PUPILS’ love of science was celebrated in style at Perry Wood Primary School when they took part in the annual Griffin Science Symposium – a proud tradition in the Griffin Schools Trust (GST) annual events calendar.

Coinciding with British Science Week – a nationwide celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), the Symposium focused on the theme, ‘Innovating for the Future’.

Perry Wood’s young scientists used their creativity and critical thinking skills to question and formulate ideas for improving their community in the future.

All 13 primary and secondary schools in the Griffin Schools Trust family took part in the inspiring three-day event.

Suzanne Beston, Perry Wood headteacher, said: “It is our belief that events like these, alongside an inspiring curriculum, allow our pupils to discover and develop their talents and passions.

“We were keen to ensure that Covid did not disrupt this important event and that there were no limits for students and staff when commitment and enjoyment came together.”

Perry Wood pupils were among more than 1,000 Year 6 and Year 7 pupils from across GST’s 13 schools who took part in the event, for which the keynote speaker was Dr Anne Edwards, Plant Research Scientist at The John Innes Centre, an international centre of excellence in plant science, genetics and microbiology.

Pupils then took part in activities during live-streamed workshop sessions and interacted virtually with leading international based scientists.

Charlotte Foulston, School Improvement Lead, GST, said: “The importance of scientific discovery and innovation has been powerfully illustrated over the past year.

“For our fifth Griffin Science Symposium, we adapted our approach to ensure that pupils had the chance to engage with science in innovative and thought-provoking ways.

“The symposium fostered exchange and collaboration within and beyond the Griffin Schools Trust and gave our pupils real opportunities to think, debate, explore new ideas and share their work in an exciting arena through interactive activities and presentations.

“The Griffin Schools Trust is committed to ensuring all pupils benefit from opportunities to ‘widen horizons.

“In the last two years, across our three secondary schools, an average of 36 per cent of sixth form pupils, 52 per cent of whom were female, have gone on to study scientific courses at degree or degree apprenticeship level ranging from medicine and biomedical science to robotics and aerospace engineering.”