On Wednesday, the MFL department at BGS hosted a language debate with the prompt, ‘AI is a dangerous new tool in education’. The debate was hugely successful with 4 schools attending, and 19 teams competing in 6 different languages; German, French, Italian, Spanish, Japanese and Chinese. Over the past few weeks, we have had a number of sessions rehearsing our arguments, both for and against, practising debating techniques and preparing to go head-to-head with Beths, Dartford and Trinity.

We met with the other schools and began our debates by flipping a coin, determining who was ‘for’ and who was ‘against’. The atmosphere was very supportive, with audience members of friends and teachers, yet tense as the debates sometimes got incredibly heated.

Speaking for all those at BGS who participated, the experience was incredibly helpful to real world experiences, talking about current issues with native speakers and others who are in the same boat as us, learning languages. I found my Spanish improved immensely, just through the few weeks I spent preparing it, and it has given me a new drive to improve to a new level of its native speakers.

The event ran smoothly, and everyone was so supportive of each other, with students from different schools and languages talking and getting to know each other. I am super proud of our school for hosting the event and hope for years to come students participate in language events like this, not only to help with confidence for learners but also to deepen connections with other schools and other speakers.

Ella Curl, Year 12

Five representatives from this year's Young Enterprise team, Illumina, competed against other school teams in the East London Finals of the Company Programme competition on Monday 22nd April. Students travelled to the BNY Mellon offices in London where they showcased their company. Students had already completed a detailed business report for the competition and needed to set up a trade stand to demonstrate and give information on their product - multisensory candles. The judges interviewed the five representatives at their stand where students explained their inspiration to improve mental health and how they came up with such a fantastic idea. They were then taken off to a separate interview room where judges more formally questioned them on the Company Programme process, their finances, experiences and next steps. After that, the team were greeted by other members of the team and parents who had travelled to London to show their support. Finally, the team needed to give a presentation to everyone at the event. They were the last to present but soon had the audience participating in finding hidden leaflets stuck to the bottom of their chairs to demonstrate the sheer number of people affected by a mental health problem. They did an excellent job of keeping their cool throughout the day. The most prestigious award - Best Company - was given to Illumina! The team were commended on their performance in all aspects of the competition and judges felt that this was a high-quality, professional product that could be a real success in the future.

Well done to the representing students; Max Campbell, Evie Ngyuyen, Luke Winter, Jasreen Ghag and Ethan Abbate for their exceptional performances and hard work in the lead up to this event. They represent a large team who are also responsible for the ideas, acumen, marketing and production in the business. The team has been competently led by Max, who has shown tremendous resilience throughout the process, and we're glad that he was recognised for his diligence in this way. A big thank you to Max's parents, who have been pillars of support for the team, from turning their house into a candle production factory to driving heavy stock all over London for their various events to helping students improve their marketing skills - we are all very grateful.

Illumina is going on to compete in the next stage of the competition in May, and we wish them all the very best of luck. 

Mrs Harris, Head of Economics and Business

What is the challenge?

The Bexley Grammar School’s University challenge is a competition between our school and the other 3 grammar schools in the Bexley borough: Beths Grammar School for Boys, Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar school and Townley Grammar for Girls. It’s organised similarly to the real life University Challenge quiz show in which teams of 4 students and 1 substitute from universities around the UK battle to find the most intellectual team. As a team, you must be the first to answer a ‘starter question’ for 10 points before the other teams and if answered correctly, your whole team gets the opportunity to answer 3 separate 5 point questions that are loosely tied to the original starter question. After 50 starter questions, the team with the most points is the winner.

Starting in 2022, the Bexley version works very similarly, but instead of 1 team vs another, it’s a single best of 4 teams to find the winners. After Beths won the initial 2022 Challenge, our Year 13 team of Akeel, Harry, Daniel, Pamela and Ross won the 2023 edition, which left our team of Leo, Zoe, Anqui and Imogen and I to retain the title, which we did after a tight battle with Chis and Sid that lasted all the way to the final 3 starter questions.

The Selection Process

Over the last two months, many of us in Year 12 attended the in-school selection rounds hosted by our previous team and the Head of Sixth Form, Mr Martin, to find the best combination of us for the team. Each Monday after school we had fun and enjoyable questions taken from the actual quiz show fired at us to find our team. Every week was an enjoyable experience with a less formal attitude than the final, and we all enjoyed swapping round our teams to see who we paired with best until Monday 13th March, when we found out our team. After a brief discussion with Mr Martin, Zoe and I were chosen as captain and vice captain, with Anqui and Leo filling out the rest of the starting line up, with Imogen as our substitute.

The Final

On Wednesday 20th March the final came. Despite all the preparation and planning, my nerves still ran high, which was not helped by the fact that in the audience we had around 30 teachers, headmasters, parents and students from the various schools with special guests of the former Mayor and current Vice-Mayor of Bexley Nigel Betts along with former Prime minister Liz Truss, who had come to support her daughter on the Townley team. After an early lead by us, Chis & Sid took a massive lead of 75 points which us, Beths and Townley slowly picked away at for the first half. In the second half, we moved ahead of the pack, leading to us and Chis and Sid being neck & neck on 235 points with 3 questions to go.

