British Science Week @ Chelsea Academy

Activities in Science lessons during Science Week As a Science Specialist Academy, we love taking the opportunity to do even more Science during British Science Week. This year our activities were themed around our Academy theme of the week “Be Creative”. In assemblies led by Dr Greene and Mrs Holgate, all students heard about the history of the London sewer system, the creativity of Bazelgette, and the present need for the Tideway Tunnel project. In lessons, Year 7 students designed barges to carry marbles, made posters for the British Science week competition, and looked at arguments for and against the tunnel project. Year 8 students spent the week working towards their CREST Discovery Award, designing and building inventions that would…

Activities in Science lessons during Science Week

As a Science Specialist Academy, we love taking the opportunity to do even more Science during British Science Week. This year our activities were themed around our Academy theme of the week “Be Creative”. In assemblies led by Dr Greene and Mrs Holgate, all students heard about the history of the London sewer system, the creativity of Bazelgette, and the present need for the Tideway Tunnel project. In lessons, Year 7 students designed barges to carry marbles, made posters for the British Science week competition, and looked at arguments for and against the tunnel project.

Year 8 students spent the week working towards their CREST Discovery Award, designing and building inventions that would be able to collect rainwater for hand washing, and reduce the spread of waterborne diseases. Students in Year 9 took part in the Institute of Cancer Research poster competition, carrying out experiments to understand how enzymes could be involved in the treatment of cancer in the future.

 

Boat Trip with Tideway Tunnels

As part of our developing relationship with Tideway, the company building the Thames Tideway Tunnel, we were invited to bring a small group of students on a boat tour of the Tideway constructions sites along the Thames. Mrs Holgate took 7 students from Year 9, and two from Year 12, and we made our way to Westminster pier to board our boat, the Erasmus. From Westminster we made our way upstream all the way back to Chelsea Creek, stopping to look at the construction sites along the river – including outside MI6! We saw where the existing sewage outlets for most of London empty into the river, and hear about the work being done to connect these Victorian outlet pipes to the new tunnel which will go under the riverbed. The students also took part in an engineering competition, and we were delighted when our girls’ team won with the highest spaghetti structure to support a marshmallow!

 

Science Shows with the Centre of the Cell

As a precursor to Science Week at Chelsea Academy, we were delighted to invite in presenters from the Centre of the Cell in Whitechapel to run some Science shows for all Year 8 students and 6th form Biology students. Year 8 classes watched and took part in the “Snot, Sick and Scabs” show, looking at how our bodies defend us against infection. The A level Biology students watched a show called “Ingenious Genes”, helping them to revise their genetics topic for the forthcoming AS and A level examinations. We also had an opportunity to ask Jake and Rebecca, our presenters, about how to apply to get into medical school.

 

STEM Careers fair – Years 11-13

On the Wednesday afternoon of Science Week we invited to the Academy, undergraduates from Imperial College, Jane from In2Science and Nick Remfry, an Environmental Engineer from Tideway. Students from Yr 11-13 who are interested in careers in STEM, came to the theatre and were able to talk to the visitors about their studies and careers so far, as well as to gain advice from In2Science about summer school opportunities available to them and how to apply.