At Etone College we are committed to helping pupils achieve their full potential and ensuring progress of pupils in all that we do. In light of this on the 30th March, twelve Year 10 pupils were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to participate in the University of Birmingham’s yearly Big Biology quiz. The quiz took place in the beautiful Great Hall of the Aston Webb building and our pupils were really in awe of the elaborate architecture of the ceiling!
The Big Biology Quiz is part of the RAISE programme run by University of Birmingham, where the program aims to raise aspirations and achievements in secondary school aged pupils. The day was momentous in light of past restrictions due to Covid 19; it was wonderful seeing so many pupils from various schools from across the region, gathering in one place to participate in sharing their love of science.
Our twelve pupils took part in six multiple choice quiz rounds throughout the day. Each round focused on a different area of the biology curriculum and challenged them with an array of questions. The topics ranged from adaptations of camels to mind controlling fungi. Overall, our pupils did well on the one specialist round on “Cancer, causes and cures” where pupils were able to demonstrate their love of learning and eagerness to engage in topics, which hold future career interests for them.
The day was highlighted by a keynote lecture by Professor Jeremy Pritchard, where he talked about the ground-breaking research the university are conducting into the effects of elevated co2 on an oak tree forest in the midlands.The lecture was inspiring for any future biologist and embodied the kind of research that our pupils might conduct as scientists of the future.
The day concluded with a prize giving ceremony where the winning team received a trophy and although this year our pupils did not win, they received a certificate for their participation. Our pupils demonstrated the core of our key values and skills such as self-belief and resilience and they continually showed moral support for their following competitors, made friends with pupils from other Schools, and cheered them on when they won. Our pupils showed how they are a real asset to the school and their community.
Overall, it was a delight to see their success and engagement on the day.
