds Conference
Hosting a conference is a unique opportunity to:
- Bring a high-quality academic event to your students
- Invite other local schools to attend
- Raise the profile of your department and school
- Create a memorable intellectual experience for your pupils
We provide:
- Full programme and speakers
- Event structure and materials
- Booking system and admin support
What the day looks like
This is not a single lecture or topic.
1. Philosophy Session: The Big Questions
Students explore foundational questions such as:
- What is truth?
- What makes a good life?
They begin to see how philosophical thinking challenges assumptions and reshapes how we understand the world.
2. Community of Inquiry: Freedom of Speech
A structured, student-led discussion where ideas are tested collaboratively.
Students learn to:
- Listen carefully
- Build on others’ ideas
- Think critically without “winning”
This is where confidence and intellectual independence really grow.
3. Science Session: The Science of Time
Students encounter some of the biggest scientific questions:
- Does time really exist?
- Why does it seem to move in one direction?
- Is time travel possible?
This connects abstract thinking to cutting-edge scientific ideas.
4. Debate: Does Love Conquer All?
A lively, structured debate drawing on:
- Philosophy
- Theology
- Personal reasoning
Students explore whether love is always transformative — or whether it has limits.
How hosting works
How it works
- You offer to host (via short form)
- We agree a date and capacity with you
- We open bookings to local schools
- We deliver the event with you
Typical host schools:
- Provide a hall / lecture space
- Welcome visiting schools
- Bring their own students
Scheduled events
Intermediate Stretch Conferences
All bookings made by schools. £35 per student, One free staff place per 12 students.
Places are limited at each venue and are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
Why Attend?
Students will:
- Develop critical and independent thinking
- Engage with complex ideas beyond the curriculum
- Build confidence in discussion and debate
- Experience rigorous academic challenge
Bring a Conference to Your School
If you are unable to attend one of our national conferences, we also offer bespoke in-school events.
Schools can choose from our established programmes:
Bespoke
Prefer something just for your school?
Bring this experience to your students
Booking
Conference Fees
Students:
A fixed fee of £35 each
We have access to sponsorship for students wishing to attend but for whom the cost is a significant challenge for their families. Please contact us for further details.
Staff:
A fixed fee of £35 each
One free place with every 12 students, the charge for which will be deducted at checkout.
Unaccompanied teachers attending for their own CPD to pay £220.
Please Note:
These events fill quickly but we appreciate that many schools need time to collect money from students.
Booking Places at a Conference
Bookings for a conference are usually made by a teacher or other representative from a school, and students attend conference with their school group accompanied by a supervising teacher. The school is invoiced for the number of students and staff attending (if schools require payment from students or parents for attendance, these payments are made to the school).
Please note that we cannot accept bookings for unaccompanied students, and all students attending are required to have a supervising teacher, or parent, with them. This is a workplace health and safety issue, as we do not have the necessary staff to provide supervision of students at the conference, or during meal breaks. [If a school is not attending, and a student from that school wishes to attend independently, they can do so, but they must be accompanied by a supervising adult who is charged at the same rate as the student, and who makes the booking on behalf of the student. A supervising adult can be a parent or other responsible person over 18. The school or parent must give permission for the student to be absent from school on that day]