Learners from across our Summit Learning Trust attended a Stargazing evening at Solihull Sixth Form College in early February.
Ben Wilkes, a representative from the Ogden Trust, which aims to enthuse young people in science and increase the uptake of post-16 Physics studies, came onto campus to deliver talks to learners of all ages. The first presentation was directed to primary aged pupils from our Summit family – Erdington Hall Primary School, The Oaklands Primary School, Pegasus Primary School and Yarnfield Primary School. A second session was delivered to them11 – 18 age group, as learners from the College were joined by learners from our Trust’s secondary schools – Cockshut Hill School, Lyndon School and Ninestiles, an Academy.
The talks explored the search for life in the universe, the James Webb Space Telescope and how astronomers search for new worlds beyond our own. Parents and carers were also invited to join their child for a fascinating evening. Torches and binoculars were available to help everyone search the night sky for glimpses of the moon and stars.
Feedback from learners and their families was positive, with one commenting “a really amazing experience” and another stating that it was “interactive and interesting”. Another attendee said the event had “motivated an interest in looking at the night sky from my own home.”
Oona Stone is Assistant Principal at the College and helped to organise the event with Natasha Peachy, a Science Teacher at Lyndon School. Oona commented:
“We are very grateful to Ben from the Ogden Trust for giving up their time to come in and speak to our learners. The questions that stargazing evokes are fascinating to people of all ages and these presentations had something for everyone to enjoy. It was also great to see children, young people and families from across our Summit Learning family coming together for a joint event.”
9 February 2023