News
The Skybolt Rocket at Warrington Schools
Pupils from Woolston Community High School and Lysander Community High School, Warrington had the chance to learn about space travel on Tuesday 26 January 2010 with a visit from the Starchaser Rocketry Programme.
Starchaser is a British space programme working on concepts for the purpose of Space Tourism. The school visits allowed pupils to view the Skybolt Rocket – a completely reusable rocket.
A member of the Starchaser team delivered a presentation on the history of the programme and its current mission to send a rocket into space. The presenter was on hand to explain the science behind the rocket and demonstrated the technology used in space flight.
The highlight of the talk gave Year 9, 10 and 11 pupils the chance to get within touching distance of the Skybolt Rocket, and ask questions about its design and how it works.
“These sorts of events are fantastic for broadening our young learner’s minds, sparking their imagination and encouraging them to strive for their goals” – Vocational development officer (Science, Engineering & Construction)
Inspiring Through Science Day at Keele University
30 students from the following schools attended the above event on:-
Sir William Stanier – 14 January 2010
Ellesmere Port Catholic High – 20 January 2010
Year 9 and Year 10 students took part in 2 workshops, ‘Forensics’ and the ‘Scrapheap Challenge’.
The ‘Forensics’ workshop included an interactive ‘fingerprinting’ session where students looked at classification and printed their own fingerprints using both direct print and magnetic powder methods.
For the other workshop, the students were given a presentation on ‘Science for Sustainability’ which focused on issues surrounding climate change and sustainable living. They then worked in pairs for the ‘Solar Power Scrapheap Challenge’ – an activity where they had to design, build and race solar-powered cars made from reused materials.
‘The workshops were very challenging and hands-on’ – teacher
‘I enjoyed racing the cars the most, because I’m very competitive!’ – student
‘I liked looking at fingerprints, because it was something new that I have never done’ - student
Biology Taster Day at the University of Chester
Pupils from 4 Cheshire and Warrington schools got a taste of Biological Sciences on Tuesday, 15 December 2009 when they visited the University of Chester.
The Year 9 pupils attended 4 different interactive sessions covering nutrition, forensic biology, animal behaviour and micro-organisms.
Through these sessions, they learnt the importance of having the correct amount of salt and fibres in their diet and had a closed look at flying animals. The pupils were excited to work on the missing cat using forensic evidence and techniques, including foot and palm prints, and hair samples. They were particularly interested to locate the bacteria from different sources and found it really challenging to identify various components of the blood and their associated diseases.
The event was organised by school staff from Birchwood High, William Beamont, Kings Grove and Blacon High, also staff from the University of Chester and Aimhigher Cheshire and Warrington.
“I enjoyed the curious case of the missing cat the most because it was something different” – student
“I enjoyed learning about how birds fly because it was interactive” – student
“All the sessions were interesting!” - student
Whitby Students Aiming for Aerospace at Macclesfield College
Students from The Whitby High School got a taste of Aerospace Engineering on Friday, 11 December 2009 when they visited European Centre for Aerospace Training (ECAT) at Macclesfield College.
Following a Health and Safety brief, the sixth formers got kitted out in hard hats and went on a guided tour of the Jetstream aircraft. They also looked at wind tunnel application, aerofoil geometry and aerodynamic characteristics.
After lunch the students were given an inspirational presentation by the education staff and watched a DVD relevant to the aviation industry. They were split into teams to solve problems on aircraft centre of gravity.
“I enjoyed learning about the aeroplanes as I found out a lot that I didn’t already know” – student
“It was great learning about all of the different jobs within the aviation industry” - student
“I enjoyed looking inside the aeroplane culprit the most and looking at all of the controls” - student
ELLESMERE PORT PUPILS AT CRIME SCENE HOUSE
Pupils from Ellesmere Port Catholic High School had the chance to learn about crime scene investigation on 7 December 09 with a visit to Staffordshire University.
The Think Forensic team gave Year 11 pupils a presentation about crime scene investigation and looked at gathering and processing evidence, and even had their fingerprints taken.
The pupils were transferred to the Crime Scene House and split into groups to work in separate rooms where they dressed up in crime scene suits, complete with gloves and masks, and looked at dummy dead bodies, maggots and other crime scene evidence.
