Southwest science!
Pupils shine at their physics Olympics and science festival.
Published: 28 April 2025
Falmouth Primary Academy, lead school for the Ogden Falmouth Partnership, was buzzing with excitement as students from nine schools across the Kernow Learning Trust came together to compete in their highly anticipated Physics Olympics Competition 2025.
“The event was a thrilling showcase of creativity, teamwork, and scientific problem-solving, as pupils battled it out to claim the prestigious title of Physics Olympics Champions,” explains Emma Shipton, EYFS and Science and Partnership lead at partnership school St Agnes Academy
Throughout the day, students took on a series of exciting STEM challenges designed to test their engineering skills and understanding of physics principles. Each challenge pushed the young scientists to think critically and work collaboratively, from constructing the strongest tin foil boat to support the most weight to building the tallest spaghetti tower capable of holding a marshmallow. The competition also featured high-speed action, with teams designing the fastest balloon rocket and the furthest-flying straw rocket—a real test of aerodynamics!
“Every team demonstrated perseverance, innovation, and outstanding teamwork, proudly representing their schools,” says Emma. “After an intense day of competition, it was Wendron School that emerged victorious, earning the coveted title of Physics Olympics Champions 2025.
“Congratulations to all the participants for their hard work and enthusiasm,” adds Emma. “Who knows, we may have just witnessed the future engineers and scientists of tomorrow!”
Falmouth Physics Olympics
A fantastic group of girls from the Learning First Alliance Ogden cluster represented their schools at the Dorchester Family Science Festival, wowing visitors with demonstrations of balloon hovercrafts, catapults and a fascinating droplets on a coin experiment. Their confidence in explaining scientific concepts and engaging with hundreds of visitors was truly inspiring. Encouraging girls to develop a love for physics is something we are passionate about, and it was fantastic to see them take on this challenge with such enthusiasm. They were wonderful ambassadors for our schools and the subject.
Becci Thorpe
Partnership co-ordinator, Science and DT lead, Year 3 Class Teacher
The Prince of Wales First School