Science in Action: Rockets, Rainbows & Eyeballs for Great Oaks Students

Great Oaks Small School, based in Ramsgate, Kent, provides a nurturing and creative environment for neurodiverse students, including those with autism, ADHD, anxiety, and other social or emotional needs. The school offers a therapeutic and individualised approach for learners who may not thrive in mainstream education.

Although the school did not receive an EngineeringUK bursary, the STEM Hub delivered a Big Bang at School experience to students in Years 7-11 on 11 June, showcasing the impact and opportunities the EngineeringUK programme can offer.

Around 30 students enthusiastically took part in many engaging science workshops. With the Canterbury Christ Church University health team, they explored the anatomy of the eye in a hands-on session called health, make your own eyeball. Students constructed eyeball models using pipe cleaners and materials matched to their own eye colour, while learning how muscles control movement, focus light, and send visual information to the brain.

They also enjoyed Taste the Rainbow with Pfizer, where they discovered how light creates a rainbow through refraction and learned about diffusion and finally they built and launched simple rockets with The STEM Hub team, applying their understanding of forces and motion in a dynamic and memorable steam experience.