The rest of the visit was spent in the University laboratory where pupils examined the evidence gathered at the Crime Scene House and presented their findings.
“It was great wearing the CSI suits, it is my dream! It made me feel like a real CSI too!” – student
“I liked getting fingerprints as I found it interesting” – student
“I enjoyed wearing the CSI suits the most, because this is the career I want to take in the future” - student
Woolston Students at Amec Nuclear UK Ltd
Year 9 and year 10 students from Woolston Community High School had the chance to learn about the science behind the nuclear industry on 9 December 2009 with a visit to Amec Ltd, Warrington.
In the morning, the students were given a presentation by Amec and listened to various talks from staff across different departments. Following a Health and Safety brief after lunch, they were led by the staff around the site to see scientists at work. The students were delighted to put on hard hats, safety glasses and safety shoes and they really felt like industrial scientists for the day!
“It was great to have the chance to talk to research and practical scientists about their everyday roles” – teacher
“I enjoyed most going into the labs because I could see all the experiments in action” – student
“I enjoyed learning about the ion exchange because it is interesting” – student
“I enjoyed going into the labs the most because it was a new experience” - student
SHELL ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUEST VISIT
Sixth formers from The Whitby High School received hands on experience as Analytical Scientists on Thursday, 3 December 2009 when they paid a visit to the Shell Technology Centre in Thornton.
They were met by the Analytical experts at Shell and had a close look at instruments such as the Infrared Spectrometer, NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) and Mass Spectrometer.
“It was great for the students to meet real life scientists. More of the same please!” – teacher
“The tour of the labs were very good, both informative and interesting” - student
“I enjoyed the mass spectrometry talk because it was interesting” - student
ENGINEERING TASTER DAY AT JAGUAR CARS LTD
Pupils from Helsby High and Middleswich High Schools got a taste of production engineering this week (Wednesday, 2 December 2009) when they visited Jaguar Cars Ltd, in Liverpool.
Year 10 and Year 11 pupils were given an inspirational presentation by the education staff at the manufacturing plant and, following a Health and Safety brief, got kitted out in high visibility vests and safety glasses and went on a guided tour of the site. During the tour the pupils saw the application of CAD/CAM in industry, instead of the much smaller version they have worked on at school.
The pupils returned to the education centre after the plant visit and watched a presentation on ‘product design’ relevant to the car manufacturing industry.
‘A great day. I enjoyed seeing the machinery working, because it shows the engineering behind everything!’ - student
‘The students enjoyed the variety, the tour and locality’ – teacher
‘I enjoyed looking around to find out how people and machines worked together’ – student
‘It was great watching the robots operate, fascinating how they work in unison’ - student
‘Physics and Frogs’ A-Level Study Day at
The Museum of Manchester
On Tuesday 24 November 2009, a group of Year 11 students from Verdin High School attended this expert-led session at The Museum of Manchester.
The students learnt about amphibians, their use as biological indicators and the threats that endangered their very existence. Some species are more susceptible than others and have unusual pigments and skin structures that appeared to be a key to our understanding.
In the afternoon students visited the Photon Science Institute at the University of Manchester where they learnt how to use a thermal imaging camera, a reflection spectrometer and OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography) equipment to collect data on Infra-red reflectance patterns and skin structures in live frogs.
‘I enjoyed thermal imaging the most because I found out how different parts of the body act differently’ – student
‘I enjoyed holding the frogs, it was exciting and wouldn’t do it again!’ – student
‘The students enjoyed the practical work and handling the frogs. Would like them to attend similar events in the future’ – teacher
Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Workshop at
The Museum of Manchester
On Wednesday 4 November 2009, a group of Year 13 students from Macclesfield High School attended this practical workshop at The Museum of Manchester.
As well as gaining complementary and additional knowledge of the real-life application of science, students utilized their own cheek cells as the DNA source. They carried out their own PCR reaction, amplifying DNA and visualising the products of their reaction by means of gel electrophoresis.
‘I enjoyed doing the electrophoresis in the agarose gel’ – student
‘I enjoyed the whole practical (PCR) – it was great!’ – student
‘The students enjoyed using equipment, focusing on one area and doing it as ‘proper’ scientists’ – teacher
CONSTRUCTION SITE VISIT AT WINSFORD LEARNING ZONE
Pupils from Macclesfield High School received hands on experience as construction workers on Friday, 6 November 2009 when they paid a visit to the construction development site for the Winsford Learning Zone.
