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Our annual Prep Schools’ Science Challenge welcomed gifted and talented year 6 pupils from nine local schools to take part in challenges across Chemistry, Physics, and Biology. Working together in small, inter-school teams, students delved into the challenges at hand, competing to be the best across the three sciences with the hopes of winning the coveted shield at the end of the day.
In Physics, students turned cubes aerodynamic using clay and paper to alter their shape. These newly streamlined cubes were then tested in a wind tunnel to measure the resistance. Students also used tape and paper rods to construct towers with landing platforms, which were put to the test under weights.
In Biology, pupils’ forensic skills were put to the test as they ascertained who stole Head Master, Dominic Oliver’s cake. Through a range of experiments, such as blood splatter and fingerprint analysis, our budding forensic scientists worked against the clock to find the culprit.
Over in Chemistry, the children took part in a technicolour task and used incredible accuracy to turn their solutions from clear to blue in the iodine clock reaction. They were challenged to use an exact amount of solution so that the reaction would occur exactly 65 seconds after adding the catalyst.
To conclude the day of challenges, our visitors enjoyed a falconry and flying display presented by Huxley’s Birds of Prey. They met several birds including Pearl the lanner falcon who returned for his second visit to the College.
Congratulations
We’d like to congratulate Aldro Prep School for winning the overall first prize with a total of 170 points. Well done, Cesca, Gigi, Bella, Lilly, Lele, Ben, Luca, Cameron, Dorcas, Henry, Kaiqiao and Christian. Congratulations to Cumnor House who came a close second with 161 points, and to Holmewood House who came third with 149 points.
Thank you
Special thanks to Luke Lloyd of Huxley’s Birds of Prey for providing the display and talk on raptors; all the teaching staff and technicians of the Science Department, as well as our prefects who volunteered to help throughout the day.