Over
the February Exeat, eighteen Sixth Form pupils from Oundle School took part in
the annual trip to the American Association for the Advancement of Science
(AAAS) conference held in San Jose California.
AAAS
President Gerald R. Fink gave the opening address and developed the theme of
the conference - Innovations, Information
and Imaging - and the focus on transformations across all disciplines of
science and technology brought about by rapid progress in organising,
visualising and analysing data.
The
Science Programme included listening to talks on The Online Revolution: Learning Without Limits, Post-Evolutionary
Biology: Design of Novel Protein Structures, Functions and Assemblies, Optical
Deconstruction of Fully Assembled Biological Systems and Finding Your Inner Fish. In addition
pupils selected from some 100+ themed symposia with multiple talks on topical
themes including Neutrinos to Exoplanets, Cannabis and Medicine via
Chronic Pain, Industrial Chemistry
to Neuroimaging: The Study of Human Brain
Function, Privacy and the Internet of
Things to the Communication of
Science, Modelling Biospheres to Sustainability and New Agriculture.
School
Undermaster, Physics teacher and Trip organiser, Anthony Burrows commented, “All the pupils found something of
significant interest and took full advantage of the interesting range of talks
and workshops on careers in Science. Their
enthusiasm for the science was most rewarding.”
After
the five day conference the group moved around Silicon Valley and their
programme included a visit to Google, a bus tour of San Francisco, visits to
the award winning Alcatraz, Berkeley University, the Giant Redwoods at Muir
Woods, viewing the contrasting geology either side of the San Andreas fault.
Pupil,
Hugh Tomkins (17) commented, “The trip really broadened my horizons beyond the taught
curriculum. Despite currently studying for engineering, it gave me the chance
to engage with neuroscience, biochemistry, and geography. It was without a
doubt a collection of the most interesting academic talks I have ever
attended.”
In
early April, building works are due to commence on the final development phase
of Oundle School’s SciTec Campus, an award-winning
and innovative science complex, opened in 2007. This second and final
phase, incorporating both a brand new Mathematics department and a significant
refurbishment of the Patrick Engineering Centre, will link Science,
Mathematics, Design, Technology and Engineering both physically and
philosophically.
About Oundle School’s new SciTec Campus
Since the days of the celebrated Headmaster F. W. Sanderson,
arguably the greatest educationalist of his age, Oundle has been recognised as one of the foremost
schools for science and engineering in the country. In 2007, SciTec, a major
and ground-breaking new science complex, opened, housing 16 state-of-the-art
laboratories. Oundle is now undertaking a large SciTec Campus development project
which will see a new Mathematics department built adjacent to
SciTec as well as a significant upgrade to the Design and Technology department
within the Patrick Engineering Centre.
Due for completion by September 2016, this development
will position Oundle at the heart of applying science and embrace developments
in new fields such as nanotechnology and mechatronics. It will enable
pupils to move
seamlessly from theory to practice and from pure science to the achievement of
a workable technology. All STEM
disciplines will be united both philosophically and physically, enabling pupils
to understand fully how all the different stages interact.
The current Patrick Centre will be extended
and exhaustively refurbished, re-launching as the Patrick Engineering Centre.
The current ‘large projects’ space for which Oundle is famous will be retained
but relocated, and a design laboratory for prototyping and design work will be
created, acoustically segregated from the practical facilities. A ‘clean
laboratory’ will be provided adjacent to the design laboratory, enabling
high-tech processes such as 3D printing and robotics to be deployed. In
addition to the large projects space, there will be four open-plan workshop
bays that will enable pupils to be taught in small groups whilst sharing fixed
machinery, as well as two new dedicated classrooms for design and theory that
will be easily accessible from the workshops.
The new Mathematics department will form the
major part of an extension to the current SciTec building, which was envisaged
as a future development of the original design. It will thereby complete the
original architectural aspiration of a grand entrance to the whole SciTec
Campus. An internal quadrangle will be created, giving equal status to all disciplines
as well as a proper regard to the newly-refurbished Adamson Centre opposite,
encouraging an interplay between Modern Languages and SciTec.
The extension will also provide two new
science project rooms adjacent to the current Biology and Chemistry
laboratories, enabling experiments and projects to be carried out over a longer
time-frame than is currently possible. This will bring particular benefits for
pupils working on Extended Project Qualifications (EPQs).
The School offers two Scholarships for Design and Technology,
one at 13+ and one at 16+. Entry forms and further details are available on the
admissions section of the School website: www.oundleschool.org.uk.
Background
Information on Oundle School
Oundle
School is situated in the quintessentially English market town of Oundle, about
90 miles north of London. The School’s buildings, dating from the 17th to the
21st centuries, are dispersed throughout the town, which is, to a large extent,
its campus.
The School’s history dates back
to 1556, when Sir William Laxton, Master of the Worshipful Company of Grocers
and Lord Mayor of London, endowed and re-founded the original Oundle Grammar
School, of which he was a former pupil. In 1876, the Grocer’s Company divided
the School into two parts; Laxton Grammar School, primarily for the inhabitants
of the town, and Oundle School, primarily for pupils from further afield. In
2000, the Grocers’ Company reunited the two schools under the common name of Oundle
School and retained the name of Laxton for the day House.
At the beginning of the 20th
century, Oundle was put firmly on the map of leading English public schools by
its most famous headmaster, F W Sanderson, who established Oundle’s reputation
as one of the great science and engineering schools, a reputation still
renowned today. In 2007, SciTec - a major and ground-breaking new science
complex - opened, housing 16 state-of-the-art laboratories. The School is now
embarking on a large SciTec Campus development project which will see a new Mathematics department constructed adjacent to SciTec as well
as a significant upgrade to the Design and Technology department within the
Patrick Engineering Centre. Due for completion in September 2016, the development
will unite Science, Mathematics, Design, Technology and Engineering both physically and philosophically,
enabling pupils to
move seamlessly from theory to practice and from pure science to the
achievement of a workable technology. A concurrent Sports Masterplan will
upgrade sporting facilities across the School over the next few years,
including a new 1st XI cricket pavilion due to open April 2015.
There are currently 1100 pupils
on roll at Oundle School, with 850 boarders and 250 day pupils. Also within the
Corporation of Oundle School is Laxton Junior School, a day School for children
aged 4 to 11.