Reflections: Come Alive with Chemistry!

Since November 2024, Ignite have been working with chemists and researchers from the University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University to deliver the second year of our Come Alive with Chemistry!  to seven special schools in Nottingham/shire. The programme has just come to an end with over 100 students and 9 chemists involved and now it's time to reflect!

The Come Alive with Chemistry! programme champions SEND science engagement and inspired pupils to be passionate about chemistry through providing positive and practical learning experiences, and the chance to really see themselves as chemists/scientists. Each special school was paired up with a chemist who developed hands-on chemistry lessons, working collaboratively with school staff to understand the needs of the pupils and adapt their lessons to fit the individual setting. Many chemists had to consider new forms of communication such as symbols and gestures to work with their pupils and to present complex terms in an accessible way.

“I think the best part was that learning was occurring both ways. The pupils learnt science but I also had the opportunity to learn about the pupils and how best to engage with them.”  - Chemist

Come Alive with Chemistry! nurtured the enthusiasm that pupils attending special schools have for chemistry by not only providing an opportunity for them to engage with chemists but also for them to take the lead in presenting their work to their peers. Four of the seven schools involved attended our first ever Real Science in Schools Symposium SEND Day to showcase their learning and work with other special schools. It was amazing to see the joy and pride of the pupils there as they actively shared their experiments and investigations with other schools, chemists and the Ignite! team. It was a very colourful day full of lemon batteries, lava-lamps, chromatography, crystals, and of course, SLIME! Feedback from schools and chemists alike showed that the Real Science in School Symposium was the highlight of the programme with pupils continuing conversations about what they had learnt back at school too.

“Pupils have talked about their Science learning and also the things they tried at the Science fair. When we looked back at the photos this reignited discussions.” - Teacher

We would like to say a huge thank you to all the staff and students at Rose Hill, Oak Field, Bracken Hill, The Beech Academy, Newark Orchard, Carlton Digby and Foxwood Academy for taking part in this programme and for sharing their wonderful chemistry experiments with us.

A massive thank you also goes to Fiona Whittaker, Michelle Duong, Antonia Dase, Hristo Hristov, Evie Dunning, Julia Majumdar, Layla Meghjee, and Kara Beswick Davis for your commitment to this programme and all the chemistry expertise that you brought to the schools!

"I had an amazing time and it was even more rewarding than I had expected.” - Chemist

Come Alive with Chemistry! was delivered as part of Nottinghamshire Festival of Science and Curiosity 2025 and funded by the Royal Society of Chemistry.