Priory welcomed Year 5 pupils from partner primary schools for an exciting afternoon of science activities centred around the theme of ‘space’.
With growing interest in space exploration following recent missions around the moon, the event provided a fantastic opportunity for pupils to develop their scientific knowledge while taking part in a range of engaging STEM challenges.
Representing their schools in teams of four, pupils began the afternoon with a challenging space-themed quiz and picture round. They tested their knowledge by identifying famous space objects and technologies, including the International Space Station and the Hubble Space Telescope.
The competition then moved on to a demanding teamwork challenge, where pupils had to transport pieces of ‘space junk’ over an obstacle course. Although the task proved difficult, every group demonstrated impressive resilience, determination and problem-solving skills as they worked together to overcome the challenge.
Next, pupils explored the night sky by creating their own planispheres. Using these star charts, they were able to predict where different constellations would appear at various dates and times throughout the year, developing their understanding of astronomy and celestial movements.
The final activity proved to be the most popular of the afternoon. Pupils were challenged to design and test rockets to discover how far they could travel. Each team selected one independent variable to investigate, such as altering the length of the rocket or adding wings, before testing their designs and evaluating the results. The activity encouraged scientific thinking, creativity and a deeper understanding of fair testing and physics.
The pupils thoroughly enjoyed the challenge, with many highlighting it as their favourite part of the event. One pupil commented: "My favourite activity was building the rocket because it was fun and we could choose what we wanted to change on it." Another added: "The rockets were my favourite because I love to design and create." A third pupil said: "We had to think hard about physics."
Feedback from across all of the schools showed that the projectile investigation was the standout activity of the afternoon, with pupils particularly enjoying the opportunity to apply scientific ideas through hands-on experimentation.
Congratulations go to St Stephen's Primary School, who were crowned this year's winners after achieving consistently high scores across all rounds in what was a very closely contested competition.
Mrs Potter, Assistant Head of Science said: "There was a real buzz in the room around science. A lot of the activities were STEM-based this year, which gave the pupils a chance to shine using a range of different skills."
The event was a wonderful celebration of curiosity, teamwork and scientific discovery. Well done to all of the pupils who took part and demonstrated such enthusiasm throughout the afternoon.