In the morning, the 14 Year 11 students were given a presentation by Pochin and following a Health and Safety brief, they were led by the project manager around the site. The students were delighted to put on hard hats, gloves and safety boots and they really felt like construction workers for the day!
After lunch they were split into two teams and given the challenge to re-create the Welsh Assembly Government model. Each team had to divide themselves into Designers and Developers.
“The students enjoyed the team building event in the afternoon. More of the same excellent event please” – teacher
“This is a great experience for the pupils to see construction experts at work. They now have a much deeper understanding and appreciation of the construction industry” – Aimhigher development officer
“I enjoyed creating a building in the afternoon because it requires teamwork and co-operation” - student
CHESHIRE PUPILS AIM FOR THE STARS
Pupils from Middlewich High School and Malbank School, Nantwich, had the chance to learn about space travel on Thursday 22 October 2009 with a visit from the Starchaser Rocketry Programme.
Starchaser is a British space programme working on concepts for the purpose of Space Tourism. The school visits allowed pupils to view the Skybolt Rocket – a completely reusable rocket.
The Starchaser team delivered presentations on the history of the programme and its current mission to send a rocket into space. Members of the team were on hand to explain the science behind the rocket and demonstrated the technology used in space flight.
‘The most inspirational presentation I’ve been to – I want to be a rocket scientist now!’ – Teacher
‘This is the first rocket I’ve seen – great stuff!’ – Student
‘The most exciting event we’ve had in school – thanks’ - Student
Business of Leisure Programme
This programme is aimed at learners doing Business Studies showing them the interesting careers options in the Leisure Industry.
28 Year 10 Business Students were selected from Macclesfield High to take part in the programme.
Took place over 2 days;
16th June – Visit to MMU Crewe Campus
The group got to find out a little more on marketing in customer service industries and how it is taught at University. They then did a workshop which was related to Alton Towers.
1st July – Visit to Alton Towers
Learners spent a day at the park, the visit included a 45 minute talk on Marketing and customer services at the park.
FunMaths Roadshow & Dragon Quiz
The FunMaths outreach team from the University of Liverpool visited the following Aimhigher Cheshire & Warrington schools during 2009:-
Frodsham College (28 April)
Verdin High (30 April)
Cardinal Newman (7 May)
Cheshire Oaks (12 June)
Ellesmere Port Catholic High (16 June)
The Whitby High (14 July)
Macclesfield High (16 July)
For the majority of the schools, the team delivered 2 sessions of the FunMaths Roadshow to the Year 9 students and 2 sessions of the Dragon Quiz to the Year 10 students.
In total, up to 220 students per school took part in this event.
During the FunMaths Roadshow, students moved around the hall and attempted to work out the solutions to 60 questions/puzzles.
‘I really enjoyed the wide range of challenging mathematical activities, which made me think outside the box’ – student
‘Our students enjoyed completing difficult tasks themselves’ – teacher
During the Dragon Quiz, students worked in terms and aimed to achieve the highest score in a given time.
‘The students responded very positively to the event – I didn’t think they thought of it as Maths!’ – teacher
‘I enjoyed the whole atmosphere of being competitive even though some of the questions were hard to work out’ - student
Year 12 Residential Keele University
On the 18th &19th June twenty seven year 12 learners attended a residential event at Keele University. The event was planned to provide young people with a ‘snap shot’ higher education experience from application to graduation over two days.
The event was targeted at yr 12 learners who were planning to go to university but who needed additional motivational support to make a successful application to higher education. Twenty seven yr 12 learners from across Cheshire and Warrington attended the event.
Day 1 of the programme covered aspects of applying to higher education and the social aspect of university life. Day 2 of the programme concentrated on academic life. (See attached programme)
Various university staff was involved in the delivery of the programme, eight mentors worked with the learners and supported them throughout the two days. (Each mentor was assigned to a small group of learners)
Although the programme was compact and contained many elements, the learners were fully engaged at all times. The mentors kept the young people on track guiding them through the activities. The mentors were excellent in building a rapport with the young people. They were professional, committed and full of enthusiasm.
