Scientists in Residence: STEAM Week at Kensington Wade

During an exciting STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) Week at Kensington Wade, students had the privilege of learning from Philip Leung. Philip is a PhD researcher at Imperial College London (Surgery and Cancer Department). The overarching aim of his research is to apply innovative breath analysis techniques for digestive tract cancer diagnosis. Early cancer detection through breath testing has the potential to reduce cancer-associated mortality significantly. Apart from research at Imperial, Philip lectures undergraduate medical and biomedical students, manages STEAM outreach programmes, and holds a University-level teaching qualification (Advance HE Fellowship).

Philip conducted dynamic workshops tailored for different age groups:

• Nursery to Reception (Early Years): The youngest students collaborated to construct a sand timer, fine-tuning hole sizes and sand quantities to achieve specific time durations. This hands-on activity encouraged teamwork and introduced basic engineering principles in a playful manner.
• Year 1 to Year 4 (Key Stage 1-2): The older students’ project was to create water filters designed to purify muddy water. Guided by Mr Leung, they explored filtration methods and environmental science.

Our second scientist in residence was Mr Weinhammer.

Mr. Weinhammer, hailing from the Chicago area, pursued Chemical Engineering at university. Starting his career as a design engineer, he developed technologies aimed at reducing contaminants in everyday fuels to enhance environmental friendliness. Currently, as a Risk Engineer, he specialises in operational safety evaluations for customer technologies, providing coaching to improve process risks and overall safety. Mr. Weinhammer finds great joy in teaching and looks forward to continuing this passion with Kensington Wade.

During the workshop, the children engaged in hands-on activities exploring forces, from opening doors to racing Lego cars, under the guidance of our brilliant parent-science instructor, Mr Weinhammer. They delved into concepts like gravity, friction, and air resistance, gaining a deeper understanding of how these forces shape our world and fostering curiosity about the wonders of physics.

The presence of scientists in residence like Mr Leung and Mr Weinhammer during STEAM Week inspired a new generation of scientists and engineers at Kensington Wade. We eagerly encourage collaborations to further enrich our STEAM curriculum. If you are a parent or supporter of our school who can offer your expertise, do get in touch with Chen Laoshi via the school office.