Woodlands pupils together with pupils from De La Salle and Fitzwimarc joined the hosts Sweyne Park in preparing to grill a distinguished panel of experts with a series of scientific questions. The panel included the Rayleigh MP Mark Francois, Josephine Harrison from KeyMed, Sir Mike Hodgkinson ex Chief Executive of BAA, John Pawsye Organic Farmer and Angela Smith MP for Basld
The well thought out questions included topics of great interest like humanb cloning, animal testing and what happens when fossil fuels run out. The panel drew their expertise and the pupils' follow up questions put on the pressure, just like the real thing!
I found the science question time at Sweyne Park School very interesting and informative. I know that I have got a better understanding of the minds that make real decisions that influence us all. I hope they will do this again for future students at Woodlands School.
<ADAM MILES, 10CBr>
We went to a discussion at Sweyne Park School. There were many MPs there, including Basildon MP, Angela Smith.
I had to ask a question concerning crude oil on behalf of Woodlands.
<NAWAAZ RAMJANEE, 10RSh>
SCIENCE AND SOCIETY JUNIOR QUESTION TIME
Ed Hawkings reporting: SPS
The tension in the hall last Friday was immense. If you could convert nervous energy into electricity, we would have solved the future energy crisis facing our planet as fossil fuels run out! The event was the first Science and Society Junior Question Time.
Questions asked included:
What was the most useful thing that you learnt in Science at school?
If you needed a new organ, such as a kidney, would you accept one grown in or on an animal?
Is there meaning to life or are we just a bunch of cells?
Do you want to clone humans when the earth is already over populated?
How will we travel, when Crude Oil runs out or becomes too expensive (as it will soon!)?
If you could send a message to an alien, what would you say?
'The afternoon was really enjoyable and it was fantastic to put our questions to these people. It was a shame that it ended when it did'
<HOLLY WILLIAMSON, 11JDa >
PUPIL VOICE PROJECT
Schools represented:
Maggie Holmes
Woodlands
Sophie Biggs
St Ann Line
Sarah Pawsey
Sweyne Park
Emma Campkin
Kingswood
Lynn Lynne
De La Salle
Kelly Davidson
Woodlands
Mel Hunt
Woodlands
Angela Coyle
Woodlands
The first meeting of the newly formed Group took place on the 30th September 2004 at Woodlands School.
The group are using the work of Jean Rudduck in Cambridge and the Cambridge Teaching and Learning Research Project on Consulting Pupils. Their work is based on the prinicple that there is a growing recognition that pupil voice is seen as integral to the Citizenship curriculum and lifelong learning.
All group members have discussed and shared current practice in their schools re: Pupil Voice (VIEW SPIDERGRAM 1) and have some new ideas for pupil participation in schools which will focus on pupils choosing topics to research to make our schools better places. (VIEW SPIDERGRAM 2 AND SPIDERGRAM 3)
At the next meeting the group will be focussing on the key issues and principles involved in consulting pupils about teaching and learning in our schools and will report back on recent pupil voice activities.
