Whole School - Science

Science Week 2016

​Mad Science

Our Science Week began with a bang when Physics visited St. Mary’s on Monday.

He put on a show for children and parents and carers which included many interesting and exciting demonstrations.

The demonstrations taught us a little about liquids and gases, high and low air pressure and how humans are good conductors of electricity!

Children in Year 1, 2, 3 and 4 then had further opportunity to work with Physics in class based workshops throughout the day.
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​​Y 6 - Forensic Science

Year 5 and 6 had a visit from Jacqui from CSI Pulse who taught them all about the importance of Forensic Science at a crime scene.

​They practised taking and reading fingerprints, handprints and shoe prints as well as safely collecting and analysing hair, blood, fibre samples and other evidence before putting their skills to use in the afternoon to solve a crime!
Today was the greatest science lesson ever! It made me want to go into forensic science.
​-Kashell

This day has inspired me to become a forensic scientist.
-Eliana

Fantastic! The best science I’ve ever had! I enjoyed making a fingerprint keyring and solving the crime.
​-Mossimo
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It gave us a glimpse into the outside world and was different to the lessons we usually experience in a school environment. It’s given me an idea for a possible job opportunity in the future.
-Cormac

Year 1

To begin our Science Week we took part in Mad Science.

First we were introduced to a scientist called Physics who showed us lots of interesting experiments in an assembly.

​Then we were very lucky to have a special lesson based on our new topic materials. Physics showed us lots of different things and even showed us how to make goo!

​Filip J– ‘it was so slimy and sticky.’

Sarah M – ‘I didn’t expect it to turn into goo when we were adding the things and stirring it!

Science Week 2015

We had a great start to Science Week with a visit from two members of the Mad Science team. We began with a Mad Science show which was watched by children and a great number of parents too!

Then, each class from Year 1 to Year 6 had a visit from one of our guests from Mad Science who provided a range of exciting and educational workshops.

Year 1 and 2 learned all about materials and made their very own slime!
Year 3 taking part in their workshop, Magnetic Magic.
Year 4 had an Electrix workshop
Year 5 causing catapult chaos, thinking about forces
Year 6 learned all about Darwin and DNA extraction

The Science has continued back in the classroom so please check back soon to find out more about 
what's been going on.

Solar Eclipse

As a perfect end to science week, we observed the solar eclipse on Friday morning. 

Molly in year 5 brought an eclipse viewing box to school and helped children to see this fantastic event!

Science Week 2014

What a busy week it was!
Year 1, 2, 3 and 4 kicked off their Science week in style on Monday with a visit from David from Magna Science Centre. He performed a range of tricks and experiments.

Mr Mounfield came into school to work with children in Year 4 investigating friction and children in Year 1 to explore pushes, pulls and magnetism.

 Mr Mounfield also worked with Year 2 on their topic circuits and conductors where children learnt about the components of a complete circuit and made their own mini torches. They each finished their own torch with a unique and colourful design! To fit in with their work on circuits and electricity, children in Year 2 have also been finding out about scientist Thomas Edison.
Year 3 have been busy investigating healthy diets and have studied meals to consider whether they include all of the important food groups as well as studying packed lunches and considering how they can be improved.

 Year 5 have been exploring how we see things and discovered that light is reflected from an object into our eyes through a hole in our eyes! They also had great fun making kaleidoscopes which create patterns by reflect images using a triangular prism of mirrors. They each finished their design in their own personal way. They have also researched, designed, made and presented posters in all sorts our shapes and sizes in teams about scientists and inventors of their choice.
 Year 5 and 6 had the fantastic opportunity to take part in a jam-packed day of forensic science on Thursday, learning how to take and study fingerprints and foot and hand prints as well as studying hair and clothing fibres, which they used to investigate the scene of a crime in the afternoon!


"Your KS2 pupils, were all so enthusiastic and engaged in all the activities presented to them and equally, they were all very well behaved, so please pass on my congratulations to them all.  "

 Jacqui, Pulse CSI

The week finished with a sharing and awards assembly, where we were able to see just a snippet of what had been going on in each class throughout the week. ‘Scientist of the Week’ and ‘Inventor of the Week’ awards were given in each class and these children were presented with a certificate and a prize for their great work.

Science Week 2013

Mad Science

In March, we held a Science Week in support of 'National Science and Engineering Week'. The week kicked off with a day spent with Joe from 'Mad Science' who led an assembly which included all sorts of cool Science tricks such as: how to get a balloon in and out of a conical flask; how to use a toilet roll to show how aeroplanes fly and who could blow the most air into a bag, one person or nine! 
Key Stage Two classes were lucky enough to then work with Joe throughout the day learning about dinosaurs, changing state, human building blocks and changing circuits. These were no ordinary lessons though - year five, for example, made slime while year three excavated dinosaur bones and made dinosaur fossils!

Mr Mounfield Science Day


On the final day of Science week, Mr Mounfield returned to St. Mary's to work with children throughout school on all different areas of Science. 

In the morning, Years 1, 2 and 3 took part in a magnets workshop which began with a 'Magnet Magic Show' then the children investigated the magnetic properites of different materials and their uses. Sixth form students from Trinity supported Mr Mounfield's sessions and were fantastic at helping to teach and enthuse the children of St. Mary's. 
In the afternoon, year 5 worked alongside the students and Mr Mounfield to run a carousel of activities for years 4 and 6, investigating many areas of Science such as static electricity, sound waves and surface tension.

Awards and Prizes
To round off a fantastic week of Science, we held an assembly where each class shared details about the scientists they had been studying throughout the week.


 Our guest, Mr Mounfield, also presented certificates and prizes to a 'Scientist of the Week' and 'Inventor of the Week' from each class (see below). 


Jake (Y5) was also presented with a £10 voucher for writing the best evaluation of work carried out by year 5 as part of the Ogden Project earlier in the year.