“ I was very nervous at the start and for most of it, but as I answered more questions and got more into the rhythm of it, it got easier and less stressful. I enjoyed all the bits of it but particularly discussing answers to bonus questions with my teammates, as they did not fail to make me laugh. The intense fight for first between us and Chis and Sid made the whole experience even more thrilling as it was very close the whole time".

Zoe Handscombe, Vice Captain

I can confidently say that my heart rate hasn't been so high for so long, and it still continued to rise going into this ‘play-off-esque’ moment. So when I answered the 2nd to last question to confirm the win, I felt as if the heaviest weight in the world had been lifted off my chest. This led to the final question of “What East Asian art style was the late Akira Toriyama known for?” being a sort of victory lap after we answered correctly with ”Manga” and the follow-up questions were a great end to the competition with us jokingly answering Liz Truss as an answer to a question on Prime Minister’s ages. In the end, the results finished as:

1st: Bexley 285 points

2nd: Chis & Sid 235 points

3rd: Townley 180 points

4th: Beths 150 points

Zoe and I were presented with the trophy by the Vice-mayor. Afterwards, we were able to celebrate with Mr Gilmore, Mr Martin, last year's team and our friends and family before taking a quick picture with ex-Prime Minister Liz Truss to top off the night.

The Future

After the amazing help from last year's team, without which none of this would have been possible, Mr Martin has asked us to help choose next year's team, which we happily said yes to, but we also have had other ideas that we would like to make possible. These included a possible continuation of the in-school practices as a club run by the team and also the possibility of making a house event out of the challenge.

Once again, I’d like to thank everyone who was involved with the team from last year's winners for coaching us, Mr Martin for selecting us and trusting me to be captain, the wonderful team from the borough that ran the event and the many people that came to support us and their respective schools. Finally, I’d like to thank the rest of the team who made this a brilliant experience that I’d recommend to any and everyone who believes they have the ability.

 Ashton Seager, Year 12

The Biology in Action trip certainly provided a useful and insightful look into the multitudes of different careers and opportunities within the broad subject of biology.  A small group of us, all higher biology students, attended the trip to Emmanuel Hall in Westminster, along with a few other schools too. The centre looked amazing, with amazing speakers there too. Every lecture was around 45 minutes long, discussing various different uses of biology in everyday life and so many different career paths instead of the presumed doctor, dentist, or veterinarian that always comes to mind to a lot of people, including me, when a career in biology is mentioned. There were six lectures throughout the day, varying from exam tips to research expeditions, virology, and even methods of saving species from extinction, such as the Northern White Rhino, which was certainly unique and interesting. To me, the most interesting lecture was the one on virology, with the speaker sharing her role in science and even sharing her method of discovering a once unknown outbreak of plague around 4000 years ago, which certainly inspired me to perhaps follow a career in that sector of science. Overall, the trip opened my eyes to many unique and exciting opportunities for me in science and widened my knowledge of the subject of biology and the impact it has on our living world.

George Claydon, Year 12

Overall, the trip was a great day out in such a nice venue; it was a pleasure to have the opportunity to be able to listen to such experiences from experts in the field. A variety of compelling lectures were given, one on the awesome experiences in the Amazon Rainforest, major trauma centres around the UK, an emotive talk on the Northern White Rhinos, a talk from Miss Estruch and a talk from a PHD completed doctor on her experiences with researching infectious diseases from-thousand year old human remains. Constantly engaging talks allowed all the students to be attentive all of the time. The day was all in all very eye-opening and definitely pushed me more towards Biology as a whole.

Shishir Gautum, Year 12

On the 9th February, the Business and Economics department took 33 students to the United States of America. We flew into Washington and visited the iconic sites of the US Capitol, the White House, the Smythsonian museums and the Lincoln Memorial. We then took a coach to Philadelphia, where we were able to view the Liberty Bell and the famous Rocky steps and statue before heading off to New York. There we walked around Manhattan, took a ferry to the Statue of Liberty, went to the top of the Empire State Building, toured the Financial District and ground zero and battled through a snowstorm to visit the United Nations Headquarters. We also ate our weight in chocolate at the Hershey’s Chocolate World tour, listened to the 9/11 stories from firefighters at the FDNY store, posed with police officers at the Brooklyn 99 HQ in Brooklyn, rode the carousel at Central Park, cheered for players at the Brooklyn Nets basketball game and hung out with minor celebrities in Times Square. To be able to travel with this group was an absolute pleasure - they were inquisitive, excitable, friendly and incredibly well-behaved. They did their research and made sure they experienced everything these cities had to offer - I’ve never had a group want to retire to their beds so early, ready for the array of activities of the next day. This was a trip to remember for a lifetime!

