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Meet your Science IB Tutor! Mr Karl Hudson

I have long been fascinated by how living things operate on the smallest scale.  This has been a primary driver behind my academic journey thus far and was highly formative in my specialism in Biochemistry.  After achieving a double-first class honours degree in Biochemistry from the University of Oxford, I moved to Imperial College London to complete my PhD.  In a joint venture with the Medical Research Council, I used Analytical Chemistry and Molecular Biology to elucidate novel molecular markers of Stem Cell states.  It was during this time that I worked in parallel as a small-group teacher and tutor.  This experience shaped my journey into full-time teaching. 

At Whitgift I am primarily a Teacher of Chemistry, in addition to teaching more general science among the younger year groups.  There is a wealth of subject specialism within a school like Whitgift, which helps to foster an enriching educational environment.  I have taught Chemistry, Biology, Physics and Mathematics previously, and so am well positioned to guide students in a summer course designed to cover the spectrum of scientific disciplines within the IB course.

I am a firm believer in the benefit of an interdisciplinary approach to education.  My academic and teaching background provides a rich tapestry of knowledge through which to aid students in charting the many synoptic interconnections linking the scientific disciplines.  I even intend to introduce students to some introductory philosophy of science, which underpins the theory and application of all scientific knowledge.

Whitgift is the most high-achieving school I have had the pleasure to teach in.  Across the school provision, from academic, to co-curricular and super-curricular, the standard expected remains universally high.  We reacted strongly and nimbly to the COVID-19 pandemic, and as a result, have developed industry-leading online teaching practices.  These have been integrated into the heart of our Pre-IB program offering.  That students can dial into live, high-calibre lessons containing real-time feedback will be a positive legacy to what has been a very uncertain and often challenging time for students worldwide.  At Whitgift we use a myriad of software packages, but from a remote teaching perspective, heavily utilise Microsoft Teams.  From breakout rooms to Poly Polls, we are equipped with a wide range of tools to replicate, and in some cases enhance upon, the learning that can be achieved in an in-person environment.

To maximise academic achievement, it is imperative to plan and work across long timescales.  I am an believer in preparatory work to build foundations and make synoptic connections in advance of starting an academic course.  The Pre-IB course at Whitgift addresses this in a targeted way.  We do not just advance the students over the 3 weeks, but also provide the bedrock upon which future learning can be stably established.  As a teacher, it is often clear in the day-to-day role which students have embarked on preparatory work prior to a new topic or course.

I look forward to guiding and engaging the students on our Pre-IB summer program, and truly believe it to be a rewarding, engaging and rigorous course to best prepare for beginning IB.