When we discussed our ideas with Keele University at the start of the year they were keen to act on the brief and run the pilot programme. They have experience of working with year twelve learners, residential and summer schools but liked the challenge of setting up a ‘three year university experience in three days’. Keele have to be congratulated on the thorough organisation and implementation of the programme.
We were really pleased with the success of the event, it exceeded our expectations. The event was particularly important for building the learners self esteem and giving them confidence in their application to higher education. We received positive feedback from the young people and also from some of the Heads of Sixth form on the students return to school. (Some of the learners gave presentations to their peers)
Quotes from Year 12 Learners
“You could not possibly improve this event; it was excellent as well as informative”
“The freshers disco got us talking to people who we didn’t know…..the whole thing just allowed me to meet new people”
“The best bit was having the experience of becoming a student for a few days”
“The best thing was having a taste of uni life, and the mentors were great fun”
“Doing Archery – something I have never seen in Warrington”
“The event was most enjoyable as a social experience; in fact it was fun on an epic scale”
Quotes from School Staff
“Thanks again for all your support of the girls during those two days – they absolutely loved it”
“Marvellous experience for the young people”
As a result we will be running more events next year. (Some schools have already asked for places!) Keele are also planning to use this model with other Aimhigher areas.
Action Plan for next year
- Learners from one of the schools to form a focus group for external evaluators
- School Development officers to do a follow – up session with the pupils who attended.
- Plan at least two events and meet with Heads of Sixth form from our Aimhigher schools December – February.
- Meet with Keele in August/September to arrange future dates and review programme.
Programme: Yr 12 Residential
Day 1; Applying to University, being accepted and freshers week
10.00 Arrive – Registration (Luggage to be stored)
10.15 Welcome to Keele ‘Open day’
10.30 Why go to university/
11.00 Campus Tour
12.00 Lunch
13.00 UCAS Application
14.00 Break
14.20 Accommodation allocation
15.00 Student Post
15.20 Freshers Fair
16.10 Pre – sport Prep
16.30 Sports
18.00 Preparation for Dinner (Shower/change for dinner)
19.00 Evening Meal
20.00 Freshers Party
23.30 Disco Ends (Return to rooms)
24.00 Lights out
Day 2; Academic Life, Graduation & Careers
08.00 Breakfast
-09.00
09.00 Vacate rooms; return keys, baggage in storage
10.00 Academic day introduction
10.15 How to survive lecture & seminal presentations
11.00 Break
11.15 Academic Lecture
12.00 Lunch
12.30 Seminar
13.15 Break
13.30 Research time & study
14.30 Break
14.45 Student presentations
15.30 Graduation & fond memories
16.00 Careers presentation
16.30 Close, collect luggage, depart.
‘Murder, Magic and Mystery’ Day at Liverpool John Moores University
Workshops were held at the Department of Chemistry and involved identifying various chemical salts found on the suspects of a crime scene. The second part of the workshop challenged the students to ‘control’ the rate of reaction of an experiment to take place at a specific time.
The following schools attended the ‘Murder, Magic and Mystery’ Day:-
• 23 June 2009 – Kings Grove & Sir Thomas Boteler
• 24 June 2009 – Ellesmere Port Catholic High & Rudheath
‘It’s great that the students can work in a university lab and use their science knowledge to solve crimes’ – teacher
‘I had a great day thanks and nearly won the competition!’ - student
‘Super Soap’ Sessions
These Science enrichment sessions were delivered in-school by the Aimhigher Vocational Development Officer. The sessions were aimed at Year 9 students and include the following:-
1. Demonstration showing ‘How does soap clean?’
2. Making soap balls!
3. Experiment to find out what chemicals can be added to the soap solution to make the bubbles last longer!
‘This is a great activity for the students – thanks for motivating them!’ – teacher
‘I can’t wait to get into the bath tonight with my very own bath ball!’ – student
The following schools have taken part in this activity:-
* Cheshire Oaks -12 June 2009
* Woodford Lodge - 7 July 2009
* Kings Grove - 8 July 2009
* Blacon - 9 July 2009
STEM Enrichment Day at Chester Catholic High School
This event involved 45 Year 9 students on 19 June 2009. The day event was delivered by one of the Education Officers from the Smallpeice Trust. The session aimed to enhance the students understanding of, and aptitude for, problem solving, creativity, design and engineering.
