School pupils turn crime scene analysts for science competition
School pupils turn crime scene analysts for science competition
03/03/2016
Pupils at secondary schools in Enfield schools competed in a series of competitions at Middlesex University as part of the annual Enfield Council Mayor’s Award for Science
Forty students from nine secondary schools across Enfield visited Middlesex University in February to battle it out in robot building and crime scene analysis science competitions.
The competitions formed part of the annual Enfield Council Mayor’s Award for Science, which sees gifted and talented students taking part in a series of competitive science and engineering activities.
Year 9 pupils worked closely with Middlesex University academics in the robotics laboratory to programme their machines, before later battling it out on the arena table to see whose robots came out on top.
Year 12 pupils meanwhile were presented with a simulated crime scene and introduced to scientific techniques such as DNA profiling, blood typing and the identification of botanical and other biological samples.
"Trips and workshops such as these help to build our young budding scientists – they promote a love of learning and implant a seed of curiosity"
Dr Celia Bell, Head of the Department of Natural Sciences at Middlesex University said: “I was really impressed with the group of biologists who competed with us for the Enfield Mayor’s award.
“What I saw has shown me the talent and potential that is out there in our schools. The biologists became crime scene investigators for the day, analysing evidence in order to work out how a ‘body’ found under a tree at the back of campus might have died.
“With science and engineering being part of every dimension of our modern lives it is vitally important to all of our futures that students like these, who have a love for science and are good at science, stick with it in order to become the innovators and researchers of the future.”
Ms Youens, Deputy Head of Science at Lea Valley High School said: “All students had an amazing day competing against each other and building not only their scientific and computer programming skills but also their leadership and teamwork skills, as well as having the amazing opportunity of meeting university students and academic leaders in the respective fields.
“I strongly believe trips and workshops such as these help to build our young budding scientists; they promote a love of learning and implant a seed of curiosity, giving them invaluable memories that will remain with them through life.”
The students taking part in the event came from St Anne’s Catholic High School for Girls, Edmonton County School, Lea Valley High School, Winchmore School, Highlands School, Southgate School, The Latymer School, Enfield County School and Bishop Stopford School.
School pupils turn crime scene analysts for science competition
The competitions formed part of the annual Enfield Council Mayor’s Award for Science, which sees gifted and talented students taking part in a series of competitive science and engineering activities.
Year 9 pupils worked closely with Middlesex University academics in the robotics laboratory to programme their machines, before later battling it out on the arena table to see whose robots came out on top.
Year 12 pupils meanwhile were presented with a simulated crime scene and introduced to scientific techniques such as DNA profiling, blood typing and the identification of botanical and other biological samples.
Dr Celia Bell, Head of the Department of Natural Sciences at Middlesex University said: “I was really impressed with the group of biologists who competed with us for the Enfield Mayor’s award.
“What I saw has shown me the talent and potential that is out there in our schools. The biologists became crime scene investigators for the day, analysing evidence in order to work out how a ‘body’ found under a tree at the back of campus might have died.
“With science and engineering being part of every dimension of our modern lives it is vitally important to all of our futures that students like these, who have a love for science and are good at science, stick with it in order to become the innovators and researchers of the future.”
Ms Youens, Deputy Head of Science at Lea Valley High School said: “All students had an amazing day competing against each other and building not only their scientific and computer programming skills but also their leadership and teamwork skills, as well as having the amazing opportunity of meeting university students and academic leaders in the respective fields.
“I strongly believe trips and workshops such as these help to build our young budding scientists; they promote a love of learning and implant a seed of curiosity, giving them invaluable memories that will remain with them through life.”
The students taking part in the event came from St Anne’s Catholic High School for Girls, Edmonton County School, Lea Valley High School, Winchmore School, Highlands School, Southgate School, The Latymer School, Enfield County School and Bishop Stopford School.