Harry Potter Biology Day

A day for budding young biologists (and Harry Potter fans!) to take part in a day of fun, themed biology activities.

Aims

The aim was to provide meaningful Biology investigations, the opportunity to use physics in a fun and meaningful way.  
 
The day was designed to develop problem-solving, team-work and listening skills, as well as introducing a competitive element to the experience. We were very keen to show how science can be used in exciting and relatable scenarios. 
 
For the event to be a success, we needed pupils to attend from a range of schools across the Nottingham area.  
 
Pupils and staff from five schools participated in the competition.  

Background

Nottingham High School hosts an annual programme of STEM outreach events, run by our science departments. Part of the schools’ ethos is to share its facilities and STEM opportunities with other schools in the local community. The school’s Physics Challenge Day has been running annually since 2018 (aside from two years exempted by COVID-19).  

Resources

For this project to succeed, we needed free access to the school’s biology and design & technology classrooms, as well as four members of teaching staff from the Science department to support the children on the day.  
 
One design and technology teacher and two technicians managed the wand-making activity with the children.  
 
Resources for the day’s activities were provided by the school, including owl pellets for dissection, materials for wand-making and supplies for the ‘dragon’s blood’ investigation.   
 
The schools’ head of admissions and partnership oversaw invitations and bookings for the event.  
 
The catering staff provided refreshments and lunch free of charge for visiting children and school staff.  
 
The event itself ran for 4.5 hours, with approximately three days of preparation time.

Impact

"Our children really enjoyed all the activities. They were wowed by the owl pellets and talked about them all the way home! As the teacher, I was really impressed with their teamwork in the labs." 
English Martyrs' Catholic Voluntary Academy
 
After each event, visiting teachers complete a survey to summarise what their pupils learned and enjoyed about the competition, along with any suggestions for improvement.

Pupil Involvement

20 girls and boys aged 9-10 from five local state primary schools, and five members of staff.

Frequency

The Harry Potter Biology Day runs annually.