By Ms Gethins (Head of Science)

During the summer term, we have invited 60 Year 5 students from Putnoe Primary School to visit BGS to experience science workshops in our labs. In all, we have held three workshops. This has been a wonderful opportunity for us to connect with the local community and, hopefully, inspire the next generation of young scientists.

In preparation for the workshops, BGS students from Years 7 to 9, who are working towards Youth STEMM Awards, have been trained up in four science activities so that they can lead the sessions. This has been an excellent opportunity for them to develop their own scientific skills, as well as their leadership skills. It has been a pleasure to watch them gaining confidence in teaching the year 5 students and the young people really look up to them as role models.

We have had positive feedback from Putnoe Primary School staff and their students have been well-behaved and very engaged in the tasks. Hopefully, we will be able to offer similar workshops in future years.

Abhinaya (Year 7) said: “Engaging younger students in science through experiments was a great experience. From a young age, I have had a passion for science, and I was grateful to have an opportunity to share that passion with others. It was amazing to see the students actively ask questions and take interest in the activities we had prepared for them. I hope the students enjoyed today as much as I did!”

Safa (Year 10) added: “Leading the STEMM workshop for Putnoe Primary students was such a fun and engaging experience. I loved explaining the science behind the activities and seeing how interested and amazed the Year 5s were. It felt great to take the lead, answer their questions, and help them get really involved. Their excitement made the whole thing even better, and it definitely gave me more confidence too. I really hope they return next year - I’d love to help again!”