The ‘Supercapacitor Powered Vehicle’ project was chosen by the school. Students worked in teams and were challenged to design and construct a buggy, powered by a supercapacitor to complete a specified course.
The project consisted of 3 main elements:-
(1) construction of a circuit to power the buggy
(2) design and construction of a buggy chassis and
(3) gears to enable the buggy to complete the course in the shortest time
‘I enjoyed building the mechanism because it was fun and also taught me about circuits’ - student
‘I enjoyed the most the building and the testing because they were challenging and fun!’ – student
‘The students found the day exciting, challenging – something different’ - teacher
Science At Work at the
Catalyst Science Discovery Centre
This is the Industry Week held at the Catalyst with the support of many major companies.
The event aims to excite students about the science and technology behind the chemical industry and its effect on our lives. By focusing upon important products and processes, the whole experience is designed to fascinate young people about the world of industry and help them to become better informed.
The following schools attended the ‘Science at Work’ on 17 & 18 June 2009:-
- The Whitby High School
- Ruskin Sports College
- Verdin High School
- Sir William Stanier School
During the day event, the students had the opportunity to:-
1. Watch an interactive film in the Alchemy Theatre where they took a 360۫ tour of a local industry, around a chemical plant where they ‘meet’ people at work and were set challenges to answer questions via voting pads attached to their seats.
2. Follow a special ‘Industry Trail’ around the exhibitions over 3 floors, and
3. Take part in the ‘Science at Work’ event where they met real life scientists and explored displays and given fun hands-on activities to complete about different aspects of industry.
‘The students enjoyed the interactions with industry. Good packages and enthusiastic contributors. The least they enjoyed was leaving!’ – teacher
‘I enjoyed the galleries because I got to try different things’ – student
‘I enjoyed the film. Voting and wearing the 3D glasses was fun!’ - student
‘The students really enjoyed the Discovery Lab and hands-on experiments’ - teacher
LAB in a LORRY
'Lab in a Lorry’ is a mobile lab that gives young people the opportunity to explore science through hands-on experiments. It is a fantastic experience for all involved including the students, volunteers and teachers.
‘Lab in a Lorry’ at The Whitby High School
The ‘Lab in a Lorry’ accommodates 18 - 21 visitors per group per visit, with around 5 groups visit per day, thereby allowing around 100 visitors. The Lab has three experimental zones,
1. The resonant wine glass experiment
2. The reluctant oil well experiment
3. The scattering experiment
Each group spends 20 - 30 minutes working on one experiment. Usually each group covers 2 experiments and then depart, so their visit is approximately 50 mins - 1 hour in duration.
The ‘Lab in a Lorry’ visited the following schools:-
- Padgate High School – 1 & 2 June 2009
- The Whitby High School – 8, 9 & 10 June 2009
- Ellesmere Port Specialist School of Performing Arts – 11 & 12 June 2009 at The Whitby High School
In total 626 students had the hands-on experience inside the lorry.
‘Thanks very much for lab in a lorry. We all enjoyed it.’ – teacher
‘I really enjoyed doing these experiments than those in my Science lessons!’ - student
Construction Taster Day
Tuesday 5 May 2009
Year 9 & Year 10 students from Verdin High and Macclesfield High Schools attended this informative and hands-on event at Warrington Collegiate.
The morning started off with a tour of the Construction Department where they saw joinery, electrical work, plumbing, heating, brick laying, painting & decorating.
There was a career presentation by Construction Skills followed by a talk given by a student Quantity Surveyor.
Students were then split into teams where they worked on a practical activity – ‘Town and Country Homes’. This provided an insight into the property development sector of the Construction Industry.
Teams were challenged to design and build a paper model of a housing estate. The teams then put together a presentation to demonstrate how they will market their property to make sure it sells.
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‘The activity was very good and helped pupils to focus on teamwork and real life situations. Career talk was also very good and showed what can be achieved’ – teacher
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‘The students enjoyed the tour around campus and the ‘estate building’ – teacher
Inspiring Through Science’ Day
Friday 1 May 2009
Year 9 & Year 10 students from Sir Thomas Boteler School attended this fun and hands-on event at Keele University.
