Big day for science at Steyning Grammar School

Richard Robinson, Director of the Brighton Science Festival and Jonathon Hare came to the school to encourage students to discover, explore, experiment and create, in the name of science.

The students learned all about sound and how it is created. They made their own handmade synthesizers and used these to recreate the ‘Dr Who’ theme tune.

Mr Scott Robinson, Steyning Grammar School, Key Stage 3 Leader of Science said: “The visit by the Brighton Science Festival is an exceptional opportunity for our pupils to experience science in the real world. Jonathon and Richard are an engaging duo who had the pupils transfixed throughout. The feedback from pupils and staff alike has been very positive. We are hoping to invite the Festival team back again next year on a bigger and grander scale involving an entire year group and other faculties.”

The Brighton Science Festival started eight years ago because everyone needs a science festival! It’s the best way to discover where we came from, deal with where we are and debate where we might go in the future. The festival is for all ages, and is great for primary school students capturing them when they are fired up with enthusiasm for science.

Richard Robinson explains: “There are some extraordinary and inspiring science communicators out there, and we search all the festivals and publishers in Britain to bring the best to Brighton. The Brighton Science Festival is building its own bridges between science and the people, to make science completely irresistible to young students.

“Every year in January the Brighton Science Festival runs science workshops all over Sussex in many schools as a lead up to the Festival itself. We have been running these workshops for about seven years, each year presenting a new challenge. This year, in honour of the 50th anniversary of the Moog Synthesizer, the students made their own synth. They learned how sound is made, and how capacitors and resistors are crucial in the timing of an electronic musical instrument. Ultimately they produced the theme of ‘Dr Who’ on their own handmade synthesizer.”

Report contributed by Steyning Grammar School. Pictures by Maxine Silver.