Future scientists celebrated in innovation challenge

The Star Innovators Challenge laid down the gauntlet to the scientists of the future by tasking them to find solutions to real-world science conundrums. After pupils across Star primary and secondary schools have spent weeks investigating, experimenting and setting out their solutions, the competition winners have been revealed.

As part of Star schools’ activities to mark British Science Week earlier in the year, pupils across the country were challenged to enter a series of science tasks to broaden their knowledge and ignite their passion for our Earth. With separate challenges in each of the phases of primary and secondary education, pupils took part in the contest which was centred around British Science Week’s theme of ‘connections’.

With hundreds of entries from schools across the country, the judges were astounded by the quality of pupils’ work and their passion to make positive change in our world. The competition has yet again highlighted the breadth of pupils’ talents, knowledge and creativity.

In the Reception and Key Stage 1 category, pupils were tasked with carrying out an action that can make a big difference in the Earth Calling challenge, while Key Stage 2 pupils investigated and planed actions to overcome environmental challenges facing the UK in the Country Calling challenge.

For secondary school pupils, their challenge was to research a topic and devise an idea or project that will make a significant improvement to the environmental challenges facing their local community and then plan actions and steps required to have a positive impact.

Nicky Crum, Science Improvement Lead at Star Academies, said: “Once again, our talented pupils wowed the judges with their incredible subject knowledge, attention to detail and the creative solutions they proposed to a broad range of environmental challenges plaguing their local communities and issues affecting the entire country.

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

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

Taking home first prize in Key Stage 1 Earth Calling challenge was Muhammad Moiz Khan from The Olive School, Bolton, who ran a project for his local park to make it a better space. Muhammad planted seeds and nurtured them at home before planting them in the local park, carried out litter picking and created signs for other park users to encourage them to do their bit. He really demonstrated how he can make a big difference in this earth calling challenge and is a deserving winner of a science investigation kit.

Winner of the Country Calling challenge in Key Stage 2 was Sara Alum from The Olive School, Small Heath, who created an inspiring and emotive poem about the effects of littering and a call to arms to the public to keep Britain tidy. Sara’s though-provoking prose aims to make people think about the impact of their actions and encourage them to play their part by not dropping litter. As the first prize winner, Sara was awarded with a Robot Kit.

For the Community Calling challenge, secondary school winners and finalists were split into Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 categories, with first place in each receiving a wind powered STEM experiment kit and a STEM robot building kit respectively.

In KS3, the winner was Safiyah Daya from Eden Girls’ School, Waltham Forest, who wrote an in-depth article highlighting pollution issues affecting London. Her article included numerous facts and figures to demonstrate the problem, as well as setting out how the city can promote eco-friendly transport and encourage more recycling to reduce pollution.

Bay Leadership Academy pupil, Jamie Mahran was the winner in KS4. He designed plans for an eco-friendly area for local parks, including exercise equipment, bikes for hire, a wildlife zone and an eco-friendly shop. Jamie also wrote a letter to the local MP to advocate his design to be implemented in the school’s town, Morecambe.

Congratulating the winners, finalists and all participants, Sir Mufti Hamid Patel CBE, Chief Executive of Star Academies, said: “I would like to thank all of those who took part in our Star Innovators Challenge for their effort and application. It is testament to the outstanding talent in our schools that the judging panel were faced with a near impossible task to pick winners from the hundreds of entries.

“My congratulations go to the prize winners, and my gratitude is extended to both parents and staff for the support they have provided to pupils in this latest exciting challenge.”

Here are the winners in full:

Primary – KS1

1^st: Muhammad Moiz Khan, The Olive School, Bolton

2^nd: Muhammad Khan, The Olive School, Blackburn

3^rd: Inaaya Ahmed, Thornbury Primary Leadership Academy

Primary – KS2

1^{st :} Sara Alum, The Olive School, Small Heath

2^nd:: Aaminah Patel, The Olive School, Bolton

3^rd: Aliza Zuberi, Thornbury Primary Leadership Academy

Secondary – KS3

1^st: Safiyah Daya, Eden Girls’ School, Waltham Forest

2^nd: Safa Omar, Eden Girls’ Leadership Academy, Birmingham

3^rd:: Unaiza Raza, Eden Girls’ School, Coventry

Secondary – KS4

1^st: Jamie Mahran, Bay Leadership Academy

2^nd; Sadgun Sri Chandrapatla, Tong Leadership Academy

3^rd: Ibrahim Khan, Eden Boys’ Leadership Academy, Manchester

Added By: Star Academies | Date Added: 12th May 2023 | Posted In: Latest News