British Science Week kick-starts a return to classroom learning at the Lower School

For the first week back in school, hands-on science has been embraced by St Mary’s Lower School pupils for British Science Week, 5-14 March. Practical sessions and activities took place in the classrooms throughout the week.

The Year 1 girls conducted experiments using magnets. The class were challenged to find the best way to entice a paperclip out of a cup of water without getting themselves wet! The pupils in Year 2 were exploring the nine acres of grounds at St Mary’s Lower School to see what living things they could find in their local habitat. They used magnifying glasses to look closely in areas around the school and recorded their findings.

The Junior pupils got involved in colour exploration, with the Year 3 pupils experimenting with cabbages! Using lemon juice and bicarbonate of soda, the class discovered what effect these simple ingredients had on the colour of a red cabbage – there were lots of cheers when the colours changed! Year four tested their knowledge by setting up their own classification key for sorting vertebrates and invertebrates. Each group then challenged one another to their choice of classification key and whether they were correct or not with much discussion taking place. Herd Immunity Jenga was the name of the game for Year 5. They were investigating the impact of herd immunity for vaccination programmes and the important role vaccines play, not only to protect those who receive them but everyone in the community. Year 6 pupils carried out practical experiments to test how light travels, applying their knowledge of reflection and refraction to make their pencils ‘bend’, creating mirror writing and ‘magical’ coins.

“We’ve had a wonderful variety of scientific experiences on offer to our Lower School girls for British Science Week.” Mrs Emma Stanhope, Director of St Mary’s Lower School said, “It has been fantastic to see the pupils getting back into the classrooms with their teachers and fully immersing themselves in all things science!”