We are thrilled to announce the launch of an exciting new partnership: the Collaborative London Interdisciplinary School (LIS) and NHEHS Polymath Project.

Following a competitive application process, 15 ambitious Year 12 students have been selected to take part in this pioneering initiative. Designed to mirror the rigour of university-level study, the project challenges students to step outside their traditional subject silos and embrace a multidisciplinary approach to solving real-world problems.

The Challenges: Urban Cool and Community Spaces

Our students are tackling two interdependent “Contextual Challenges” that sit at the heart of modern urban planning and social equity:

• Urban Cool: How might we support citizens and organisations to create cooler, greener, and fairer cities that bring joy and health to everyone?
• Where People Meet: How might we re-imagine and create community spaces of the future where people are connected, places are healthy, and everyone is leading a good life?

Solving these complex issues calls for innovative thinking across different disciplines, the ability to use research to solve practical problems and teamwork.

We are partnering with the London Interdisciplinary School on the project so while our Year 12s work on these challenges at NHEHS, second-year undergraduates at LIS are tackling the very same topics.

Our students have access to undergraduate lectures and materials, alongside tutorial coaching sessions with LIS-trained coaches. This exposure to high-level scholarship and professional delivery is providing our Year 12s with a significant advantage as they look toward their future university applications and careers.

Over six sessions this Spring Term, students are working in groups that mix scientists, artists, and humanities students. Their goal is to produce a tangible “intervention” – a proposal that could create a genuine change in the real world.

The final outputs will be as diverse as the students themselves and could take the form of:

• Government policy documents
• Architectural proposals
• Community guides or apps
• Art installations or public events

The project will culminate in a final presentation of their work at the London Interdisciplinary School, where they will demonstrate how their ideas could make the world a better place.