As the wind blew quite frantically, we began to assemble outside Birmingham’s Symphony Hall awaiting the gripping talks from the scientists that were to come.

The presentations began with a riveting discussion from Professor Mark Miodownik (by far my favourite lecture), an engineer and material scientist. He discussed the damage plastic is doing to our environment (a significant global issue in our current daily lives) and the shocking reality of “greenwashed” products that claim to be sustainable but, in fact, amplify the pollution in the world. Considering it is a current problem we face, it was really interesting to learn about biodegradable polymers and biodegradable plastics and how, in fact, different types of plastics cannot be mixed as this reduces the amount of plastic that is able to be recycled. One thing that struck me was his concluding statement “there is no sustainable material but there are many sustainable systems”.  I’m 100% sure that many students, like myself, found that particular discussion engaging and, in a way, challenged us youth to come up with solutions to these problems!

After a short break, we were spoken to by Chief Examiner Stewart Chenery who stressed the importance of reading questions and understanding question types in exams; he gave quite valuable tips that allow students to achieve the best they possibly can.

Another one of my favourite lectures was from Professor Lord Robert Winston who expressed his enthusiasm for aspects of the development of human life; being a pioneer of IVF treatment and a renowned communicator of science, Lord Winston engaged the entirety of Symphony Hall with his witty remarks and mind-opening observations about the development and divisions of minuscule cells into organisms just like us.

After a well-deserved lunch break and another intriguing talk from the Chief Examiner, the day concluded with a quite question-provoking discussion from Professor Steve Jones. Beginning with the statement “Look to the person to your left, and the person to your right – two out of three of you will die for reasons associated with the genes you carry”, Professor Jones then explored the consequences of our gene make-up and how they shape us, and the possible fate we have that results from what resides in our DNA.

Overall our day at GCSE Science Live was one of attentiveness.  It was a great experience and I’m sure that Mr Jones would agree – he even had the privilege of obtaining a free coffee during break time!

Dharam Rana 10G

On CSI Day, we had to use our laboratory skills and scientific knowledge to investigate who killed Mr Kafai.  There were five suspects – Mr Jones, Mr Bansal, Mr Mohsin, Mr Hussain and Mr Alishah. Throughout the day we completed several forensic activities such as chromatography, blood tests, footprint and fingerprint analysis and many more activities.  Each group reached a conclusion which was made into a story about what truly happened to Mr Kafai on that fateful night, who killed him and why.  In my opinion, this was one of the best Enrichment Days we’ve experienced so far.

Abdullah Khan, 8G

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The Legacy pitch challenge that took place on 16.01.2020 was an engaging and thought-provoking experience where both Team Reform and Project Dream presented their ideas and achievements so far. Team Reform began the pitch with a brief yet powerful video consisting of their progress through the 2019/20 academic year. Portrayed through posters and various visual images, the presentation was thorough and engaging. There was then an opportunity for the legacy coordinator Mr Ahmed to ask questions. Project Dream then presented their pitch: Informative, concise and thorough they conveyed their message about young carers and how they can help alleviate the stresses they have to face. Quite clearly, both teams delivered to a high level tackling two problems, that many would like to help aid and eradicate. Positive and helpful feedback was also a key component of pitching and allowed the teams to have a better understanding of how to move forward. Both teams are very grateful for this opportunity to give back to the community and would like to thank Mr Ahmed for his efforts.

Aleema Khan, Tehreem Pervez, Ayman Amin

On Friday 31^st January, The Psychology department invited Jean-Marc Lawton to run a tailor- made revision day for our year 13 students.   Jean-Marc is an assistant principal examiner for the exam board AQA and the IB.  He has been teaching Psychology for over 30 years.    Jean-Marc has written a number of Psychology textbooks including one of the two official textbooks for the current specification.  He has also recently published a book titled “Aiming for an A in Psychology”.  14 students from King Edward VI Aston also attended the event which took place in our 6^th form common room that was set up like a revision conference.    The students practised a wide range of exam questions and were given examples of mistakes students often make in the exam.  They learnt how to develop their answers to gain the most marks in the exam and Jean Marc reviewed a range of topics including those students often struggle with, such as research methods and biopsychology.  The revision day was very successful and we hope the students will use the resources and skills in their final A level examinations.

Please click here to view the Sporting Representations for 2019-20.