School News

St. Mary's duo win science research opportunities

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Two talented young scientists from St. Mary’s College have won the opportunity to take part in high-level research projects later this year.

Laura Harper from Crosby and Krishna Ramkalawon from Aintree have been awarded prestigious Nuffield science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) bursaries that will allow them to work alongside professional scientists at top research organisations during the long summer holiday.

The lower sixth formers competed against thousands of other applicants from across the North West to win the four-week placements and funding provided by the Nuffield Foundation.

As yet the duo have not been told exactly what they will be working on, but previous winners from St. Mary’s have been involved in topics as diverse as engineering and medical imaging projects and research into eye disease and cancer.

Laura is currently studying A-levels in Biology, Chemistry, Physics and History and is aiming for a career in medicine.

Krishna, meanwhile, is taking A-levels in Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Maths and wants to study either Physics or Chemistry at university.

Head of Science, Bob Johnston, commented: “We are very proud of Laura and Krishna’s success but not surprised considering their exceptional ability.

“They are following in the footsteps of previous Nuffield bursary winners from the school, all of whom have found their research projects incredibly interesting.

“This year’s successful students are a great prospect for the future and I look forward to reading the reports they produce on their projects when they return for the autumn term,” added Mr Johnston.

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St. Mary's students visit World War 1 battlefields

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Students from St. Mary’s College learned about life on the Western Front on a recent visit to the First World War battlefields of Belgium and France.

A party of 45 Year 9 and 10 pupils, and five staff members and parents, took part in the three-day history trip which began in sombre manner in the Flanders city of Ypres.

Here the group took part in the famous Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate memorial where two students - Edward Cunningham and Alice Matthews - laid a wreath on behalf of the school.

The second day was spent visiting the Somme battlefields over the border in northern France.

Memorable stops were made at the preserved trenches of Newfoundland Park, the massive mine crater at La Boisselle and the Thiepval memorial to those with no known grave.

The focus of the third day was back in Belgium at key sites linked to the third battle of Ypres.

They included the British field hospital site and cemetery at Essex Farm, where surgeon officer John McCrae was inspired to write his famous poem, In Flanders Fields.

The culmination of the trip was a visit to Tyne Cot, the largest British war cemetery in the world, where 10,000 soldiers of the Great War are buried.

Here each pupil laid a cross on an individual grave with the intention of carrying out further research on that person on their return to school.

There was then just time for a final stop to see the grave of Liverpool’s Noel Chavasse - the only man to be awarded the Victoria Cross twice in the First World War - before heading for the ferry and home.

St. Mary’s Head of History, Niall Rothnie, commented: “This was a very successful trip which really brought home to the students the horrors of ‘the war to end all wars’ and the bravery of the soldiers who fought in it.

“The emphasis throughout was on the human aspect of the conflict, highlighted by readings from the works of the war poets at a number of the important sites we visited.”

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