Magnus Church of England Academy students have attended a special event marking the 25th anniversary of The Royal Society’s Partnership Grants Scheme.
The Royal Society’s partnership grants programme supports practical science work in schools by offering grants of up to £3,000 to support students in answering a scientific question, along with partners from academia and industry.
At the event, which was held in the Attlee Suite, Portcullis House at the Houses of Parliament, students used their science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills to present their own project to gathered Royal Society members, MPs and industry experts.
The event was entitled, ‘Bringing research alive: Connecting the scientists of today with the scientists of tomorrow’. Alongside students from only five other UK schools, each with their own project, students presented their findings to the assembled guests. The Magnus team were tasked with finding methods of using new technology and renewable energy resources to reduce both energy bills and carbon footprints in schools.
In preparation for the event, students used their partnership grant to buy energy meters, anemometers, a solar power meter, a weather station, small solar panels, a wind turbine, battery and an inverter to support their research and answer their question.
The Magnus team, made up of students from years 8 to 11, then set about dividing up the work; analysing energy bills and making their projections, as well as balancing investment costs with any potential savings a school could make. In coming months, the students’ conclusions and analysis will undergo further testing with the aid of academic partners from the University of Birmingham, who will analyse data from the solar panels, wind turbine and weather station, to see if the estimates students made are matched by the real data collected.
Brett Handley is a science teacher at Magnus, and he joined the students on the visit. Brett said, “The Royal Society Partnership Grants scheme has provided students at Magnus Academy with unique opportunities, with some taking part in The Royal Society’s Student Conference and others in their Summer Science Exhibition.
“The event in parliament was another example of our students being involved as participants in a significant scientific occasion, alongside MPs, industry representatives and renowned scientists.
“Our students received some advice and training from The Royal Society’s school engagement team in advance of the day to help them prepare, and although some students were nervous at the prospect of taking part in this prestigious event, they soon relaxed and confidently engaged with visitors, explaining their project clearly and proudly, in what was a once in a lifetime experience.”
After the event, The Royal Society said, “Many thanks and huge congratulations again to you and your students from everyone in the Schools Engagement team for all the hard work undertaken to showcase your projects in Parliament. From the feedback we have received from our Fellows, guests and other teams, everyone has been incredibly impressed by the students’ knowledge, creativity, communication skills and courage. You should all be very proud of yourselves!”
Magnus student Isabella Prestage, (Year 8) took part and said, “Originally, I was nervous. But after attending the event I found I had a stronger interest in wanting to pursue a career in STEM, and overall, I really enjoyed the experience and would happily do it again.”
Fellow student Jacob Mulholland, (Year 10) agreed, saying, “It was a once in a lifetime experience. Everybody was friendly and engaged when they came to our booth, and I would definitely go again!”
Anna Martin (Executive Principal at Magnus C of E Academy) said, “I was so pleased to be able to attend this prestigious event alongside our wonderful Magnus students, and to witness their efforts being so well received by the esteemed guests. Our students demonstrated such confidence and passion when presenting their research and were wonderful ambassadors for our school.”
Magnus students have previously participated in The Royal Society’s Student Conference and the “Young Researcher Zone” at the Summer Science Exhibition. This latest event saw speeches from the event’s sponsor, Helen Hayes MP (Chair of the Education Select Committee), Sir Adrian Smith (President of The Royal Society) and space-scientist and presenter of The Sky at Night, Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock.
Magnus students taking part were Isabella Prestage (year 8), Jacob Mulholland (year 10), Khaleel Abdulbaqi (year 11), Toby Walters, (year 11), Tommy Conlan (year 11) and Mckenzie Jones (year 11) and they were joined by Brett Handley (Second in Science) and Executive Principal at Magnus C of E Academy Anna Martin.