This page was last amended on 8th February, 2008

We're in the News!

The following article from the Spring 2008 edition of "Science Update" was published with the permission of Specialist Schools and Academies Trust.

King Charles I School (KCI) in Kidderminster has offered GCSE Astronomy evening classes since 2004, and the course has made a significant contribution to the community element of the school's specialist science college work. Chris Hardy, Physics Area Manager and astronomy teacher at KCI, reports.

The astronomy course has attracted a wide variety of students from children as young as 10 to their grandparents. All have successfully completed the course and achieved GCSE grades.

A main objective for running the course was to encourage local community members to visit the school and work alongside students, and this has been very successful. Indeed, adult members of the first student cohort were so enthused they went on to form the Carolian Astronomy Society, which meets monthly at KCI School and runs alongside the GCSE Astronomy course, occasionally joining forces and sharing visiting speakers.

Making the course enjoyable has been a high priority. The course broadly follows the Edexcel GCSE Astronomy specifications, but is never restricted by them. Students have visited the Spaceguard Centre and Birmingham University Astronomy Society open lectures. Visiting speakers have given talks on a range of related subjects, and students have worked on astronomical image processing using the National Schools Observatory website. The school is currently looking to develop the use of the Faulkes telescope with the support of members of the Carolian Astronomy Society.

80 students have now followed the course, with some choosing to follow it for interest alone and not take the GCSE examination. Those who have taken the examination have achieved excellent results, with 92% grade C or above and 35% of students achieving A* grades.

Another notable success of the course has been in the area of family learning: results have shown that families can have great fun exploring a common interest and learning about astronomy together. Astronomy coursework can involve observing and learning about the night sky and this can be much more fun with a friend or family member.

During the first year of the course the group contained a high proportion of adult students but the make up of the group has gradually become students from KCI, with a smaller number of adults and external students.

27th January, 2008

Visit to Jodrell Bank

A coach-load of Members of the Association visited the Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire on 27th January for a behind the scenes tour of the site, something not normally available to the general public. Dr Ian Morrison of the University of Manchester was our guide and we thank him for an informative and enjoyable time. We also thank our members Bob Cole and Debra Huzzard for organising it.

Here are some of the photographs taken by our members:

First sight! Photo: Chris Ashman

Behind the scenes. Photo: Carole Worthington

Control Room. Photo: Chris Ashman

What's this? Photo: Carole Worthington

Mk 1 Telescope. Photo: Chris Ashman

Mk 1 up close. Photo: Chris Ashman

Mk 2 Telescope. Photo: Chris Ashman

Sunset - time to go home! Photo: Carole Worthington