ALL 10 schools from The Redstart Learning Partnership (TRLP) has joined forces with The Ogden Trust, a charitable trust that exists to promote the teaching and learning of physics.

The collaboration between Ogden and TRLP officially launched in September 2022.

TRLP includes 10 primary schools in Somerset and Devon.

Under the leadership of Roger Hunt, Year 4 teacher at The Redstart Primary School, the schools are committed to building teacher confidence in delivering science, raising pupil science capital and enthusiasm for physics, and raising the profile of physics across the 10 schools.

At the beginning of this academic year, their first partnership initiative was to launch a pupil science ambassador scheme.

Children from each of the 10 schools came together to be trained as Science Ambassadors.

Chard & Ilminster News:

The action-packed day first saw 24 children introduced to the role of a science ambassador and then being trained on qualities such as creativity, communication, and mindset – all of which will help them to be successful in their new role.

Lots of fun activities were woven into the day, most of which could be taken back to their own schools and demonstrated by the new ambassadors to children right across the school.

Balancing a cardboard butterfly on the tip of a finger was a simple but mesmerizing ‘trick’, making a balloon kebab was a huge hit, as was dropping a key which then didn’t hit the ground.

The children even had a visit from the head of science from their local secondary school who demonstrated a Van Der Graff generator to them – a hair-raising experience for several pupils.

It is hoped that the science ambassador scheme will support these pupils throughout the year to foster a passion for science across the partnership schools.

Sally Fulford, regional rep for the Ogden Trust, said: “It is down to the enthusiasm of the new partnership schools and the organisation of its co-ordinator that this event has happened in such a timely manner.

“It will now allow these children to have a whole year of being an ambassador for a subject they clearly love.”

Roger Hunt said: “It was such a good day. The children really enjoyed it and it was so lovely to see children from different schools mixing together, making new friends, and being confident enough to explain their findings to the group without any fear of failure.”

One of the new ambassadors said: “It was really good fun. I loved the activities like balloon kebabs and the film canister rockets. I’m really proud of my ambassador’s badge and I’m going to wear it every day at school.”