There are a huge number of extra-curricular clubs and competitions running throughout the year that fall within the umbrella of STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Maths). Check out our timetable for a full breakdown.
They start next week and some sixth form activities only run for the autumn term so don’t delay!
Just turn up!
Ms Lusted, STEM Coordinator
Upskill Me are running a brand-new programme to break the glass ceiling and empower young women and non-binary students to enter the world of STEM careers. As a school we were invited to nominate 10 students in Year 12 and 6 of ours were successful in getting accepted on the course! An impressive feat when over 600 people applied for the 150 places. They are:
Lora Stancheva, Leila Thaifa, Bianca Daniele,
Mayukhi Panda, Christabel Masaba and Francesca Adeloye
Congratulations!
Ms Lusted, STEM Coordinator
This programme is for girls and non-binary people in Year 12 who have an interest in STEM, and allows us to meet once a month with STEM professionals from employers such as Facebook, Google, UCB and Atkins, who share their own experiences as women in STEM with us.
The sessions are engaging and let us interact with a lot of amazing people in STEM, who really help you understand what a career in STEM is like, and how to thrive in one. I would recommend this program to girls who enjoy STEM subjects, as I feel it has been such a great opportunity to meet and get to know new people, as well as to get more experience around work and practical skills.
Mayukhi Panda, Year 12
The Women in STEM programme is a 6-month course for non-binary and female pupils interested in science, technology, engineering, or maths. It provides group mentoring sessions, work experience and workshops, plus the amazing chance to meet females in top UK companies.
I think it’s a wonderful opportunity as you get to be around other non-binary and females who have a passion for these academic areas. It really is empowering being in a room – or zoom rather – with people you can identify with and look up to. I’ve found these sessions have made seeing myself in a STEM career more vivid, simply by seeing a fellow woman there. They also teach you how to present yourself professionally, which builds your
self-confidence. I would definitely recommend it to other non-binary/ female pupils currently enjoying their STEM subjects.
Christabel Masaba, Year 12
Power Day 2 on the 24th November had a STEM theme.
For Years 9 and 10 this meant workshops run by ambassadors. Despite the threat of Covid, we managed to pull in a record number of ambassadors with two full year groups taking part for the first time.
Year 9 each completed three different workshops including food technology, engineering, product design, architecture, emergency medicine, police robotics and computer science. Sadly, the emergency medicine ambassador had her own medical emergency a few days before the event and broke her foot! This meant that she could not deliver the session in person but put together a virtual workshop instead. Although this meant a slightly different approach we all appreciate the efforts she went to!
For Year 10, seven engineers from a variety of specialisms joined them in completing a series of tasks and challenges throughout the day. We are extremely grateful to them all for giving up their time to come in and inspire our young people.
Every workshop meant an opportunity to work as a team, problem solve and think creatively, and also meet someone who really works in that field. As always our students impressed all our visitors with their attitudes, efforts and achievements. The ideas and creations from both year groups were amazing, and I couldn’t have been more proud!
"In engineering we were tasked to make a roller coaster out of various materials like cardboard boxes, paper cups and tape. For the first part of the session we were taught about different types of engineering and the process engineers go through to create. I think it would have been a little more interesting to learn more about the different jobs you can go into regarding engineering and the different subjects within it, as they were only touched on briefly. Making the roller coaster was very fun, and the presenter made sure to come around to each group and check how we were working. I think the group sizes (about four or five) worked very well as there were enough people so that there were lots of ideas, and it was enjoyable, but not too many that there was room for arguments, and it was very well planned and termed so that we could all understand.
I think a lot of people wanted to do cooking, so some were disappointed when they didn't get it. Obviously that can't be helped, but I wonder if there are ways to get more engaging subjects for people who aren't as academically focused on classic STEM subjects. I think a good example of this was the last minute product design workshop that replaced the medicinal chemistry one, but I think all the workshops did a good job of being accessible and engaging for all students.”
A happy student, Year 9
Click here to view the STEM Power Day 2 2021 photo album.
This term is incredibly busy for all of us at school, but the Year 13 scientists, in particular! All lab based experiments for the Internal Assessments took place in the first week of November. This year is our biggest cohort ever with 60 students in physics alone. With all students completing a unique experiment the variety of activities across the different labs really was a sight to behold!
Mr Villazon's Robotics Club is going from strength to strength. Sadly this term it can no longer be more than one bubble, so we are excited to see what the Year 8s get up to! Here they are coding Rovers:
Ms Lusted, Stem Co-ordinator
It has already been a busy start to the year for ‘STEM’ers at BGS.
Timetable of clubs
STEM Club |
Years 7-8 |
Tuesday, M16 at lunchtime |
Chemistry Club |
Years 7-9 |
Thursday, M8 at lunchtime |
Engineering Club |
Years 10-11 |
Monday, H2 after school |
Senior Science Society |
Years 12-13 |
M6 at lunchtime |
Increasing Diversity in STEM
We are all well aware of the stereotypes around what an ‘engineer’ looks like and the lack of diversity in some STEM careers. At BGS we are passionate about levelling the playing field and ensuring everyone has high aspirations and the opportunities to achieve them. There is an amazing program coming up, and I am pleased to help support our students in applying.
Young Women in STEM - female talent programme 
Female and non-binary students in Year 12 could get the opportunity to learn about the world of STEM through a series of group mentoring sessions, work experience and workshops. Plus meet the females leading top UK companies.
With the option to nominate only ten students and only 100 places available nationally, competition will be stiff, but I hope to be reporting the successful application of our students in the coming weeks.
Engineering Club - Special Event
Open to all years! ‘I’m an Engineer, Get me out of here’ SPACE edition!
When? Monday 18th October 3.15pm- 4.15pm Where? H2
We will be chatting live to real engineers who work in the field of space exploration and observation. Please email lusted_r@bexleygs.co.uk if you are interested in joining us for this event.
The Senior Society
The Senior Society has been researching and taking it in turns to present on topics of their own choosing
and are looking at attending some online lectures.
You can join these lectures too using the link: https://www.gresham.ac.uk/attend/
The Senior Science Society is a group of Sixth Form students that gather together once a week to present and discuss a range of scientific topics. From next-gen fighter jets to new Covid treatments, it provides an opportunity for students to come together and engage with scientific news around the world, as science should not be limited to the classroom. Recently, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to deliver a presentation on Dementia and how cognitive stimulation in the workplace could lower the risks of developing the disease later on in life. The presentation allowed me to not only share new scientific knowledge with my peers, but also to start conversations about the validity of scientific experiments and what it means for a study to be “reliable”. If there is one thing I really enjoy about the Senior Science Society, it is definitely the discussions we have after presentations. Hearing the variety of viewpoints and passionate ideas that other students have is refreshing, and further amplifies my belief that learning science is about keeping in touch with the world around you and how it relates back to what you know.
Shannen Sarkodie, Year 13