1.Forensics (Part I) – Trace Evidence Microscopy
Students used actual forensics techniques and equipment in the laboratory to examine microscopic trace evidence.
2. Forensics (Part II) – Fingerprints Workshop
Another practical hands-on session in which the students learn the art of
fingerprinting and examine their own fingerprints
3. Science for Sustainability
Following a short presentation on ‘Sustainable Energy’, the students worked in pairs for ‘The Solar Power Scrapheap Challenge’. This involved designing, building and racing solar-powered cars made from reused materials.
‘I enjoyed the Forensics because it was very exciting and I’ve never done it before!’ – student
‘I enjoyed making the solar powered cars because it was fun and taught you how solar panels are made’ - student
‘The students enjoyed building the solar powered car which required thought, creativity and team working. They rose to the challenge well’ – teacher
The Microsoft Challenge
On the 22 April 2009. 7 schools from across Cheshire and Warrington competed for a chance to visit Microsoft UK Offices in Reading.
The competing schools were;
Woodford Lodge High
The Whitby High
Queens Park High
Birchwood Community High
Cardinal Newman RC High
Penketh High
Ellesmere Port Catholic High
Year 9 teams of six put their business and IT skills to the test to come up with a new mobile phone for the multinational company.
The team had to research the market, identify and understand their target market, come up with a product name, design a logo, determine a price and produce a webpage. They then had to share their ideas with a panel of judges,
The winning teams were;
The Whitby High,
Cardinal Newman RC High
Ellesmere Port Catholic High.
The students were very motivated and the judges involved were impressed with the standard of all the presentations. The day highlighted how the Year 9’s were able to focus on the task and work together within the tight time deadline to produce some impressive original ideas.
Science & Engineering Discovery Day
Celebrating the National Science & Engineering Week at the Manchester Museum of Science & Industry
Friday 6 March & Wednesday 11 March 2009
Three schools:-
6 March – Whitby High (Year 9) & Macclesfield High (Year 9)
11 March – Verdin High (Year 9)
1. ‘Design a Jet Engine’ in the Air & Space Hall
2. Watched a Science Show – Goodness Gracious Gravity!
3. Hands-on activities in the interactive Xperiment gallery
4. Going on the Morphis Simulator Ride!
‘I enjoyed the Simulator Ride the most, because it was exciting, fun and visual!’ – student
‘I enjoyed Design a Jet Engine because you could try different materials’ - student
‘The Xperiment had plenty of variety and the students enjoyed being hands-on’ – teacher
‘The Science Show was well presented and interesting’ - teacher
 Science Show – Goodness Gracious Gravity!
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 Morphis Simulator Ride in the Air & Space Hall |
WARRINGTON MEDIA PROJECT (Jan- April 09)
12 year 10 pupils from Penketh, Padgate and Sir Thomas Boteler High Schools along with FE students from Warrington Collegiate have produced three short films documenting 3 Warrington bands. The students filmed the bands playing live at a gig, in the recording studios at University of Chester and also carried out interviews with the bands.
The project included four 'in school' workshops delivered by Red Rose Media, Aimhigher and creative industry freelancers, a full days training on Apple Macs learning how to use Final Cut film editing software, a full day at University of Chester recording studios plus four days 'work simulation' at Warrington Collegiate.
Pupils taking part had the opportunity to gain their Arts Award Bronze Certificate. Following the project four of the pupils were offered the opportunity to complete a full weeks HE experience with the British Youth Film Academy.
All films can now be viewed on Youtube and are also soon to be screened at the Warrington Music Festival in July 09;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FWAdbY3JDg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZWbCCUFeF8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JVx8s9MWMU
Primary Event
Padgate High School feeder primary school event.
The event was aimed Yr 6 pupils from primary feeder schools for Padgate High School. It was designed to prepare young people for transitions and changes in their educational lives. To introduce the idea that Further and Higher education options are available to them in the future.
The primary schools attending were;
Longbarn Primary
Woolston C of E Primary
Woolston County Primary
Cinnamon Brow Primary
Christchurch Primary
55 young people attended.
The day included a very entertaining lecture from Dr D.Alsop (Head of English), a treasure hunt campus tour and other fun activities. At the end of the day there was a mini graduation event when all attending received a certificate.
