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25 March 2022
Science Week is a much-loved annual event in Northampton High School’s calendar, with the entire school community having the opportunity to get stuck into a whole host of science-based activities. This year was no exception, with the theme for this year’s celebration being ‘Growth’.
Northampton High’s Head of Science, Mrs Karla Hodgetts-Tate, organised an enriching programme of events spanning the course of the week, with different activities on offer to suit each age group of students aged between 4 and 18. The celebration was opened in traditional fashion with a school assembly, before Junior School students were visited by CBeebies’ Grace Webb, star of the hit show ‘Grace’s Amazing Machines’. Grace demonstrated what different forces and motions are at play in the different machines she uses on the programme, with pupils even having the opportunity to sit on her very own quad bike!
The guest visits were not just on offer for Junior students, however, with the school’s Senior pupils having the opportunity to learn from some of science’s brightest minds. Science Communicator, author and GDST-alumna Dr Emily Grossman and APHA Scientist Dr Sharon Brookes both delivered passionate talks to engaged audiences, giving pupils a priceless insight into not only their specialist fields, but how the world of science has changed their lives.
A wide range of competitions, demonstrations and exhibits were on offer courtesy of Northampton High’s Science faculty and proved to be the perfect accompaniment to the excellent guest speaker seminars. Mrs Hodgetts-Tate commented, “The theme of British Science Week this year was ‘Growth’. I wanted to take this a bit further and extend past the ordinary, simple definition and grow our Science Week.”
“This year we have seen Year 7 take on engineering challenges to grow the tallest/strongest tower; Year 8 and 9 have grown their ideas about careers in STEM and found some jobs they didn’t know existed. Year 11 and some Sixth Formers were treated to a truly inspirational talk from Dr Emily Grossman and Years 1 to 4 had a workshop with Grace Webb, where they learned about forces and motion. Everywhere I have looked this week I have found an aspect of growth and growing – from the new bulbs springing into life, to students growing in confidence in their own abilities. I think everyone should take a few minutes each day to either appreciate the growth around them or try something to grow their minds”.
Although the Science Week event has come to an end, the school community’s love for the subject continues to grow, with a deluge of further enrichment activities planned for the coming weeks and months. Witness the world of science for yourself at Northampton High’s upcoming Open Morning, Friday 6 May from 9:30am until 1pm. Bookings are now being taken at northamptonhigh.co.uk/visit-us.
