On a bright summer’s day in Cambridge, London primary school pupils from years 5 and 6 are crowding round water tanks in a blacked-out science lab on the first floor of the Department of Materials Science & Metallurgy.
On a bright summer’s day in Cambridge, London primary school pupils from years 5 and 6 are crowding round water tanks in a blacked-out science lab on the first floor of the Department of Materials Science & Metallurgy.
The children are finding out about how light works, before building their own kaleidoscopes to explore the science of reflections.
The hands-on experiments have been organised by SeeK (Science and Engineering Experiments for Kids) as part of a programme of events put together by Corpus Christi College with the aim of encouraging bright children from families with no history of participation in Higher Education to see themselves as potential University applicants.
SeeK was begun in 1997 by Dr Rob Wallach, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, and aims to promote the fun of science and engineering to primary school pupils, using hands-on experiments.
The children on the two June Primary Taster Days came from schools with some of the highest percentages of free school meals in their boroughs, which were Islington and Newham.
Before coming to the lab for the SeeK session, the children and their teachers took part in a treasure hunt around the Corpus Christi College grounds and enjoyed a picnic lunch in the Master’s Lodge gardens.
The Primary School Taster Days are run several times throughout the year by the Corpus admissions team and are free to attend for pupils.
Dr Melanie Taylor, Admissions Tutor, explains: “This kind of early intervention in the lives of children whose families have little or no experience of higher education is of vital importance.
“We were really impressed by the children's inquisitiveness and enthusiasm.
They were thoroughly engaged at all stages of the programme and did not seem overawed by any aspect of the visit, including their question and answer session with current undergraduates and their picnic lunch in the Master's Lodge garden,” Dr Taylor added.
“A day like today encourages these children to look at the highest places they could aspire to and proves that nothing has been written off for them,” says Nick Tait of Montem Primary School, Islington.
“I want to show them that the opportunity is here for them – they could do this,” he added.
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