JANUARY 2014 NEWSLETTER

Dear Parents and Carers This bumper edition of the Newsletter shows the variety of activities and opportunities available to our students offered by our dedicated and enthusiastic Staff – from sport to summer schools, to overseas trips, to Film Clubs, to charity, and so on. Some of our staff are leaving the School at the end of the academic year to progress their careers and/or take new opportunities offered. Not only will we miss their teaching gifts and talents, we will miss each of them with their unique personalities. We wish them well for the future. We are fortunate, at the time of writing, to be fully staffed for September 2016. Many of those staff joining us came for an Induction Day and received a warm welcome. Teacher recruitment and retention is one of the biggest challenges facing the teaching profession with many young teachers leaving within their first five years; many new teachers are going overseas, particularly to the Middle East, leaving a gap in this country; young teachers’ pay is lower than other professions when they start; less graduates are available in the ‘graduate’ pot who want to teach and so on. I spoke on BBC Radio Kent recently of these challenges. As parents, I know that you appreciate the hard work and dedication of our teachers. May they continue to serve your children and continue offering opportunities as seen in this Newsletter. Best wishes,

Brendan J. Wall

ST SIMON STOCK CATHOLIC SCHOOL

June 2016 Newsletter

CONGRATULATIONS TO …. …. Luke Alexander-Frost, Year 7, who is part of a very successful U12 Maidstone District Schools football team. The team has been unbeaten all season and won the AB Taylor Trophy final on Friday 4th March and the Patrick Haugh Trophy final on 7th May. Both games were played at the Gallagher Stadium.

…. Joshua Tugwell, Year 8, who won the fishing club Junior Specimen Cup, taking the title from older brother Ben!!

…. the Sixth Form students and staff who braved the elements to spend a night sleeping rough on the school site on April 15th. See Miss Lockett’s article later in the Newsletter where she announces the final amount raised for the homelessness charity Porchlight that provides supported accommo-dation and works with street homeless people in Kent.

…. Orla Mulligan, Year 9 who has, once again, been selected for the Netball Kent Academy and this time in the Performance Academy which is the very top tier in the County Academy. Whilst Orla had her sights on the Regionals, this will be her very next aim which she is keen to break into. However, her coach, who was an assessor at the trials, has said the following:

Orla trialled really, really well. The amount she has come on this year in all ways is amazing!! Can't wait for next season and pass on my huge well done to Orla.

P.E. DEPARTMENT

On Tuesday 24th May, St Simon Stock hosted a Year 9 and 10 rounders competition ……..

Results:

Year 10 team

St Simon Stock 9 ½ vs 1 ½ Malling

St Simon Stock 11 vs 1 ½ Holmesdale

St Simon Stock 11 ½ vs 1 ½ Wrotham

St Simon Stock Yr 10 6 ½ vs 1 ½ SSS Yr 9

The Year 10 team were undefeated throughout the fixture and are looking forward to the tournament next term.

Year 9 team

St Simon Stock 8 vs 5 ½ Holmesdale

St Simon Stock 9 vs 1 Malling

St Simon Stock 4 Vs 4 Wrotham

Year 9s also performed excellently, only losing to the St Simon Stock Year 10 team.

Mrs C Brown, P.E. Department The Girls Year 10 rounders team competed in fixtures against MGGS and Aylesford on 9th June. They demonstrated an exceptional level of skill and teamwork which can be seen in their results.

Year 10 Scores: SSSCS – MGGS Year 10 = 6 – 6 = draw for both teams SSSCS – MGGS Year 9 = 6 ½ - 5 = win SSSCS SSSCS – Aylesford Year 9 = 8 – 0 = win for SSSCS The Girls Year 9 rounders team competed in fixtures against MGGS and Aylesford on 9th June. They demonstrated great compe-tence as a team and are developing a stronger team cohesive throughout.

Year 9 scores: SSSCS – Aylesford = 61/2 – 3 win for SSSCS SSSCS – MGGS Year 9 = 3 – 4 ½ win for MGGS SSSCS – MGGS year 10 = 2 ½ - 8 ½ win for MGGs

Girls Year 7 Rounders The Year 7 girls’ rounders team performed exceptionally well as a team, demonstrating excellent batting skills and exceptional fielding skills. The team should be applauded for their hard work and determination last term and this, to blend as a team and get to know the game and the rules. The team come away from their first tournament as Maidstone District Champions.

