By Gen P, Year 12

Last Saturday saw the launch of this year’s BUDS Programme for 2023. BUDS is our Saturday enrichment programme working with primary schools in Ealing. The BUDS programme is aimed at Building Understanding, Developing Skills in Gifted and Talented Year 5 pupils from local primary schools. With a focus on Science, English, Maths and Creative Thinking, pupils will learn the soft skills required to be able to think creatively, solve problems, and express their own ideas.

The Year 5 pupils from Stanhope School, St Gregory’s Catholic Primary School, Montpelier Primary School, Selborne Primary School, North Ealing Primary School and Hobbayne School tackled three different challenges. In the art studio Miss Cagnino led a session on creative thinking around creating street scapes, while over in the science labs Ms Brown had the pupils making Harry Potter potions. They made a Stupefying Lamp to entrance an Acromantula (making a lava lamp) and assembled (and then tried to disassemble) a potion called The Drought of Peace, explaining the physical, chemical (and magical!) processes involved.

Finally there was a logic and reasoning session myself and two other sixth formers, Charmy G and Abbi Y. In the maths session, they coped fabulously with some complex problems (such as the one below), working together in small groups to address three big challenges with lots of enthusiasm. I was really impressed with how quickly they picked up different problem-solving techniques and am looking forward to the next session with them in February.

Four friends held a competition to see who could eat the greatest amount of dessert in weight. So, they went to their favourite restaurant and ordered their favourite dessert in abundance and the battle commenced.

The results are recorded above. However, the friends ended up insensible after having crammed themselves with so much dessert so, although each item is in the correct column above, only one item in each column is in the correct position

The following facts are true about the correct order:

1. Chuck is one place above ice cream.
2. Trifle is not above Delilah.
3. Greed is two places below Delilah.
4. Trifle is one place above Forager.

Can you give the correct first name, surname and dessert for each position?

Mr Henderson, Head of Partnerships, said he was delighted to welcome two new schools to the Partnership and show parents around the school so they were able to see their children in action. The next BUDS session will be running on 4th February and we are also looking forward to inviting everyone to the Royal Institution Community Science Show here at NHEHS in March.