Science College Update
March 2009
The autumn term’s OFSTED inspection made a busy term even more hectic. But the “outstanding” grade ensured that applying for redesignation as a Science College would be a less onerous experience. The school SEF highlighted the achievements of the Science College, the Science College evaluation showed the progress made since the initial bid and the school improvement plan showed the direction that the Science College and school will take over the next three years. These documents were submitted as part of the redesignation process and led to our status as Science College being confirmed for the next four years.
Visitors from Australia
Our success as a Science College continues to be nationally recognised. The SSAT sent a group of Australian teachers from St Aquinas College in Melbourne to visit us in September 2008. The teachers met with colleagues from Science and shared experiences of what ensures that pupils/students are “switched on” to Science. They also met pupils from Years 8 to 10 who had been involved in various enrichment activities including the Science and Engineering Club, Go4SET and the Da Vinci project. Year 13 students gave the Australian teachers a flavour of the activities that are available to sixth formers including Café Scientifique Nuffield bursaries and the EES project.
The day ended with our first Café Scientifque of the year on the theme of “Science in the media”. The Australian teachers were so impressed with the concept they intend to replicate the idea when they returned to Melbourne.
Royal Institution lecture
The Royal Institution approached the school to host a very special lecture this year on the 10th December 2008 to mark the 100th anniversary of Lord Ernest Rutherford’s Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Steven Rossington of The University of Salford showed how the cities of Manchester and Salford have contributed richly to our understanding of chemistry and the properties of atoms over the past 200 years.The lecture was filled with plenty of exhilarating and heart-stopping demonstrations to stimulate and excite the senses! The properties of solids, liquids and gases were explored, as was the relative inertness of nitrogen and the explosive nature of oxygen.
The lecture was delivered to 140 Year 5 and 6 pupils from our partner primary schools and to 127 pupils from our Year 7.
Re-launch of the Science and Engineering Club
The Science and Engineering Club was re-launched in September 2008 during a lower school assembly. M. A. Stuckey and T. Barber continue to run two clubs on a Monday after school. Regular attendees include two pupils from Wellacre Technology College and one pupil from Flixton Girls’ School. The aim of our SEC (science and engineering club) is to transform the attitude of young people towards science and engineering. The club provides opportunities to excite and engage pupils in science, mathematics and technology. Pupils are able to take part in extra activities that will motivate and interest them. The activities enrich and reinforce many of the ideas covered in the national curriculum as well as develop the scientific and mathematical understanding and skills of pupils. Pupils are able to explore applications of science and engineering and set them in the context of “real-life”. The club also provides the time to focus on and develop the interests of the pupils and staff involved.
The Eco-club evolves
N. K. Kelting and L. A. Rimmington re-launched the eco-club this year for a dedicated band of pupils who are passionate about environmental issues. The club has been transformed into the “Growing Sense” group who have a brief to create a wildlife sensory garden as an outdoor cross-curricular learning space. Large numbers of pupils were involved in planting a “fedge” which will form the boundary of the garden, having been “fired” up by the enthusiasm and interest generated by the two lead teachers.
Biology Challenge and Natural History Museum
D. E Hesford has organised pupils to be entered for the new Biology Challenge which is targeted at Years 9 and 10. The competition builds on the success of the “British Biology Olympiad and is for pre-GCE pupils in schools of all types. The aim of the competition is to involve as many pupils as possible in a challenging and interesting biology competition. Questions will be set on the school curriculum but the Biology Challenge will also reward those students whose knowledge of the subject has been increased by reading books and magazines, watching natural history programmes and taking notice of the news media for items of biological interest, students who are generally aware of our natural flora and fauna.
In preparation for the competition pupils were taken to the Natural History Museum in London on February 4th 2009 . This gave pupils an insight into the huge contribution that Darwin has made to the development of ideas about evolution.
Primary links
J. Tancred has been involved in running two Maths Clubs at St. Michael’s during their lunchtime during the autumn term. She has just started a club at Flixton Juniors and is supported by Year 12 student Emma Powell.
Data logging:
In September J. Leech ran an INSET evening on the uses, applications and links to the curriculum of dataloggers to all the teaching staff at St. Michaels CE Primary School. The school has since made lots of use of these and are looking at ways to extend this further.
United Utilities:
United Utilities approached UGS to see if they could establish links with some of our
primary link schools. The purpose was to deliver their ‘Bright Sparks’ program – a full
day in each primary school (funded by UU) of hands on activities based on the theme
of electricity. Primary school teachers were invited to attend an evenings INSET at
UGS on the 12th November 2008 and dates set for UU to go into the individual
schools (Urmston Juniors, Kingsway and Flixton Juniors attended the INSET).
UU are keen to establish more links with UGS and Primary schools. One of our past
pupils (Victoria Turnham) now works for UU attended the INSET and wishes to see
how she could link with UGS to inspire potential Engineers.
Science Clubs:
J. Leech has started running an after school Science club at Flixton Juniors (every
week the second half of the spring term). There had to be a limit set of 20 pupils as
demand was high. The focus of this club is to enrich the parts of curriculum the are
studying at the moment. Discussions are in place for Flixton Juniors to come to UGS
for some Science lessons. Mr Redmond (Headteacher) is open to all possibilities and
wishes there was enough time to do everything.
