Downe House School hosts week-long STEM residency inspired by British Science Week

Pupils at Downe House enjoyed dabbling in robotics, medical engineering and astrobiology last month ahead of British Science Week (March 7-16).

The week included a series of expert talks, workshops and interactive demonstrations at the Cold Ash school’s onsite Murray Centre pupils and staff were welcome to join at their leisure.

It kicked off with pupils learning how to program robot cars to navigate a maze, while the first evening concluded with a lecture on the impact of computer gaming on our world.

Towards the end of the week, pupils took part in a chemistry challenge quiz before learning about joint prostheses, including hip replacements, in a hands-on workshop led by medical engineering company Stryker, based in Newbury.

During this session, pupils had the chance to replace the hip joint on a model leg bone using a large drill and hammer.

Doctor Lucille Mathers, from The Living Rainforest in Hampstead Norreys, delivered lectures around sustainability and biodiversity.

Author and astrobiologist professor Lewis Dartnell, from the University of Westminster, also delivered three lectures on finding extra-terrestrial life, how to rebuild society after an apocalypse and how human evolution has directly impacted the shape of society today.

Head of STEM at Downe House Rick Hollingworth said: “It has been an incredible week of STEM for the whole school.

“Throughout the week, there were demonstrations by members of the science, maths and computing departments, everything from experiments that made students’ hair stand on end with a Van Der Graaf Generator to demonstrating how subjective and easily confused our five senses are.

“An enormous number of staff and students worked tirelessly to make the week a success. My heartfelt thanks goes out to everyone involved.”

The week-long residency concluded with the final of the school’s Inter-House Maths Competition.