Ten students from New Road Academy are celebrating after successfully achieving prestigious nationally-recognised science awards.
The pupils have received their CREST Bronze Award – a significant accomplishment that recognises excellence in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Managed by the British Science Association, the CREST Awards programme encourages young people to think and work like real scientists through independent research and practical investigation.
The Bronze Award requires students aged 11 and above to complete at least 10 hours of project work, planning, carrying out and evaluating their own scientific investigation.
Science teacher Matt Stobbs, who led the project, praised the students for their dedication and determination.
“We trialled the CREST Awards with a Year 8 class at the end of the last academic year and I am incredibly proud of what the students have achieved.
“The Bronze Award is challenging to complete successfully because students are expected to work independently through every stage of a scientific investigation. They researched their own methods, carried out experiments, analysed their findings and evaluated their results, just as professional scientists would.
“The standard of work was excellent and, because CREST Awards are nationally moderated, my marking was sampled by the CREST team. For all 10 students to achieve their Bronze Award is a fantastic result and a real testament to their hard work, resilience and enthusiasm for science.”
The New Road students undertook a project investigating which fertilisers are most effective for growing plants. Working independently, they researched their methodology, carried out practical experiments, collected and analysed data, and produced their own conclusions and evaluations.
Matt said their success was particularly impressive because the award mirrors many of the research, analytical and reporting skills that students develop at GCSE level, providing valuable experience for future scientific study.
The successful students are: Charlie Meredith, Mia Khukh, Seren Linnett, Imogen Turner, Poppy Eastman, Bronson Broome, Kyrie Dennis, Harper Cheshire, Raheel Balogun, and Adam Blagborough.
