Students and staff had a brilliant time celebrating British Science Week. This nationwide event, which takes place in March each year, aims to inspire people of all ages to engage with STEM through a variety of exciting activities, experiments and events.
The theme for 2025, ‘Change and Adapt’, sparked some engaging and thought-provoking practical lessons. In chemistry, students in Years 7 to 9 learned how to create simple batteries from everyday materials, developing their understanding of the chemical reactions that take place, and the power of science and innovation in creating energy sources. In physics, they put their engineering skills and knowledge of forces to the test, designing and building towers using only three resources – paper, nuts and bolts. Their towers had to be able to withstand extreme weather conditions, such as high winds and earthquakes. In biology lessons, they explored the uniqueness of fingerprints, learning how they can be lifted from different surfaces and used in forensic investigations.
On Tuesday, we were thrilled to welcome Mia Wyndham, a Graduate Engineer, to school, who delivered an assembly on careers in engineering. Mia also shared her personal journey into the field of engineering and offered valuable insights into the vast opportunities that exist within the industry. In addition to Mia’s inspiring talk, two other guest speakers visited during lunchtime to tell us more about opportunities in engineering.
The Science Department launched its annual poster competition for Key Stage 3 students, challenging them to design a poster on the theme of Change and Adapt. Some of these posters, illustrating ways to improve the air quality in a familiar space, will be entered into a national competition. We look forward to seeing everyone’s completed posters and hearing about their ideas in due course! The Department also organised a fun science-themed treasure hunt around the school – an exciting and interactive way for students to explore the world of science!
Our Prep School science teacher, Miss Knight-Adams launched Science Week with an exciting assembly introducing this year’s theme ‘Change and Adapt’. She sparked the children’s interest with a chemical reaction to blow up a glove! Everyone took part in a quiz and were invited to enter the Prep School Science Competition to have the chance of winning the science trophy. The challenge is to carry out a science investigation or scientific research and link it to this year’s theme.
Science lessons were linked to the “Change and Adapt” theme, with pupils experiencing many exciting colour-changing experiments. They got hands-on with their learning, exploring chromatography and how different colours can be separated. They discovered how red cabbage can be an indicator for pH and tested different substances to see if they were acid or alkali. The younger children were introduced to the concept of camouflage in nature, examining how animals and plants use colour and patterns to blend into their surroundings. Years 3 and 4 took part in a live lesson led by the Manta Trust. The session was called “Adapting beneath the waves” and they learned all about the adaptations of creatures in the ocean. It was a fun Science Week in Prep but every week is always full of fun science in Prep!
The week left students of all ages feeling inspired and eager to continue exploring the wonders of science and STEM.