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The Regents Review
Summer 2016
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DEPARTMENTAL NEWS
Science
Staffing
After May half term, we
welcomed Mr Moth as the new
Curriculum Leader to the Science
department.
Mrs Griffiths will also be
returning to her role as Assistant
Curriculum Leader for KS3.
Year 7 Winchester
Science Centre Trip
Year 7 had a fantastic time at
Winchester Science Centre in
March, investigating different
exhibits, getting hands on in
K’Nex workshops and exploring
the solar system in the
planetarium! Many thanks to the
staff who helped organise this
great day for the students.
Science week (14th-18th
March)
The Science department was
at full force for British Science
Week. All tutor groups created
balloon-powered cars as part of
their tutor group challenge!
Top of the class were Rowling PW
and Branson KH with excellent
designs.
Students also came to visit the
Science department at lunchtime
for acid fizz mess, creating lava
lamps, racing lotus flowers,
paper airplane and helicopter
competitions and a Science
photobooth!
Lessons also had a Science week
theme, with classes getting
messy with our viscosity of fluids
practical, making holograms,
testing trebuchets and creating
hovercrafts!
On Friday there was a joint PE/
Science day to support Sport
Relief where, supported by
LifeLab from the University of
Southampton and Southampton
General Hospital, students set up
a fitness fair to raise money for
charity.
All in all, a brilliant week had by
staff and students alike. Thanks
to all staff and students who
were involved in British Science
Week 2016.
Year 10 Chemistry at
Work Trip
In May, a small group of Year
10 students visited Winchester
Science Centre and took part
in the Chemistry at Work Day.
This was organised by STEM
(science, technology, engineering
and mathematics) professionals
aiming to inspire students to
appreciate the relevance and
societal importance of chemistry,
and consider a future career in
the chemical sciences.
The students greatly enjoyed
the morning introduction, which
demonstrated some impressive
chemical reactions and gave us
a look into the future. This was
followed up by 4 very different
workshops, ranging from the
Royal Navy demonstrating how
important chemistry is in the
development of explosives, to
a demonstration by a chemist
working for Esso on the
properties of crude oil.
Following the workshops
students were able to question
a wide variety of chemists on
their profession during a speed
networking session. The day
was concluded with a fantastic
planetarium show taking us to far
away galaxies!
Science Club
This term in Science Club students have showcased experiments of
their own design at ‘The Big Bang Fair’ at Richard Taunton Sixth Form
College. This included making mobile holograms, trebuchets, film
canister rockets and lots more! There were also opportunities for
the students to speak with scientists from a range of careers. Finally,
students were able to observe fantastic experiments with liquid
nitrogen, fuels and static electricity.
With the help of volunteers from the University of Southampton, they
have been hard at work creating Lego robots programed to respond
to sound and light. They have also taken on the challenge to build
model aeroplanes with elastic powered propellers, to great success!