Following in the spirit of the inspirational Professor Heinz Wolff, creator of the Great Egg Race television series, on Friday 24th June, over eighty Year 10 pupils at the College faced the challenge, set by the Physics Department, of sending a raw egg on a rocket trip…without breaking the egg.

Supplied with a water-powered rocket and sophisticated launching system (looking suspiciously like a bike pump), two eggs and an assortment of other potentially useful equipment, the fourteen and fifteen year olds, working in eight House teams, set about the task with genuine enthusiasm and a considerable amount of ingenuity. The winning team had to achieve the longest timed flight with the egg remaining intact on landing.

The girls of Young House emerged victorious with an impressive flight time of 3.97 seconds. An excellent Crumple Zone design (based on a selection of bubble wrap, foam, plastic cups and art straws) and low weight proved a successful combination for keeping the egg crack-free.

“It was a superb event and I was very impressed with the way the pupils tackled the project,” said Adrian Baker, Head of Physics. “We have been running The Great Egg Race for three years, setting a different challenge each time. Learning can, and should be, fun and Heinz Wolff is a great role-model for enthusing young people about science and technology.”

In the same spirit, an Interactive Science Centre will open at the College in the autumn, housing a giant Newton’s cradle, a tardis, magical mirrors, optical illusions and a host of other hands-on displays designed to intrigue and engage young minds.