Since 2024, Ultimo Series at International Grammar School has been offering members of the IGS Community and prospective families the opportunity to come together for an intellectually invigorating experience with a thought-provoking series of academic lectures.
Hosted by IGS Deputy Principal Senior School, current Acting Principal, Thom Marchbank, each session begins with light refreshments and an opportunity to connect with others before hearing from the guest speaker. The series has already sparked rich conversations around some of the most pressing topics in education and society.
In this year’s opening lecture, The Respectful Relationships Toolkit for Young People with Daniel Principe, parents and educators were invited to better understand the complex cultural landscape shaping young people today, rather than viewing them as the problem.
He highlighted how online pressures, distorted ideas of identity and relationships, and the blurring of public and private life affect adolescents in deeply personal ways. The evening focused on empathy, intention and shared responsibility, reframing conversations about consent and respectful relationships as part of modelling values such as respect, courage and care over time.
Our second event, Digital Gaming: What’s the state of play? with Marcus Carter, challenged parents and staff to rethink one of the biggest concerns of modern childhood: video games. Rather than focusing on screen time and “problem gaming”, he explored why platforms like Roblox, Fortnite and Minecraft function as today’s playgrounds – spaces of belonging, identity, mastery and connection – while also highlighting the real risks of persuasive design and monetisation embedded in these environments.
Upcoming lectures
Looking ahead, we are excited to present our next lectures, Understanding oppositional behaviour and emotional dysregulation with Professor David HawesonThursday 3 September and Digital mental health for teenagers: What works, what’s hype, and how parents can help with Professor Alexis Whitton on Thursday 12 November.
Discover more about IGS by joining us for an evening of connection and learning. Enhance your perspective, contribute to meaningful dialogues and be part of a community committed to knowledge, diversity and growth.
Tickets are complimentary, and you can register your interest to get notified here.
Founded on principles of bilingual learning and unity through diversity, International Grammar School (IGS) is a co-educational secular school dedicated […]