DEEP thinking pupils have been tackling a host of global issues, from saving the planet to the future of farming, as part of their final projects in primary education.
Year 6 pupils from Barnard Castle Preparatory School presented their findings to their headmistress Laura Turner.
Months in the making and the culmination of their time at Prep School, the work was an integral part of the school’s Achievement Award, an invaluable alternative to SATs.
Mrs Turner said: “Every year I am astounded by the depth and diversity of pupils’ projects. The children absolutely love the research and are oozing in confidence and knowledge when they present so passionately about their chosen field.
“We feel at Prep School there is true worth and value in setting our children these challenges which help them develop a host of skills for life, including working independently, creatively and confidently, without the unnecessary stress and anxiety that examinations provoke.”
For 10-year-old Megan Sunley, of Richmond, the experience has already helped her decide her future on the farm. She said: “I looked at how farming has changed over the past 80 years and now know that I want to be a farmer when I grow up.
“I was amazed to see how farm machinery has grown in size over the years, increasing in efficiency, and how prices have gone up a lot. We use different fertilisers now that are better for the environment and raise different animals, such as alpacas.”
Jack Baptist, 11, of Barnard Castle, studied the Royal Navy through the 1800s. “It was really exciting and I didn’t realise that the men would receive 200 lashes for ill-discipline. If that happened today it would certainly make you get your homework done on time.”
Clara Tudor, 11, of Bishop Auckland, studied women in sport. “I play rugby and cricket, which some people think are for boys, but I really enjoy them. So I did a questionnaire to find out what other people think.”
Zak Worthington, 11, of Newsham, made a model of a spacestation as part of his examination of whether mankind’s future lies in outer space. “It was such fun doing the research. I would love to go into space and I think we have a number of options including living on Titan, Saturn’s largest moon.”
Edith Parkington, 10, of Middleton Tyas, looked at how women’s swimwear has changed over the decades, from the long woollen costumes of Victorian times to today’s hi-tech nylons and polyesters.
Emma van der Merwe, 10, of Barnard Castle, considered whether farm, domesticated and wild animals would survive without human beings, while Faith Wrightson, 11, of Eryholme, examined how we could use nature to save the planet, making a bug hotel and a seed bomb to support her argument. She also wrote to Strictly Come Dancing winner Hamza Ahmed Yassin, who is a British wildlife cameraman, receiving a supportive reply from his assistant.
Barnaby Tiplady, 11, of Boldron, fashioned a race car from an old bike, lawnmower and plough, painting it in racing green, as he considered how fast a human could travel in go-kart. “I think it came out pretty well and was fast because the wheels were good – and it didn’t have any brakes,” he said.