Scores: Aylesford – SSS = 3 – 5 ½ = SSS win CWS – SSS = 3 ½ - 7 = SSS win Invicta – SSS = 3 – 6 ½ = SSS win

Girls Year 8 Rounders The Year 8 rounders team demonstrated excellent teamwork and communication throughout matches within their tournament. They proved themselves to be the toughest competition on the day and walked away from the tournament as Maidstone District Champions. Congratulations ladies and well done for your hard work this term to enhance your ability as a team. Scores: Aylesford – SSS = 3 ½ - 9 ½ = SSS win CWS – SSS = 6 – 7 ½ = SSS win MNS – SSS = 7 ½ - 3 ½ = SSS win

Miss V Squire, P.E. Department

CRICKET U12 v Marsh Academy Another fine performance from Captain Darian Tzanakakis (28 not out) saw the Stocky boys win convincingly by 7 wickets. Playing a Year 8 side, the Year 7 boys were excellent in the field and restricted the visitors to 49 – 6 from their 20 overs with Oliver Watts, Malan Paranagamage and Abraham Thomas taking one wicket apiece, and Darian Tzanakakis with two wickets. The Marsh Academy bowled well but were unfortunate in playing a side that is full of confidence at the moment and were able to score the required runs inside 8 overs.

U14 v Sevenoaks School In a tough County Cup match, St Simon Stock improved massively from their last performance by batting their allocated overs and only losing six wickets for a score of 53. Sevenoaks, who play regularly during the week and on a Saturday in the Independent School Leagues, were made to work for their total and got there inside nine overs, whilst losing two wickets. Notable performances were from

Captain Jamie Woodhouse with the ball and George Smith and Connor Jenkins with the bat. A much better performance against quality opposition. Keep working hard, boys and the results will come your way.

Mr K Fiddler, P.E. Department

Kent Schools Cricket Day Out

On the 14th June, Mr Fiddler and Mr Rowe took 15 Year 7 cricket enthusiasts to watch Kent v Somerset in Canterbury.

Despite the rain, the students were impeccable and a real credit to St Simon Stock and themselves. Rain meant a shortened match but the students had the opportunity to be coached by senior Kent Cricket coaches, see how fast they could throw and bowl using the speed gun equipment and have a look at match scorecards and how they work. The students also benefited from meeting the

players and having various things signed by their Kent Cricket heroes – the highlight being Sam Billings, current England player.

The match was won by Kent in the end, convincingly by 95 runs.

Mr K Fiddler, P.E. Department U13s Cricket SSSCS v Valley Park

Winning the toss, Stocky began setting a target they would be able to defend in this District fixture. Darian Tzanakakis and Oliver Watts started well and began to frustrate the Valley bowling attack with a plethora of boundaries, including six 6’s and five 4’s between them. Darian was dismissed for the first time this season after being bowled with a ‘daisy cutter’ for 21 and Oliver eventually for 33, his highest score this season for Stocky. Stocky set a competitive total of 96/5 to win from 16 overs. Valley started well but were being held by tight bowling from Luke Alexander-Frost and Darian Tzanakakis. Eventually the wickets begun to fall as Valley chased the ever increasing run rate and the bowling from Stocky was excellent. Bowlers George Welfare, Oliver Watts and Callum Machin all took a wicket each with the opening

bowlers and were backed up well by Malan Paranagamage at the death of the Valley innings. Highlight of the fielding included a direct ‘hit’ from Abraham Thomas to remove one the Valley batsman from a long, difficult angle. The match ended with Stocky winning by 29 runs as they held Valley to 67/6.

Mr K Fiddler, P.E. Department WGSB 79/7 20 overs SSSCS 119/3 20 overs – SSSCS win by 40 runs

On a warm, but overcast day, Stocky played Wilmington Grammar for Boys away in Dartford. Losing the toss and being put into bat, Stocky started well with Captain and Vice-Captain Darian Tzanakakis and Oliver Watts weathering the early storm of a pacey opening bowler. Oliver was dismissed softly and Darian (30) and Luke Alexander-Frost (18) shared a steady partnership and the team eventually finished on 119 for 3 from their 20 overs, supported by George Forster and George Welfare.

