Around 4600 pupils and teachers from over 60 different schools have attended events and workshops at The Times Cheltenham Science Festival this year. The three schools days have included 28 events and workshops. New this year was Girls’ day, an initiative that aimed to mentor 12-14 year old girls with an aptitude for science.

Visiting school children seemed to be having a great time throughout the duration of the school days. Two of the events on Friday stood out for some of the students.

The Bigger Bang almost blew the roof off the large Arena tent in Imperial Gardens. Shocked passers by wondered if everything was OK as they visibly jumped at the sound of the massive booms that were coming from the event. Presenter, Dr Hal of the University of Brighton, used different chemical reactions to create flashes, bangs, pops and stunning visual effects to explain how chemicals with different properties behave. In one stunt, carbon sulphide and nitrogen dioxide were mixed together in a giant test tube and then ignited. The result was a spectacular bright blue flash travelling along the tube, accompanied by a noise likened to a ‘barking dog’.

Here is what some of the students thought of the event:

Later, the team from the Science Museum took key stage 3 children on a journey through the digestive system. It Takes Guts was informative, engaging, sometimes revolting and certainly lively, as the children were invited up on stage for live experiments and competitions – to the sounds of heckling from their classmates. Among the many things that the audience learnt in the event was the reason that poo is brown. The Science Museum team explained, “When Iron comes into contact with oxygen and water it rusts and the same thing happens inside you. It’s called bile and that is why your poo is brown”.

We asked one of the children what they thought of It Takes Guts:

Included in their visit to the festival, children were entertained in the Discover Zone – our free-to-enter space in the Town Hall where people of all ages can interact with live demonstrations, experiments and hands-on activities.

The school days of the festival have been like an enormous classroom full of fun, noise, colour, but above all, science!

Sue Harris is our reporter in residence at the festival this year. Sue is a science writer and communicator based in London. She has a background in the healthcare industry and medical writing, although her experience spans a broad range of scientific subjects and she enjoys communicating science face-to-face. www.susanmharris.com

Photographs by Conor Cahill

Book It! for schools, our exciting programme of education events, part of The Times Cheltenham Literature Festival is now available to browse.

Book It! for schools 2010

Booking opens on Wednesday 16 June

The Times Cheltenham Literature Festival schools programme is now open for booking.

view the Book It! brochure
and
book online

Read our earlier news post for highlights of this years programme featuring the biggest names in children’s literature.

Further booking details and a printable form are available in the back of the brochure. For more information contact Nicola Tuxworth on 01242 775822.

Click here to view the embedded video.

School groups have come from both near and far — walking distance and even Essex. Hounslow’s Heathlands School has been visiting for 3 years and had a very early start indeed to arrive in Cheltenham for their first event at 10am!

New for 2009, schools were offered Key Stage 3 packages which included one event, one extended workshop, plus a guaranteed hour in the Discover Zone — an area of interactive science. These were immensely popular and sold out within 2 days!

This year’s school programme is one of the strongest ever. The highlight for many was undoubtedly Chemistry with a Bang! with John Kilcoyne and Jeff Teasdale. Five hundred children packed the Arena for 2 one-hour long shows by the duo.

But that’s far from all — there were a wide variety of other events. At St Andrew’s Church, pupils had the chance to work with experts from GCHQ on code-making and breaking. And of course, it’s not all for school children. Kids of all ages can enjoy the Discover Zone and there are plenty of opportunities to catch up with speakers after their events at The Times Talking Point.

Undoubtedly, today’s events and speakers showed us that science doesn’t have to be dull. It can be exciting, surprising, astounding and above all; really, really cool!

By Sue Harris for The Times Cheltenham Science Festival, photography by Conor Cahill.

It has been a hive of activity at Cheltenham Town Hall over the past two days. Preparations have busily been made for what promises to be an astounding 8th The Times Cheltenham Science Festival! With a theme of Heresy, the festival will challenge your thinking, whatever your age, on all things science.

Wednesday — the first day — gets off to an explosive start, as children will experience Chemistry with a Bang in Science for Schools. Meanwhile, explosions of a more biological kind could be on the cards for those who choose to attend The Science of Curry in the evening. But it’s not all about loud noises and smells — topics as diverse as how to be a winner, climate change and a debate about how science can help to build a better future, ensure that there is something for everyone.

come along and join the party!

The Times Cheltenham Literature Festival — this year sees another Book It! school programme bursting at the seams with some of the biggest names in children’s literature.

The versatile literary superstar Anthony Horowitz, author of the Alex Rider series is back after an absence of several years, and if you missed Anne Fine and Michael Morpurgo’s sell-out appearances last year, you will be delighted to know that they are both back in 2009. Also returning is Julia Donaldson, the legendary creator of The Gruffalo, with her new show, Songbirds.

Michelle Paver previews the last installment of her hit Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series, and Gillian Cross talks about why she can’t shake off the Demon Headmaster. The unique Philip Ardagh takes us on a visit to Henry’s House, and Rose Impey and Shoo Rayner perform a delightful double act as they go Animal Crackers! With wacky mathematician Kartjan Poskitt, eco-warrior Nicola Davies and the creator of the Mortal Engines series, Philip Reeve, to name but a few, we are sure that you will find something to delight and intrigue your pupils in our programme.

A new option for this year is our packages, which combine an event with a workshop. You can find out more about them on page 3 of the programme. Places are strictly limited, and will be allocated on a first-come first-served basis.

Booking opens on Wednesday 10 June at 8:30am
view the Book It! brochure
and book online

We look forward to receiving your booking form and welcoming you to this year’s Festival.

Booking is now open for our Science for Schools programme for key stages one to four.

From hands-on practical workshops to amazing pyrotechnics live on the big stage, there really is something for everyone.

• book online
• or contact the Education team directly on 01242 775822/775891
• or email your enquiry to education@cheltenhamfestivals.com

Our Science for Schools brochure is available to view online or download.

Events start at only £3.00 per child, and the amazing Discover Zone is free! Last year almost 6,000 pupils and their teachers took part in Science for Schools so why not take a look at our schools programme and start planning your visit now.