Year 10 Pupils Achieve Amazing Results in National Scientific Thinking Challenge

In 2021 a group of friends from the six different Chemistry Departments of Warwick, Southampton, Bristol, Newcastle, Manchester and Oxford Universities wanted to encourage school pupils and give them something positive and enjoyable to try at a difficult time when learning had been horribly disrupted. So, they set up The National Scientific Thinking Challenge as a fun and challenging test for Year 10 pupils to try. It proved a success, and this year everyone in Year 10 at Stonar, along with over 4000 pupils from across the country took part.

 

 

The questions did not require recall of taught material, so were accessible to everyone. The pupils had to look at data, graphs and text and make deductions, spot trends, suggest hypotheses and identify anomalous results. The questions were on topics as diverse as jam making, solubility curves, fossil fuel use and climate change.

Joy G achieved a Gold Award with 85% which put her in the top 10% of pupils nationally. Esme C, Arabella C, Molly C, Matilda D, Thomas F, Charlotte I, Kosi O, Donald T and Izzy W all achieved a Bronze Award, meaning they were in the top 40% of pupils nationally. 

 

 

Well done to all our Stonar participants - you've certainly done our Science department proud.