Mrs Harris, Head of Business and Economics

After an 8-hour flight, we landed in Washington where we rested our heads before heading off to the Capitol Building.  We were given an incredibly detailed and interesting tour, learning the basis of the US Justice and Government system. We also walked along The Mall, seeing the Lincoln Memorial, Martin Luther King Jr's Memorial, the Vietnam Memorial and the White House to name a few. My friend and I also had time to look around the American History Museum, seeing Dorothy's red shoes and Jonny Coltrane's saxophone!

Soon enough, we were driving to New York and on the way we made a quick pit-stop in Philadelphia, where we ran up the Rocky Steps and saw the Liberty Bell. Mrs Harris then let us eat lunch in this amazing food market and many of us tried a 'Philly' cheese steak, which was delicious. As we drove into Manhattan, we all screamed the lyrics to Empire State Mind, and we were so excited to start exploring New York City. The organised activities included a guided tour of the United Nations and the Hershey Store, as well as an evening trip up to the top of the Empire State Building. We also visited The Statue of Liberty and the Immigration Museums and got very cold on the ferries to and from the Islands! One evening, we saw an American basketball game, which was such a cool experience that I'll never forget. The trip was amazing as we were given enough freedom to do our own things, with Beth and I seeing 'Six' the Musical on Broadway and trying out New York's fast food and restaurants. Overall, the trip was an incredible experience and I can't wait to go back soon!

Rosie Barnwell, Year 13

The US trip was nothing short of amazing. I had no idea what to expect, having never been to America before, but I was very impressed with the tall skyscrapers and the rich history of a country that is so young in comparison to our own. I was, however, less impressed with the price of everything over there. I was shocked when the cashier at McDonald’s told me my meal would cost $22! I was very invested in the visit to the Capitol building and Ellis Island as it felt so surreal to step foot into places I’d only ever seen on TV, as well as enjoying the hospitality of the American people, which is an accurate stereotype as everyone is so friendly and helpful over there.

While I did enjoy my time in Washington and Philadelphia, I would have to say New York was the best part of the trip. Visiting Times Square and the Empire State Building were lifetime experiences that I will definitely always remember, but a special mention has to go to my trip to Little Italy with Sophie. Unfortunately, we were unable to find authentic Italian food or people (sorry Ms Martucci and Mrs Giglione, we really tried!) However, it was a very telling experience about how America has developed as an immigrant nation and how it really is a melting pot of different cultures.

Overall, I really liked my experience in the US and am very grateful to the Business and Economics department for organising such a spectacular and special experience, especially thankful to Mrs Harris for spearheading the trip (and Mr Cheuk for joining at the last minute and being exceptionally talented at locating lost items).

Dionis Zaimaj, Year 13

Chemistry in Action

On the 29th February, myself and a group of higher chemistry students went to the Chemistry in Action lecture at the Emmanuel Centre in London. In this lecture we gained an insight into multiple fields of chemistry that we could go into in the future and their current ideas and innovations in solving problems with society, the environment and industry.

We learnt about the current progress in making batteries more sustainable by finding more environmentally friendly alternatives for their components while also trying to increase their effectiveness in supplying and storing energy.

In nuclear chemistry we were informed about the ways that nuclear waste can be recycled in order to decrease the amount of high level nuclear waste. Some fission products can be used in medicine to target metastatic cancer cells and in space exploration in the form of nuclear batteries. They debunked misconceptions and explained in detail how nuclear waste is disposed of and how rigorous safety regulations are, which definitely helped ease a lot of our fears about the disposal of nuclear waste affecting the environment.

Then there was a panel of Chemistry graduates who gave their experiences in university and career decisions. We could go into chemical engineering, with study years abroad, and write a PhD on a cell's chemical signals or work in industry in analytical chemistry and do an iterated Masters, or even do an apprenticeship and specialise in crystallisation of medicine. What connected all of their experiences together was a love and curiosity for chemistry.

Since important tests are coming soon, a professional chemistry marker explained and clarified the questions on the papers and helped us avoid common errors in regard to the command terms in the question. As usual, always read the question.

An “Accidental” Material Chemist explained how she became passionate about material chemistry through opportunities offered by university and international competitions, pushing science to its limits. She also wrote a PhD on creating a type of composite pellet that would be viable as a sustainable container of hydrogen to power cars, which involved lots of hands-on practical work and exploring different ratios of material to see new properties.

Finally, we learnt about the ways that synthetic chemistry can help diseases like snake bites in the tropics (a commonly disregarded illness). Current treatments include antivenoms which rely on knowing the species of snake for a specific medicine or having to deal with multiple horrible side effects from receiving many different antivenoms. Antivenoms are also really expensive, hard to synthesise and hard to transport due to their temperature requirements, so chemists have been trying to synthesise glycopolymers in order to replicate the properties of antivenoms in order to diagnose and treat snake bites while also increasing accessibility of healthcare to all people.

This was a fantastic learning experience which broadened our horizons with what we can do with the field of chemistry in the future.       

Adrianne Yu-Mason, Year 12

This was a fantastic introduction to British Science Week which commences on Friday 8th March, so please look out for more STEM events organised by the Science Department.

Mrs Moore, Head of Science