British Science Week at St Mary’s: Curiosity in Action Across Prep and Senior House

British Science Week has sparked excitement, curiosity and discovery across both Prep and Senior House at St Mary’s, with pupils immersing themselves in a wide range of hands-on scientific activities designed to inspire a love of learning and exploration.

A Microscopic Safari in Senior House
On Tuesday lunchtime, St Mary’s scholars and friends gathered in the Biology Lab for a fascinating “moss safari,” searching for the elusive tardigrade, affectionately known as the “moss piglet.” Pupils created their own microscope slides using the “moss squeeze” technique, before examining their samples under low-power magnification.

The session revealed a hidden world teeming with life, including nematodes, rotifers and paramecia. The highlight came when Ramini (Year 12) successfully discovered a live tardigrade specimen.

Tardigrades are among the most extraordinary organisms on Earth. Renowned for their resilience, they are the only animals known to survive the vacuum of space, extreme radiation, dehydration, and temperatures ranging from -270°C to +200°C. Their remarkable survival abilities are due to unique genes that enable them to repair DNA and safely dehydrate adaptations that date back over 600 million years, before Earth’s modern atmosphere formed. Today, scientists, including researchers at NASA, are studying tardigrades to explore how these mechanisms could support long-term space travel.

Pocket Rockets and Explosive Learning in Prep
Meanwhile, Prep pupils embraced the excitement of experimental science by designing and launching their own “pocket rockets.” After decorating their creations with stickers and personal touches, the girls experimented with different chemical reactions to power their launches.
Using combinations such as Alka-Seltzer and water, as well as bicarbonate of soda and vinegar, they observed how gas-producing reactions create the force needed to propel their rockets into the air. The activity combined creativity with scientific investigation, offering a fun and memorable way to understand chemical reactions in action.

Inspiring Curiosity: A Science Assembly
In preparation for Science Day, Mrs Brereton led an engaging assembly celebrating the wonder of science. Through a series of live demonstrations, she captured the pupils’ imaginations while introducing the theme of curiosity, one of the school’s key character strengths.
The girls explored how curiosity drives scientific discovery, encouraging them to ask questions, test ideas and deepen their understanding of the world around them. The assembly set an inspiring tone for the week’s events, reinforcing the importance of an inquisitive mindset.

A Day of Discovery: The Science of Birds
Prep pupils also enjoyed a full day dedicated to the science of birds, taking part in a carousel of hands-on activities. These included designing eggs, completing a bird-themed scavenger hunt and quiz, competing in a House nest-building challenge, and creating their own bird feeders.
A special highlight was a visit from The Bird Man, who introduced the girls to three magnificent birds of prey: Sydney the Harris Hawk, Sparky the Barn Owl and Shadow the Bald Eagle. Pupils were captivated as they learned about the science of flight, hunting techniques and the adaptations that enable these birds to thrive in their environments.

Celebrating Science Across the School, from microscopic organisms to soaring birds of prey, British Science Week at St Mary’s has showcased the breadth and excitement of scientific discovery. Across both Prep and Senior House, pupils have embraced opportunities to experiment, question and explore demonstrating that curiosity truly lies at the heart of learning.