Visitors and teaching staff were treated to a viewing of the ‘We are Aliens’ planetarium show which has a voiceover by actor Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley from Harry Potter); hosted by Sophy Palmer from the Science and Technology Facilities Council. Students then listened to a talk about space exploration, astronauts and the planets, including how space is used every day on earth, by Alan Brunstrom, Liaison Officer, the European Space Agency at the European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications (ECSAT). Afterwards, local artists worked with the children to help generate creative ideas for their procession groups in the carnival procession.
Natalie Rushton, teacher at Marsh Baldon Primary School said: “The children said it was really fun and they loved finding out more about space – they were particularly enthusiastic about discussing ‘The Black Hole’. The staff have told me it was a great opportunity to see ‘Science in action’ and lots of our budding scientists are now feeling even more inspired. I think the discussions were valuable and have certainly influenced our artwork and structures, as the children have been busy making beautiful shooting stars and even a black hole of their own! I can’t wait to see what the other schools have created.”
Alan Brunstrom said ‘We hope that by giving these students a small taste of what’s at Harwell they may consider taking up subjects that could lead them into a career in the spheres of science, technology and space. Sometimes it only takes a small spark to ignite a passion for these subjects.’