Stocky have a strong team of bowlers and this was evident when WGSB finished 79/7 from their 20 overs. The bowling and fielding was

excellent – the pick of the bowlers were Darian Tzanakakis 4-0-16-2, Luke Alexander-Frost 4-1-17-0, Oliver Watts 4-2-5-2 and George Welfare 4-2-2-2. The team is getting better in every fixture that they play – keep up the good work and remember the club is after school on a Thursday and is open to all. Well done to all the pupils that participated. Please see the next report on the QFs at home in the Kent County School’s Cup against Rochester Maths …… QF U12 Kent Cup – Cricket SSSCS 56/6 (12 overs) v Rochester Maths 57/6 (11.4 overs) In a rain-affected match, Stocky won the toss and elected to bat. Due to the match being restricted to 12 overs, the Stocky lads were keen to continue where they took off against WBGS. Unfortunately though, wickets began to tumble in the rain and communication was lost with 4 run outs. Stocky finished on 56/6 from their 12 overs. Always knowing that we were about 20 runs short, Stocky proceeded to try and bowl RMS out. This started well with tight bowling and fielding from the Year 7 boys in the heavy rain. Unfortunately, after heroic bowling and fielding, RMS got to their target with 2 balls to spare meaning that Stocky are left thinking what could have been and RMS are in the semi-final next week. Well done to all 13 players in the squad; you

are a credit to your school and should be very proud.

Mr K Fiddler, P.E. Department The Girls U13 cricket team had their debut match on 8th June against Tonbridge Girls Grammar and despite losing, competed as a strong unit, with excellent teamwork, communication and sports-manship – with a rematch arranged at the end of the year.

Miss V Squire, P.E. Department Girls Year 7 Athletics The Year 7 girls’ athletics team took on a variety of the schools in the Maidstone Borough and performed well.

They were up against some tough competition but didn’t let that phase them as they continued to focus on their event and perform to the best of their ability. The girls finished 5th out of 8, so well done and keep up the hard work. Girls Year 8 Athletics The Year 8 girls’ athletics team performed valiantly at the St Simon Stock Athletics Competition, showing true grit and determination across track and field events. The girls came up against some tough competition but due to their constant participation at after school athletics club, they have shown a great deal of improvement and as a result were awarded first place across the Maidstone schools which attended. Good luck to the girls at Julie Rose Finals Day.

Miss V Squire, P.E. Department

P.T.A. The PTA are busy planning several events throughout the year. Some of the events include:

1st July 2016 - Strawberries and Pimms Concert – tickets are on sale now please check your emails for further details.

Friday 14th October 2016 – PTA Quiz Night.

Thursday 20th October 2016 – Theatre Trip – Kinky Boots – Adelphi Theatre – tickets are on sale now - please check your emails for further details.

April 2017- Quiz Night – as part of the 50th Anniversary of the school celebrations.

Quality Second hand Uniform During the last year, the sale of second hand uniform has again raised money for PTA funds which ultimately goes back into the school. Donations of second hand uniform can be left at the school reception. Anyone wishing to purchase items of uniform can do so by contacting Mrs Pengelly on 01622 671422 or Mrs Share on 07817 938526. Alternatively, second hand uniform is always on sale at parents’ evenings. PTA Meetings for the next year All Parents/Carers are invited to these meetings which all take place at the school on a Monday starting at 6.30pm:

12th September 2016 10th October 2016 -

AGM and meeting 5th December 2016

Please come and join us!

Miss S M Worron, P.T.A. Secretary

YEAR 6 INTO YEAR 7

TRANSITION 2016 Summer School

Last year, we held our third Summer School for students who were transferring to us in September 2015. We targeted Year 6 students who we felt needed additional literacy and numeracy support before arriving at secondary school, or who needed some time settling in before the main body of students joined us in September. We also targeted students who were eligible for Pupil Premium funding, such as students who are in receipt of Free School Meals.

The Summer School is always a great success and we had three days of games and activities that helped students develop key skills in a fun and motivating way. Some of the activities were led by St Simon Stock Catholic School staff and others were led by an outside provider called ‘Positively Mad’.

We are pleased to announce that we will be running another three day Summer School for some targeted Year 6 students the week beginning Monday 22nd August. Once again, these targeted students are likely to be those working at below age expected levels in English and Maths and/or are eligible for Pupil Premium

funding or are identified as needing some additional transition work to help them settle in quicker when they join us in September.

We have written to all of the Head teachers at our primary Partner schools and have asked them to suggest suitable students for our Summer School and are in the process of writing to the parents/carers of those students.

