Maths

Our major event was in June 2010 when the whole of Year 8 and many members of staff went to Burton Dassett Country Park for two days taking part in cross-curricular activities. The subjects covered were Drama, Art, English, Science, Maths, Geography and ICT. The students always put in a good team effort and both days were a great success.

Throughout the year, I visited our partner primary school to support several Year 5 and 6 children. These sessions have lasted for the whole morning and, as always, the children worked really hard and with great enthusiasm on our tasks which included work involving decimals, and shape and space. Well done to all those involved! I also visited Dunchurch Infants School with RHS students, who had created Maths Magazines for the children to work through whilst our students supported their understanding and learning.

On our Engineering Day, we were fortunate to have representatives from Aston Martin visit us for “a talk with a car” with our Year 10 students. The talk was really informative and interesting; and the car was stunning! A great afternoon was had by all.

Jenny Mason

Maths Community Coordinator

RHS students helping Dunchurch Infants pupils with their Maths

Science

Science Clubs- Forensic Science

This year, 11 Year 7 girls have been working each Monday lunchtime on a scheme developed by our Chemistry department to practice techniques used by Forensic Scientists to solve crimes. The girls have looked carefully at: fingerprints and other prints, how to analyse them and how to preserve them; strange compounds and their flame colours, a collection of fibres including a wide range of hairs lifted from domestic and farm animals; blood samples and finally DNA extraction.

We have extended the course to try to solve a crime scenario provided by Derbyshire Police Constabulary. This involves a greater amount of group work and case cracking and is entitled “Beyond Reasonable Doubt”.

Forensics might be a good idea?

Science with our Partner Schools

Doing practical’s about changing state from solid to liquid and back appears dull but it can be fun when one uses wax, butter and chocolate. Children are enthralled when they observe these changes and realise that after a solid has melted, it takes the shape of the liquid when it goes back to a solid. There was enjoyment in building their own small garden and then using it to find out about the water cycle.

Many children, as well as adults, find electricity difficult, but the use of simple circuits helped them to understand the principles better. Y1 children had great fun trying to make bubbles of shapes other than a sphere to no avail!

The term has ended with one class of children, who have been studying birds this half term, making their own bird feeders.

Wolston St Margaret’s pupils investigating springs

ICT

The ICT department is proud to announce a return of the Animations Workshops for partner primaries. Last year saw many of these sessions run very successfully and this year they are back by popular demand!