A group of year 7s and year 13s spent a day at We the Curious in Bristol. This is a hands-on centre for science, offering a range of workshop and lab-based activities, as well as exhibition space.

The year 7s took part in a Climate Change workshop, a card-based game where each group had to find ways of boosting the economy of their country while ensuring biodiversity was maintained. We reached the point of no return several times, thankfully being able to start again to put right our wrongs!

Owen said, ‘This was my favourite part of the day as I liked being in charge of a country’.

They also visited the Planetarium. Isaac and Reuben said, ‘It was so cool seeing all the planets through the 3D goggles’.

The rest of the day was spent exploring the two exhibition floors; creating Aardman style animations, powering the water wheel to create sand from rock, and experimenting with green screen technology amongst a host of other activities.

Year 13 spent the day in a lab-based workshop. An unusual human trait was explored through DNA extraction, PCR and gel electrophoresis. Using these methods students identified if they had the form of the gene to enable them to taste the bitter chemical PTC. The broader social, medical and ethical implications of gene technology were also debated.

It was a long day out but packed with stimulating educational opportunity.