Springwood students go above and beyond in search of knowledge

A group of Year 10 students at a high school in King's Lynn have had a chance to show how far they have chosen to take their studies beyond the bounds of the curriculum after presenting their higher projects to staff and school governors. 

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​The scheme, which is a Level 2 qualification, has been taken up by students at Springwood High, giving them an opportunity to pursue a research project on a topic of their choosing which is not covered by their other academic subjects.

Teachers made the opportunity available to the top 10 percent of the year, and they had to submit a written application, explaining what they wanted to investigate and why. 

“This is the first year that we have run the project at Springwood and we’re hugely impressed by what the students came up with,” said Ben Coote, maths teacher.  

“It can be inspired by something they’ve studied in class and want to explore further, or something totally unrelated that has caught their imagination, as you can see by the wide range of topics presented.” 

The five projects that made it all the way through to the presentation stage were: How to create an experimental film, How has photoshop changed the way we see reality and the effects on society; To what extent do sounds affect foetal and postnatal brain stimulation and development; Should the UK voting age be changed and How significant is the role of sleep on the nervous system. 

“It was a really imaginative and wide-spread range of topics, which gave them real potential for researching and furthering their knowledge, as well as developing presentation skills,” he added. 

Springwood is part of the West Norfolk Academies Trust, which runs 11 schools across the borough, and this year’s Springwood crop has been such a success that plans are afoot to roll it out across other secondary schools within the Trust. 

“Lockdown has made everything that bit more challenging recently, which makes their finished results all the more impressive,” added Mr Coote.  

“The students have shown real determination and passion for their subjects, even when normal schooling wasn’t happening, and they thoroughly deserve the qualifications and praise that they have earned.”