Children compete in University School Science Challenge – University of Reading
19 January 2006
School pupils from all over Berkshire will be able to prepare themselves for a possible future encounter with Jeremy Paxman when they take part in a School Science Challenge at the University of Reading. With the chance to win a piece of scientific equipment up to the value of £250 for their school, the 16 teams of Year 9 students will have to answer science-based questions in a series of knock-out rounds before the final – which takes place during National Science Week in March. The quiz is based on BBC 2's popular University Challenge programme, and each team of four students will use their buzzers to answer the "starter for 10" and two bonus questions. The School Science Challenge was organised by Dr Rachel Fretwell in the University of Reading's Widening Participation Office. She said: "We want the students to enjoy their involvement and test their knowledge of science against other teams. We are trying to get young people more enthused about science and hopefully when they go back to school the next day, other students will realise that having lots of knowledge about science can be a very useful thing. "This quiz will encourage them to see science as being relevant and fun. Hopefully, it will also persuade some of them to study science subjects after the age of 16." The first knock-out rounds take place at the University's Whiteknights campus on Monday 30th January and Monday 6th February. The final rounds will be held in Oxford during March. Schools taking part in the Challenge include the following: Reading Girls School (Reading) Brakenhale School (Bracknell) Windsor Girls School (Windsor) Windsor Boys School (Windsor) Sandhurst School (Sandhurst) John O'Gaunt School (Newbury) Westgate School (Slough) Trinity School (Newbury) Cox Green School (Maidenhead) Altwood CE School (Maidenhead) Kennet School (Thatcham) Little Heath School (Reading) Garth Hill College (Bracknell) Theale Green Community School (Theale) The Emmbrook School (Wokingham) St Bartholomew's School (Newbury) End For further information, please contact Rachel Fretwell, Widening Participation Co-ordinator for Science, University of Reading Tel: 0118 378 6127 E-mail: r.fretwell@reading.ac.uk