Aspiring scientists celebrated in innovation challenge

This year’s Star Innovators Challenge set our young scientists a series of tasks to research, investigate and make scientific discoveries relating to the theme of ‘a change in time’. Pupils across Star primary and secondary schools spent weeks investigating, experimenting and setting out their solutions, astounding the judges with their competition entries. The competition winners have now been revealed.

The challenges form part of Star schools’ programmes of activity to support British Science Week – a 10-day celebration of science, engineering, technology and maths. With separate challenges in each of the primary and secondary phases, pupils took part in the contest centred around this year’s British Science Week theme of ‘time’.

With hundreds of entries from schools across the country, the judges were overwhelmed by the quality of pupils’ work and the breadth of talent, knowledge and creativity on display.

In the Reception and Key Stage 1 category, pupils were tasked with discovering all about dinosaurs, and learning how time has moved on since dinosaurs emerged during the Triassic period. Key Stage 2 pupils investigated how an organism or an item used in our daily lives, such as a telephone or computer, has changed over time and how human behaviour or actions have adapted as a result.

For secondary school pupils, their challenge was to delve into the virtual world of artificial intelligence (AI) and consider how it is already shaping our everyday lives and how they envisage the technology could evolve in the future.

Nicky Crum, Science Improvement Lead at Star Academies, said: “Once again, our phenomenal  pupils amazed the judges with their incredible subject knowledge, demonstrating meticulous  research skills and imaginative presentation skills.

“It is encouraging to see so many of our pupils expressing their passion for science, using their own time to develop their ideas to enter the challenge. Thank you to our staff and parents for their support. I’m excited to see what the future holds for our aspiring scientists!”

After much consideration, the judges selected a winner and three runners-up in each age category.

Taking home first prize in the Key Stage 1 challenge is Eesa Khan from The Olive School, Bolton. Easa submitted an informative video all about dinosaurs and even answered, with confidence, a number of challenging questions.

Winner of the challenge in Key Stage 2 was Maryam Girach from The Olive School, Blackburn, who created an innovative model called ‘The Lightbulb Moment’. Maryam’s model included working aspects to explain the development of light. Maryam accompanied the model with excellent written work that really enhanced the project and demonstrated her deep subject knowledge.

Secondary school winners and finalists were split into Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 categories.

In Key Stage 3, the winner was Hafsa Baqoush from Tauheedul Islam Girls’ High School and Sixth Form College (TIGHS). Hafsa wrote an imaginative story of how time is no longer measured by the sun and the seasons, but by the gentle hum of an AI robot, Aria, who is a personal assistant and companion. Aria is described as the keeper of memories and ageless guardian of twilight years. The judges were left wishing there was another chapter to the story.

Eden Girls’ School, Coventry pupil, Maryam Wehbeh was the winner of the Key Stage 4 competition. She submitted a well-researched, balanced interpretation of how AI will both benefit society through advanced medical treatments and quicker transportation, but how it may also bring with it potential risks and challenges, such as replacing people in jobs and how privacy may be jeopardised.

Congratulating the winners, finalists and all participants, Sir (Mufti) Hamid Patel CBE, Chief Executive of Star Academies, said: “We are in awe of our pupils’ incredible submissions to the Star Innovators Challenge. The interest, effort and application from our children and young people across all year groups is outstanding”.

“Thank you all of those who took part and to all the parents and staff that have provided support and encouragement to pupils in this latest exciting challenge. Once again, the judges faced an impossible task to pick winners from the hundreds of entries”.

Here are the winners in full:

Primary – KS1

1^st Eesa Khan – The Olive School, Bolton

2^nd Jamaal Nanavati – The Olive School, Preston

3^rd Ahad Islam – The Olive School, Small Heath

4^th Purnendu Chatterjee – Rainbow Primary Leadership Academy

Primary – KS2

1^st Maryam Girach – The Olive School, Blackburn

2^nd Maaria Mullan – The Olive School, Hackney

3^rd Lucas Boundarie – Thornbury Primary Leadership Academy

4^th Muhammad Hussain Akbar – The Olive School, Birmingham

Secondary – KS3

1^st Hafsa Baqoush – Tauheedul Islam Girls’ High School and Sixth Form College

2^nd Rida Imran – Laisterdyke Leadership Academy

3^rd Jacob O’Donnell – Star Salford Academy

4^th Laiba Salman – Small Heath Leadership Academy

Secondary – KS4

1^st Maryam Wehbeh – Eden Girls’ School, Coventry

2^nd Istar Osman – Eden Girls’ Leadership Academy, Birmingham

3^rd Aisha Ahmad –  Eden Girls’ Leadership Academy, Manchester

4^th Noren Ahmed –  Eden Girls’ School, Slough

Added By: Star Academies | Date Added: 17th May 2024 | Posted In: Latest News