Each year the children in Prep are asked to produce a science project on a specific topic. This work is done in addition to their normal classwork and homework. Each time the projects are handed in I am amazed at the wonderful pieces of work that are presented to me and the effort and time that most of the children spend on their work is immediately obvious.

Between October half term and Christmas it was the turn of Pine & Acacia to do their project and the topic was famous scientists and inventors. The children had to have a main focus for their work but would also look at someone from more than 2000 years ago, as well as two other people linked to their chosen person. Whilst some focussed on the more famous scientists or inventors, such as Albert Einstein, Marie Curie and Leonardo da Vinci, others chose less celebrated people such as Maurice Hilleman (worked with vaccines after WWII), Carlo Rovelli (theoretical physicist) and Hedy Lamarr (Hollywood actress who invented remote guidance mechanisms for torpedoes in WWII and who’s work led to Bluetooth technology)!

Their wonderful written projects were accompanied by amazing models and pieces of art work. There were examples of da Vinci’s helical screw (helicopter), hands covered in pox blisters for Edward Jenner’s work against small pox, movie posters for Hedy Lamarr’s films and mobile radiation scanning trucks, used by Marie Curie.

Deciding on winners is always very difficult and I often seek other teacher’s opinions. In the end I was so impressed that I had to have three special mention prizes to recognise the effort that so many children made.

Scientists and inventors chosen: John Dalton, Nikola Tesla, Dian Fossey, Rosalind Franklin, Albert Einstein, Benjamin Franklin, Edward Jenner, Maurice Hilleman, Hedy Lamarr, Leonardo da Vinci, Marie Curie, Carlo Rovelli, Stephen Hawking.

Best Written project: Shiv Das

Best model: Emily Garwood

Special mentions: Chloe Cave, Maya Shah, Carolina Diniz Fernandez-Lomana