If you have a son/daughter joining us in September and you think the Summer School will be of benefit to them, please do contact me at the school to discuss this further. Mrs A Denny, Director of Welfare/SEND YEAR 8 AND 9 VISIT TO LAKE

GARDA At the start of half term, 3 staff members and 26 students left school for a trip to Lake Garda. We flew from Gatwick Airport to Marco Polo Airport in Venice and arrived between rain storms! We then made our way to Pescheria at the south of Lake Garda.

After a storm on the first night, we were concerned about the week ahead, but we need not have worried as the rest of the week was hot and sunny!

On Monday, we visited Venice and Murano, famous for its glass. Lots of delicate gifts were purchased here which hopefully arrived home in one piece!

On Tuesday, we set out for Gardaland, a theme park, for a very enjoyable day with lots of fun on the rides. After dinner, we visited the nearby town of Bardolino for lots of ice cream!

On Wednesday, we started a tour of Lake Garda, visiting a local tourist market and ascended Mount Boldo in cable cars. The final one rotates slowly to give a 360˚ view over Lake Garda. There was a surprisingly big drop in the temperature as we went up the mountain!

We later moved on to Riva del Garda for lunch, followed by a boat ride to the town of Limone, after which we rejoined the coach and made our way back to the hotel for dinner and a quiz!

Thursday was our last full day, visiting a movie theme park in the morning and moving onto

the water park for the afternoon.

We spent our last morning in Bardolino (and yes, there was even more ice cream!) and we flew home late on Friday afternoon.

A big thank you to Mrs Sissons and Mr Freeman who gave so generously of their time to accompany the trip.

We already have a full waiting list for the visits to Italy and Innsbruck in May 2017!

Miss S Worron, Party Leader

YEAR 11 UPDATE

Congratulations to all our Year 11 students for completing their GCSE examinations. Their efforts these past two months have been exceptional and we look forward to celebrating their successes on the results day, 10.00am on Thursday 25th August 2016.

May I also extend my thanks to all Year 11 Parents/Carers for their support in my first year looking after Year 11, and finally to the staff of the school who have dedicated their time to the students, right up to the last seconds before each exam.

We swiftly move on, and I look forward to working with our

Year 10 students as they move into Year 11 in September 2016.

Mr P Chittenden, Assistant Headteacher - Head of Science & Year 11 YEAR 13 A fond farewell to all our Year 13s and good luck in whatever they choose to do in the future. A special farewell from Ms Turney “for all who regularly kept me busy in S5” pictured in the middle (who will be returning!!).

Picture taken on Friday 27th May on the Year 13’s last day at our farewell picnic on the school field.

Ms E Turney, KS5 Pastoral Manager

FILM STUDIES: The Force is strong with these

ones It is with great pride and some sadness that myself and Ms Underdown say a final farewell to class 13A Film Studies.

Following on from their outstanding success at AS level (100% A-B grades, top 1% of results in the country), we have had a FANTASTIC year with the Magnificent Seven

and there aren’t enough film-related puns to do them justice. These students have continually showed us what hard work, dedication and passion for your subject can do, impressing us time and time again with their good humour, willingness to help and unfailing engagement in the subject.

The world of education can be a tough slog for staff and students, particularly at this crucial stage, but both myself and Ms Underdown have repeatedly said how their class was an oasis of joy in a sea of stress! It has been an utter joy to see how they flourished; both as people and as students; growing in confidence and helping to promote the subject and the school at numerous events – sometimes even dressed as Wolverine!! The great atmosphere, dynamic and enthusiasm continues in other Film classes; long may it live and prosper!

We have no doubt that 13A will be just as successful in the Summer and wish them all the best in their future endeavours; we are also very happy to see that much of these plans relate to pursuing Film-related subjects and careers.

So: Georgia, Ben, Luke, Joe, Robert, Francis and Greg – it is without a hint of irony that we send you on your way with a final ‘The force will be with you – always’.

Miss C Lockett and Ms K Underdown, the Film Studies Department

Stocky Film Club The first Stocky Film Club (Year 10) began this term with the sublime teen drama ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’. The first members of the group learned about the conventions of the ‘coming of age’ drama, and factors affecting film response such as expectations of stars, performance and themes, before enjoying the film, discussing their thoughts and preparing reviews for the school newspaper.

All Stocky members are now fully signed up members of the ‘IntoFilm’ schools’ film club initiative and as such, have personal log ins where they can access the website, write reviews and read about

what else is out there in the world of film!

