Home science challenge highlights Ashville Prep School pupil’s devotion to subject

Posted: 26th January 2023

A budding scientist from Harrogate’s Ashville Prep School has ‘flown the flag for women in science’ by independently carrying out 20 home science experiments.

Jessica Essen, aged 8, who is a member of the School’s Gifted and Talented programme, earned the admiration of her class teacher Miss Sawyer, the school’s Science lead, and the Head Teacher Award for inspiring others to pursue Science and other STEM subjects, and have fun in the process.

One of Jessica’s experiments was to look at a non-Newtonian fluid, which is a fluid that does not follow Newton’s law of viscosity, in that viscosity can increase in liquidity or solidity when under force. Jessica experimented with cornflour and water.

She harnessed the features of the School’s interactive parent communication app, Seesaw, to share her activities with Miss Sawyer.

Jessica, who is in Year 3, said: “Science is my favourite subject, and the experiments I did were really fun. I did a different experiment each day and I have learned a lot of amazing things from them.”

Asa Firth, Head of Ashville Prep School, said: “We are really proud of Jessica who has a love of Science and Maths, and is on our Gifted and Talented programme.

“Performing and completing 20 science experiments at home is the reason why she was presented with the Head Teacher Award. All of the experiments were uploaded to the school’s Seesaw app for her class teacher to see and comment on.

“Jessica is being mentored by both her mother and Miss Sawyer, and even at this young age she is flying the flag for women in science. At the age of eight she has her sights set on becoming a scientist, and I have no doubts in her ability in achieving this career goal.”

Categories: Ashville Prep School School News