STEM Week 13th-17th April
STEM Week will take place in the first week back after the Easter holidays, beginning on Monday 13th April.
Workshops
Each year group will take part in two exciting workshops during the week:
- Wednesday 15th April: Zoolab will be visiting to deliver animal interaction sessions.
- Thursday 16th April: Dr Saskia Giebl, a neuroscientist and parent in our school community, will be leading small workshops exploring how the brain works (more information below).
In-class projects with their teacher
Throughout the week, children will take part in a range of short activities across science, maths, computing and PSHE during their normal lesson times.
Science Show and Tell (not a traditional science fair)
This year, instead of a whole-school science fair, we will be running a Science Show and Tell within each class across the week.
Children are invited to prepare a simple, curiosity-led science investigation to share with their classmates. This will be presented in class to their teacher and peers and your child's class teacher will let you know which day your child will be presenting next week.
We encourage this to be a child-led project, where your child can independently explain:
- what they were curious about
- what they did (their method)
- what happened (the outcome)
- what they found out (their conclusion)
The investigation can take different forms. For example:
- A short experiment they can demonstrate live (around 5 minutes)
- A project they have carried out at home, shared through photos or a simple slideshow
- Bringing in the results or model from their experiment to explain
Supporting your child at home
The STEM Week theme this year is curiosity, so we encourage children to start with a question they are genuinely interested in.
You can support your child by:
- Helping them think of a simple question (e.g. What melts ice fastest?, Which material is strongest?, What plants grow best in different conditions?)
- Encouraging them to plan and carry out their investigation safely
- Prompting them to talk through their ideas and findings in their own words
- Keeping it simple – clear understanding is more important than complexity
Here are some useful websites for ideas and guidance:
The key focus is that the project is manageable, hands-on, and led by your child, with them taking ownership of explaining what they discovered.
There will be a STEM assembly next week, where children will receive further details.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Dr. Saskia Giebl
As part of STEM Week, we are delighted to welcome Dr. Saskia Giebl, a cognitive neuroscientist specialising in how we learn and remember.
Dr. Giebl will be delivering interactive workshops for every class — including our Gems pupils — exploring:
- How the brain learns
- How different parts of the brain support memory
- Simple, practical tools to help children remember more effectively
- How to develop a strong “growth mindset” for confident, successful learning
Through engaging activities and discussion, pupils will discover that the brain can grow stronger with the right kind of practice — and that mistakes are not something to fear, but an important part of learning.
