Scientifically Thinking

Earlier this term, many of our keen Year 10 students competed in the National Scientific Thinking Challenge, a competition created by seven UK universities and supported by UCAS.

The online event was originally set up by the universities during Covid and encourages the application of knowledge rather than factual recall. Students are challenged to interpret data, graphs and text in order to make deductions, spot trends, suggest hypotheses and identify anomalous results.

This year 16,174 students from 255 schools took part from across the UK. We are delighted that nine Leighton Park students achieved a Bronze award, eleven achieved Silver and seven achieved Gold, putting them in the top 10% in the country.

Paul, one of our Gold successes, commented “There were a good variety of questions on the test. I didn’t think I’d have done this well but I’m happy with myself.”

Rachel Milhofer, STEAM Co-Ordinator and Head of Chemistry, enthused, “It’s enlightening from the teachers’ perspective and it’s a great challenge from the students’ perspective they don’t have to revise, they just have to think, and this is what Leighton Park is all about; encouraging students to be able to think.”

Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Maths (STEAM) is a real strength of the school, providing opportunities for students to combine the logical approach of analytical science with creative problem-solving from the Arts. STEAM activities range from co-curricular clubs such as building a drone, creating a skateboard or undertaking individual DT projects to cross-curricular challenges such as Fryer Enquiry Week or participation in the annual British Science Week. STEAM skills also include critical problem solving, entrepreneurship and leadership skills which are applicable to real-world problems facing industry and society today. With our explicit focus on creativity, we give you everything you need to take an idea and make it fly.

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