Loan of equipment:
Urmston Junior school are the main school which regularly make use of loaning
equipment. Invitations for them to use our lab facilities (with a member of UGS
Science present) has not been taken up so far, althought they enjoyed comming into
the school last year when J. Leech ran a number of lessons for their pupils.
Science Day;
Flixton Infant School has organised a Science Day and have asked if 16 of our tear 10
pupils would help them on the 6th March. Well over 40 pupils put their names forward
for this and a ballot had to be used to select pupils.
Maths Inspiration lecture
44 Year 12 and 13 students attended the Maths Inspiration lecture on 5th December 2008. The events are designed to inspire the next generation of mathematicians, engineers and other mathematical and numerate professionals, professionally run and entertaining. The three speakers gave interactive talks on a diverse range of topics. “When maths meets psychology” by Rob Eastaway, “To infinity and beyond” by Katie Chicot and “Maths in a spin” by Hugh Hunt.
Cipher Challenge.
The “Ugscrackers08” joined George Scovell and the Duke of Wellington in their fight to eject Napoleon's army from Portugal and Spain.
It was their job to help the British army in its efforts to decipher French messages intercepted by George Scovell's army guides and their brave allies the Spanish guerrilla fighters. As the war progressed and the French ciphers become harder to crack Matthew Fowkes, Rachel Booth, Amy Derbyshire, Jessica Flanangan, Sasha M-Taromsari needed all their wit and skills to break them, and the hardest challenge was be to break the Great Paris cipher. The team rose to the challenges in style coming joint first out of 1180 schools in challenge A and even more spectacular was their 38th position out of 1050 schools in the more difficult challenge B. The team are regularly supported by J. Tancred, E. J. Parker, C. Hunt and other members of the Mathematics Faculty.
Number Day
On Thursday 4th December 2008 the Mathematics faculty led the school to celebrate NSPCC Number Day.was a great opportunity to get pupils to enjoy maths and raise money for the NSPCC and Childline at the same time. Pupils were able to enter a competition that allowed them to calculate “Teacher sums” and a lunchtime session gave them the opportunity to make mathematical themed Christmas cards. The £53.42 raised was sent to the NSPSS as part of their “Full stop” campaign to prevent cruelty against children.
Senior Maths Challenge
The UKMT Maths Challenges were taken during the autumn terms. The Intermediate Challenge this year lead to seven gold, 11 silvers and 19 bronze awards. The Senior Challenge led to 2 gold, 3 silver and 11 bronze awards. This challenge is aimed at students aged 16-19 studying maths below university level. Amazingly, Sam Booth in Year 10 and Chris Sharp in Year 11 achieved silver at this high level.
Greater Manchester Science Festival
Pupils took part in a carousel of activities at “The Greater Manchester Science Festival” which was held at Loreto Grammar School on 15th October 2008.
L. Rimmington and a group of our Year 9 pupils worked along side those from local Trafford schools. Activities were organised by the University of Manchester, University of Salford, Manchester Metropolitan University and the Healthcare Scientist Network. Pupils also saw a demonstration-packed lecture.
NTRP conference
J. Tancred and R. S. Wall presented at the National Teacher Research Panel’s fourth biennial conference in November 2008, “Improving Teaching Enhancing Learning: Connecting evidence, practice and policy”.
The event, held in the prestigious QEII conference centre in London, provided a forum for teachers and school leaders, professional researchers and local and national policy makers to learn together from thebest practitioner research in the system. The event has a reputation for innovation and high quality. J. Tancred, R. S. Wall and our external partners presented their research and findings from the “Da Vinci project”. This was very well received, with many delegates describing the project as inspirational. The research summary is now shared with an even wider audience through the government’s standards site.
http://www.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/ntrp/lib/pdf/walltancred.pdf
Nuffield Bursaries
Naomi Boast and Phoebe Lyons attended a celebration day at Salford University.
This was an opportunity for the students to celebrate their success and present their research projects to achieve CREST gold awards. (Rodwan Husein and Hashim Khan were unable to attend because of other commitments)
Engineering Education Scheme
Six sixth form pupils are successfully working on an engineering project, orgnised by
The EES . Their project is based around dosing of phosphorus into the water at the
treatment works. They meet evey Wednesday afternoon with two engineers from
United Utilities and J. Leech. They have completed a residential at Liverpool
University with Y. Patel and R. S. Wall and are currently working hard to complete their report.
They will also be delivering a presentation on their project university lecturers and
mentors from industry at Manchester Univertity in April 2009.
Chemistry with a bang
John Kilcoyne and Jeff Teasdale made a very welcome return visit to Urmston Grammar School on Thursday 5th February 2009. Their fantastic lecture was delivered to 127 Year 8 pupils and staff in the afternoon and to 130 pupils of all ages and their parents in the evening as part of the community lecture programme. Both audiences were wowed by the of bangs, fizzes, flashes and flares!
R. S. Wall was asked to join the advisory board for “science made simple” during the autumn term 2008. This award winning science education organisation is passionate about Science and their mission is to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers by bringing the Science curriculum to life. This fits in perfectly with our aims as a Science College and is one which is pursued enthusiastically by all colleagues from the Science and Mathematics faculties.
Riffat Wall
01/03/09