As the club progresses, more members will be welcome and as well as being guided by myself and Ms Underdown of the Film Studies department, they will be joined by A level Film students who may share their thoughts on their own favourite films and introduce the next film texts.

Forthcoming texts may include ‘Chappie’, where members can consider the themes and expectations of the Sci-Fi genre, and ‘Suffragette’, looking at the British film industry.

Any other Year 10 students interested should come and see me in A1 for a letter.

Miss C Lockett, Subject Leader of Film Studies Hello everyone, my name is Anna and I’m the new Year 10 film club reviewer. So, let’s get started …… Today I am going to review a coming of age film called ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’ which has a rating of 12 and is directed by Stephen Chbosky. The film was made in 2012 and it is all about a socially awkward, wannabe writer and budding reader called Charlie Kelmeckis who is a teen (Logan Lerman) who has just joined high school where he meets free-spirited Sam (Emma Watson) and Sam’s step-brother and daredevil Patrick (Ezra Miller).

Because Charlie is ‘socially awkward’, he is too shy to mingle with anyone but Sam and Patrick shines some light on that situation. However, when Sam leaves for university, Charlie is led back to depression as he loves her but he never had the guts to tell her.

The majority of the film is flashbacks to Charlie’s childhood (which can be confusing) with his mother (Kate Walsh) and the rest of his family, including his younger sister Candace (Nina Dobrev), Candace’s irritating boyfriend Peter (Landon Pigg), Charlie’s father (Dylan McDermott) and Charlie’s older brother Chris (Zane Holtz).

This film is very romantic and hilarious and I would highly recommend it to any teen that loves romantic comedies that are set in a high school. Other films that I can relate to this film are: The Class, The Submarine, The Squid and The Whale and many more.

Rating: ****

SIXTH FORM

Sixth form Sleepout – the Final Score!

I am delighted to announce that the 6th form team’s final amount raised for Porchlight

was: £1522.60! This amazing

result was once again achieved by the dedication of the many students who participated, the support of friends and family and the

help of the staff. Porchlight are astounded at our amount and we look forward to supporting them again next year.

Miss C Lockett, Deputy Leader of 6th Form Stocky Prefect Teams: Assemble!! Returning from their gruelling first period of A level exams, the senior prefect team are back with a vengeance! Now divided into 4 sub teams, each headed by one of the four head boys and girls, the students are busy preparing for key events this term, liaising with members of staff and getting ready for their time in Year 13 and helping integrate the new Year 12s. The Fund-Raising Team: Head Girl: Mazvita Musendo Team: Opeyemi Adeleke, Patience Tashie-Lewis, Brett Finn, Rachael McCartan and David Price

This team are currently busy preparing to write up the charity successes so far this year, such as the just over £3,000 raised for deserving charities, as well as planning events for next year. The Communications Team: Head Boy: Aaron Clarke Team: Cecilia Herring, Liam Morgan, Sam Griffiths, Grace Williams and Holly Dowd

This term, Aaron and his team will be working with Student Voice co-ordinator, Mrs Broadhurst, to plan whole school feedback, as well as myself, to glean opinions and thoughts on the experiences of this year’s Year 12. They are also liaising with the fund-raisers to create promotion of the recent Sleepout success. The Induction Team: Head Girl: Georgina Grigg Team: Jack Gregory, Shane Simpkin, Jesse Smit, Philippa Baxter and Barry Waterton

Georgina and her team are busy working on welcoming the prospective 6th formers who join us for their induction days on the 28th and 29th of June. Not only will they act as guides for the external students visiting Stocky for the first time, but they will be delivering a special presentation on ‘life in the Stocky 6th form’ so the newcomers know exactly what greatness to expect!

The Academic Team: Head Boy: Jonathan Hart Team: Katherine Sparks, Emily Hallows, Bethany Darcey, Luke Farrelly Jones and Gemm Samson

As well as working with Ms Underdown, the Literacy Co-Ordinator, to set up and monitor the new KS3 library in the English department, this team will be working with me to ensure that the two dedicated study rooms are fully equipped with a comprehensive supply of study time materials to keep students focused and using their time between lessons productively.

Miss C Lockett, Deputy Leader of 6th Form

THE BIG BUTTERFLY COUNT 2016

The Big Butterfly count is a nationwide survey aimed at helping assess the health of our environment. This year’s count takes place from 15th July to 7th August. You can download an identification chart from: www.bigbutterflycount.org or pick up a copy from Mrs Tilby.

