FOCUS ON SCIENCE OUTSIDE OF THE CURRICULUM

As a Department our aim is to instil an interest to investigate and a desire to delve into the details of a topic, not just to meet the demands of the curriculum but to empower our pupils to be able to navigate the ever-changing world around us with confidence. Year 6 and Senior STEM Clubs worked towards their Crest SuperStar certificates, awarded by the British Science Association.

Year 6 STEM Club had the opportunity to work in the Senior School laboratories to complete a series of investigations and challenges. They designed and built bridges and rafts, explored forces and stability. They even made cheese! They tested different ways of collecting fingerprints, made toothpaste and jelly testing different concentrations and recipes. They learnt about Bunsen Burners even using them to cook pancakes. The girls experimented with different ink pens using chromatography too. Whilst completing these tasks, the girls had to think about how they would record and present their data and were encouraged to use the correct scientific terminology to discuss variables and reliability. All in all, a fantastic introduction to problem-solving within a STEM context offering the girls the opportunity to develop investigative and teamwork skills through hands-on challenges. Senior STEM club were working towards their Silver Crest Awards. The pupils have to choose a topic and plan a series of investigations around this. To link their work to science in a ‘reallife’ pharmaceutical they devised a trial practical to determine the boundaries of the variables, review and redraft their methods, test their new methods and evaluate the final results. Some of the projects included: making their own bath bombs; design of animations; producing the best lemonade and the most effective method to gather accurate fingerprint evidence. STEM Club also plays a crucial role in the work carried out during Science Week each year. All of our Science Ambassadors from Year 3 to 11 work together to present a whole school assembly that launches the theme. During the week they then run ‘pop-up playground practical’s each break to encourage others to enjoy the varied and engaging tasks. A wonderful leadership opportunity for the girls. MRS WATERHOUSE, HEAD OF KEYSTAGE 3 AND SCIENCE

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