Pupils from five local schools join Brock students for British Science Week learning opportunities

Over 200 Year 10 pupils from local schools visited Brockenhurst College recently to benefit from a range of learning initiatives that marked British Science Week.

They mixed with over 300 Brock students for a range of curriculum sessions led by Brock staff, plus presentations from visiting doctors and professors.

The most eye-catching attraction of the week was an inflatable planetarium in the main hall that could accommodate 25 people and ran an automated presentation about our solar system.

On the Monday, pupils from Applemore College were the first to visit.

They saw a presentation about medicine development by Dr Angela May (freelance pharmaceutical consultant), as well as talks about computational modelling and engineering from representatives of Bournemouth University.

On the Tuesday, learners from Testwood School, The Grange School, and Ballard School, attended.

They witnessed a geography presentation by Dr Annabelle Boulay (University of Winchester); a computational thinking talk by Dr Claire Ancient (University of Winchester); and an explanation of careers and courses in computing from Dr Shikun Zhou (University of Portsmouth).

Then, on the Wednesday, pupils from New Forest Academy School and Ballard School attended.

They watched an Earth sciences presentation by Professor Tim Henstock (University of Southampton); a talk about biological anthropology from Dr Heidi Dawson-Hobbis (University of Winchester), and a lecture by Dr Keiron Roberts on sustainability in civil engineering.

Meanwhile, over the three days, there were curriculum sessions about biology experiments, robot programming, the periodic table, coding and encryption, psychology, and cyber security.

Ballard School’s Head of Science, Aaron Markar, said:

“This year’s event surpassed all expectations and was even better than last year, which is no small feat.

“Our recent visit was brilliant, with well organised activities that captivated our students from start to finish – the opportunity to interact with passionate educators and professionals was inspiring.

“The hands-on experiments, robotics workshop and talks were not only educational but also fun, sparking curiosity and excitement in everyone.

“It was well-organised, with a seamless flow between activities and plenty of knowledgeable staff on-hand to guide and support our students.

“The enthusiasm of the college staff and volunteers created a vibrant and welcoming atmosphere, making our two days there even more special.

“Overall, British Science Week at Brockenhurst College was an outstanding success, igniting a passion for science in many of our students.

“We are already looking forward to next year’s event.”

Further presentations and curriculum sessions took place on the Thursday and the Friday, exclusively for Brock students.

Thursday featured presentations about clinical careers (nursing and midwifery) by representatives of the University of Winchester.

Friday featured a presentation by Dr Hooshyar Assadullahi (University of Portsmouth) about the concept of gravity, comparing the theories of Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein.

Thursday evening saw the college host its annual STEM Awards ceremony, which recognised and celebrated the achievements of top-achieving students across the range of STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths.)

The keynote speaker was Professor Dame Wendy Hall, who is credited as being part of the team that created the World Wide Web.

Each winner collected a certificate, a trophy, a cheque, and a citation from the teacher who nominated them for either a Gold Award or a Silver Award.