Taken in our very own Memorial Garden

We are also trying to do our bit to help the future of many species that are at risk and are following ‘Plant a pot for pollinators’ so if any gardeners out there have cuttings from catmint or oregano, I would love to hear from you.

Mrs M Tilby

BAKE SALE FOR CHARITY Thank you to all the staff at Stocky who helped raise funds for two very worthy charities: The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity and The Children’s Trust, for children with brain injury. Together, we raised £105.00 whilst enjoying my home baked cakes and Mary Insall’s Irish soda bread!

I presented the money raised at a special fundraising day hosted by the ‘Thrive with Hair’ team at their hair salon in Stoneleigh. During the day, all hair styling services were offered for donations to the two charities leading up to the main event when Kim (my sister) took part in a sponsored head shave #THEBIGSHAVEOFF#. By the end of the day, the total raised was a staggering £2786.00

Mrs D Smith, Science Technician

YEAR 7 BIRDS OF PARADISE Look out for a flock of birds in school …. no, not seagulls!

7ST1/Ar and 7ST2/Ar have been hard at work making Birds of Paradise in their Art lessons. They researched images of some of these rare and amazing birds in the wild and took inspiration from them to design their own fantastic versions!

Recycled plastic drinks bottles were used for the bodies, then sheets of brightly coloured paper were produced by monoprinting. Lots of weird and wonderful shaped feathers were cut out of these and were then stuck onto the bottles to create these brilliant birds. They are all very different, have lots of character and some even have a story to tell. You really made them come to life. Well done Year 7s!

Miss S Dafforn, Art Department

HEART OF KENT HOSPICE Rainbow Run Students and staff were showered in a rainbow of colours as they took part in the Heart of Kent Hospice Rainbow Run around Mote Park on 19th June. It is the third time that Stocky has come up with a team for this worthwhile event to raise awareness and sponsorship for one of the school’s key charities.

If anybody would like to sponsor us, there is still plenty of time.

Before ….

…. And after

Dementia Support Look out in the next Newsletter for the final total raised for Heart of Kent Hospice over the past academic year.

The Hospice is currently widening its services to support people with dementia in our community. £186.96 is enough to fund a dementia nurse specialist for an entire day of expert, kind and compassionate dementia care for both the patient and their family. We are hoping to finish off our fundraising campaign for the year by donating enough money for two days of this specialist support. STEM Event - Chemistry at Work A group of Year 10 students, with Ms Whitehead and Mr. Freeman, went to “Chemistry at Work” at Canterbury Christ Church University on Thursday 23rd June.

The 10 students attended 6 presentations on topics ranging from Drastic Plastic to Elements at Work. They also had the opportunity to see what a university looks like.

We learnt that plumbers are people who used to work with lead pipes and the Latin name for lead is plumbum, that some 1p and 2p coins are magnetic but some are not, how to look at blood spatter patterns at a crime scene to work out where the victim got hit and we tested a stained T-shirt to see if it had blood on it or not. (It did…..but it was horse blood, not human blood!) We also heard about the huge range of medicinal drugs that come from plants and that new drugs are still being developed: there is research going on into broccoli to see if one of the chemicals can be used for treating neck and head cancer.

We also learnt about the development of fullerenes and how the electronic properties of nanotubes can be changed to give the material different properties. This may result in nanotubes being used in electronic circuits (which make things like laptops work) instead of silicon which is used at the moment. We learnt how to identify different plastics using an infra-red spectrometer and why some plastics cannot be recycled. We investigated the effects of different colours of light on the rate of photosynthesis of plants and we looked at the different shapes of hairs on spiders and we learnt about

research into spiders’ poison. The scientists who do this work have to make the spiders sleepy so that they don’t bite and then they milk the spider to take out the poison so they can study it!

Ms J Whitehead, Science Department

One of the students gave us this feedback: “My favourite part of the day was in the laboratory when we investigated how wavelength and colour affects the rate of photosynthesis in plants. We used algal balls and hydrogen carbonate indicators and a cool colour detector that detects the colours of the indicators in the container that the algal balls were in as they were very similar.

We also attended a workshop that investigated the elements and their uses. It had some very exciting and interesting experiments that had some elements of danger which added adrenaline to the atmosphere. The Chemistry at Work trip gave me a greater insight and better understanding to chemistry and it made me want to explore more aspects of chemistry and it also showed me how chemistry is part of our daily lives and the important role it plays in the environment and the world.”