Latest News

Teenagers are reaching for the stars when it comes to their extra-curricular activities.

Year 9 students at Epping St John’s School have signed up for the latest after-school club which will see them achieve a GCSE qualification in astronomy.

The weekly club will focus on space, night and day, plants and how they adapt to the seasons, as well as teaching students how to plot the paths of stars and how to tell the difference between stars and planets.

Sonia Ahmed, director of science, said: “Each week, we will be getting the telescopes out and as we get nearer to December, we will be able to see stars and planets with them. We will teach students top tips such as if it’s twinkling, it’s a star and if you stare at it and it becomes a solid light then it is a planet.

“The club will stretch the top level students and if they are looking to do jobs in space, this will be amazing for them. It is quite an advanced level, with lots of maths involved. The club will help students with both their maths and physics studies.”

The club is looking to take students on trips to the London Planetarium and Greenwich Museum and to use facilities at fellow BMAT school BMAT STEM Academy, in Harlow.

Stephen Hehir, executive head, said: “It is so important that students get opportunities to experience enrichment activities outside of their normal curriculum, particularly related to the theme of science as it will hopefully inspire future generations to love this wonderful subject.”