This week, Hampton Court House is excited to celebrate Science Week, a national event designed to spark curiosity and encourage young minds to explore the world around them. The theme for this year is ‘What’s your question?‘, inviting children to think like scientists by asking questions, investigating ideas, and discovering how science helps us understand everyday life.
Throughout the week, pupils at Hampton Court House have taken part in a range of engaging activities designed to ignite their curiosity. From hands-on experiments to collaborative investigations, children have been encouraged to ask thoughtful questions and explore possible answers through observation, discussion, and experimentation.
Thomas, our Head of Science, hosted an insightful assembly. He introduced the fascinating topic of light and its properties, and the children also witnessed a really cool experiment firsthand! In Years 1 and 2, the children thoroughly enjoyed taking part in the Egg Drop Challenge. Working in teams, they designed and built a structure to hold and protect an egg. We then tested their designs by dropping them to see if the egg would break, and nearly all the teams were successful! It was a fantastic investigation to kick off their Science Week. In Year 3, the children enjoyed finding out about how the different dyed coating of skittles (candy) dissolves in the water creating colourful patterns. Such fun and excitement! Year 5 scientists explored how mass and weight are connected by using Newton meters, discovering interesting patterns and learning how forces work in action! Students also learned all about the different animals and fascinating creatures featured at Zoo Club, discovering fun facts and how they live in their habitats!
Students had the chance to take part in a physics experiment with slime. They mixed cornflour with water, and when force was applied, the mixture became more solid, even though it flows like a liquid when left alone. It was a really cool demonstration of how materials can behave in surprising ways! Year 11 chemists put their detective skills to the test, identifying unknown halides, sulfites, and carbonates through exciting experiments!
Science Week is all about nurturing inquisitive thinking and showing students that every great discovery begins with a simple question. It has been wonderful to see pupils enthusiastically exploring new ideas and developing their scientific thinking.
