Regents Review Autumn 2025 26

The Regents Review Autumn 2025

DEPARTMENTAL NEWS

LifeLab We were delighted to return to LifeLab with two Year 9 groups, during the last weeks of this term. Lifelab is a purpose-built facility at the centre of Southampton General Hospital, run by the University of Southampton. Students had the chance to take part in a range of hands-on activities, giving them a valuable insight into the science behind health messages. Research shows that habits formed as teenagers tend to last, so it’s a perfect time for us to talk about the importance of looking after their health. A healthy lifestyle can reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes in later life. This approach aims to make science more accessible and brings it to life. It will hopefully also inspire our students to consider future careers in healthcare, science and medicine. Open Evening in the Science Department Open Evening in science was a great success with the annual opportunity to showcase some of the more hands on and visual experiments. We had an excellent team of student helpers this year, that really helped to bring the evening to life. Many of these students have gone on to become Science Leaders for the remainder of the year.

KS3 Science It has been another busy yet enjoyable term within science, with plenty to celebrate from across all year groups. Our revamped Key Stage 3 curriculum is proving to be a success. Year 7 students have made a great start to science and have been enjoying a range of dynamic, hands on lessons, designed to spark both curiosity and build strong foundations for their future learning in science. There have been lots of great experiments, demos and practicals over this last term. One of my favourites was the thermite reaction. Looking to the Future The department has recently secured funding from The Big Bang, this will allow us to bring specialist science activities and providers into school. We are currently exploring a range of exciting options and look forward to launching these enrichment opportunities in the summer term. We were fortunate enough to bid for development money and secure funding for an incubator. This piece of equipment is a great addition to our resources allowing us to take biology practicals to another level. Science Leaders Our dedicated team of student Science Leaders has launched, as part of a wider school initiative. Their roles will include helping to develop British Science Week projects, assisting with science club and encouraging younger students to get involved in STEM activities. With so much enthusiasm across the department and opportunities in the pipeline, we are excited for what the rest of the year will bring and look forward to sharing this with you. Thank you, as always, for your continued support.

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