Students win Gold Crest Award
Four students at a sixth form college in Bradford were celebrating a memorable summer of science earlier this month after being awarded the prestigious British Science Association’s Gold Crest Award.
Over the summer, courtesy of the Nuffield Foundation, students from Grange Technology College spent four weeks on work placement, working with senior scientists, engineers and researchers in top Universities across the region.
The students gave up holidays, or changed their holiday plans, in favour of work placements supporting research projects investigating areas including the effect of aircraft design on passenger comfort, the effect of hair dye on hair and innovations in forensic science through the use of ear prints to link criminals to burglary.
The students involved were Hafsah Khan, Mohammed Tayyab Khan, Sibtal Shah and Abdul Baasit Tahir who all displayed their reports at an event at the University of Bradford, where they were also questioned by attendees.
Grange student and Head Boy Sibtul Shah, who was placed at the University of Huddersfield, said the placement had proven to be: “A great opportunity to gain experience in a professional environment and to learn about an area of science which I knew very little about.”
He continued: “Hard work and dedication are two fundamentals that lead to success but without experience you are limited.
“Working in the Surface Metallurgy department at the University of Huddersfield was really interesting and enabled me to use and learn about new scientific equipment and methods.
“Most importantly, the experience has helped me develop skills which will prepare me for university such as research and report writing techniques.”
Anne Dubickas, Head of Science at Grange Technology college added her praises for all the students involved.
“They have put in a great deal of work and completed their placements in such exemplary fashion,” Ms Dubickas said. “They all enjoyed the challenge and worked hard throughout to complete their Gold Crest awards.
“Hopefully they have learned more about the subjects and about what they would like to do in the future. They are all a credit to themselves and the school and we are delighted that to be able to offer another four placements in 2015.”
