SURREY NUFFIELD RESEARCH STUDENTS ATTEND BIG BANG!

Three of Surrey’s Nuffield Research students are among the 50 from the whole country who are exhibiting at this weekend’s Big Bang Science Festival in London.  They are:

• Oliver Page, Royal Grammar School - The future of Hydrogen Fuel Cells
• David Rapley, Tiffin School - Red Sky at Night, Arabidopsis Delight: The Role of Light on Cell Division and Growth
• Benjaman To, Wilson's School - Can we stop kidney failure and bring hope to thousands?

From little acorns... budding scientists grow!

Funding from sponsors enabled two infant schools to hold science workshops last week for their Year 1 and 2 pupils to encourage enquiry skills.

Farncombe Infant School chose Floating and Sinking for Year 1 children, in which they explored the different properties of materials.  Year 2 were introduced to the concept of gravity and made simple parachutes to test how objects can be slowed down. In total, 80 children took part and the event was kindly funded by Cllr Steve Cosser.  One pupil commented...

“Science is fun and exciting!”

Thorpe Infant pupils experimented with pneumatics in a creative way - dragons was the theme!  Using a variety of everyday objects the children designed and built an array of awesome creatures with moving parts.  60 children enjoyed learning about science in this fun way. Our thanks go to the CP Charitable Trust, which sponsored this event.

Recognition for SATRO's Innovation!

We are absolutely delighted to have been short-listed for this year's Toast of Surrey Award for Social Enterprise - the judges told us they were really impressed by our passion to inspire young people, the innovative work of the mobile classrooms area of our business in particular and the huge impact we are having on young people who otherwise might drop out of the education system altogether.

A big, big thank you to all SATRO's fantastic staff - and to all the business sponsors who support the running costs of our Mobile Classrooms (Willmott Dixon in particular in 2012-13) to enable around 400 students every year not only to achieve qualifications in construction skills, but also to rekindle their self-confidence by experiencing success.

Well done everyone!

Reigate Grammar Top Maths Challenge

175 AS-level students were kept busy at the Surrey Schools Maths Challenge late on Wednesday 6^th March. Held this year on World Maths Day, this is the 11^th time we have run the challenge with the University of Surrey. While the teams efforts were marked, the university’s Professor Mark Roberts gave an insight into what it is like to study Maths as a degree. And, lecturer Jock McOrist described his path from surf-loving high school in Australia via Sydney and Cambridge to Guildford. This year’s top-scoring team was from Reigate Grammar School.

  

Global Trading Comes to Ewell

24 year 5 pupils (10/11 year olds) from Riverview Primary School in Ewell had a harsh lesson this morning, quickly realising that global trading is deeply unfair!

The children were broken down into six countries representing rich/emerging & poor countries of the world and tried to generate wealth for their ‘countries’ by making paper shapes which had a currency they could then bank. The poor countries had lots of raw materials (paper) but no technology and the rich countries had all the technology but limited raw materials. The rich countries quickly began manufacturing but were unwilling to trade their technology for the raw materials they needed thereby ensuring the poor countries remained poor. There were many cries of ‘it’s not fair’ to be heard and many appeals to the United Nations Representative in the form of one of SATRO’s Managers.

A de-brief following the game highlighted the plight of the cocoa farmers in Ghana and the fact that out of a £1 bar of chocolate the farmers only receive 7p with the rest going to the two Governments in tax, the manufacturers and the retailers which the children thought was deeply unfair.

A powerful and thought provoking game for all concerned.

PUPILS FIGURE IT OUT

St Bede's Primary School in Send held a Fun Maths workshop for their KS2 pupils on Tuesday 26th March.  Faced with an array of mathematical challenges, the children worked in pairs to figure out the solutions within a time limit.  This fast-paced activity generated a buzz of excitement as the teams used their maths skills to complete the highest number of puzzles. 

One pupil's comment...

"It has made me realise that there are a lot of different ways to do maths and some can be fun.  I now know some quicker and easier ways to solve difficult problems.  I usually don't really enjoy maths, but the workshop was so much FUN!"

We would like to thank Surrey County Councillor Keith Taylor who kindly funded the day.

THE PENNY FINALLY DROPS!

Another 35 school teams participated in the fifth heat of the SATRO 2013 Problem Solving Challenge at George Abbot School, Guildford on Wednesday 27 February.  The competition to build a coin sorter produced various intriguing solutions: some more successful than others.

Six different schools were represented among the group winners and runners-up, and these teams qualify for the final on 21 March which promises to be a rewarding and exciting occasion.  Congratulations to them, and to all the other school teams who took part!