Churcher’s College launches ‘The Schrödinger Programme’ – a STEAM learning initiative

Published by Churcher's College on Tuesday 18th of January 2022

Churcher’s College Science Faculty has launched a six-week programme to help inspire, encourage and develop skills for independent science projects which will provide a foundation to build upon in the Sixth Form.

A programme for Fifth Year students taking their first steps towards a successful application to a top university in a Science or Engineering degree.
Helping students develop their appreciation of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics) disciplines, beyond the GCSE curriculum.
Named after the Nobel Prize-winning Austrian physicist, Erwin Schrödinger, and open to all Fifth Years, it aims for the participants to learn the skills valuable for all Science disciplines, not just those planning to study Physics at A Level.

At the core of the programme is a five-week project chosen by the students, for example investigating the underlying physics behind earthquake resistant buildings or bike suspension. There are also opportunities to attend talks and take part in other enrichment activities to support and extend their GCSE Physics. Once the main project is complete, the group can still attend FizzSoc talks and will be invited to prepare for and take part in the BPhO intermediate Physics Olympiad in March 2022. Further follow up can take place at the start of the Sixth Form, with a view to engaging in a more substantial project.

“We are delighted with the successful start to ‘The Schrödinger Programme’ with almost 30 students choosing to participate in this extra-curricular club. The pupils have chosen an exciting range of investigations and it is clear that this opportunity to work in a small group over a six-week period is both appealing and manageable for pupils in this important GCSE year,” explains Dr Whittle, Physics Teacher at Churcher’s College. “The Physics Department are really looking forward to seeing the end results of the projects and developing ‘The Schrödinger Programme’ further.”