Hundreds of Suffolk school children enjoy science festival

Today, over 500 Suffolk schoolchildren have been treated to a national science festival thanks to EDF Energy.

The Times Cheltenham Festival arrived at the Seckford Theatre, Woodbridge School, today (29 November) to inspire and engage inquisitive young minds with experiments and hands-on fun, courtesy of science enthusiasts Jules Howard and Zoe Gamble.

Jules, a Zoologist who has toured science festivals across the UK, USA and Canada explored an alternative history of life on Earth.  Students got to explore a world where dinosaurs still roam the earth and, using Darwin’s theory of evolution, how tiger like reptiles could have existed if Earth’s history had taken a different path.

Meanwhile, Zoe, a microbiologist, brought music to the students’ ears through experiments that showed the science behind how we make sound and how our ears pick up noise.  The young scientists looked at sound waves being produced and discovered how technology can be used to mimic the human voice.

The free ‘LabLive’ shows have amazed over 14,300 Key Stage 3 pupils from around the UK with entertaining, inspiring and mind-expanding science since it started in 2011.

Paul Morton, Sizewell B Station Director, welcomed the students to the science show today. Paul told the students that his interest in science led him to start his career as an engineering trainee.  He said:  “STEM qualifications can lead to a wide range of exciting careers.  Today you will meet a zoologist and a microbiologist and if you visit Sizewell B you will meet nuclear physicists and chemists, the opportunities are vast. It is great to see so many schools committed to inspiring some of the youngest scientists in Suffolk.  This event complements the interactive workshops we hold at the Sizewell B visitor centre and through our outreach education programme championed by our company STEM ambassadors. I hope you all enjoy the show and consider where studying STEM could take you.”

Mrs Westlake, Science Teacher at Saint Felix School, Southwold, said:” It was a very good event that complemented our Key Stage 3 course.  The palaeontology was particularly interesting as we are looking at the study of evolution for GCSE combined science.”

Sharron Pearson Cheltenham Festivals’ Education Manager, said: “”Through EDF Energy’s support of Lablive we are able to bring all the fun of Cheltenham Science Festival to Suffolk. With energetic, engaging and fun shows pupils interact with leading science communicators and our aim is to encourage them into considering Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths as a future career.”

The Sizewell B visitor centre
Sizewell B has welcomed over 15,000 people to the power station since it opened in December 2012.
The Visitor Centre will normally be open Monday-Friday from 9-4pm. The majority of the tours will be organised for schools and educational groups. However, members of the public will also be able to attend by appointment.

Visitors will be given an introductory talk about how the station operates, before being given a guided tour through selected parts of the plant. To find out more and to enquire about booking a visit, contact 01728 653974 or sizewellbtours@edf-energy.com.