Springfield has taken part in the Scholars Programme, which offers a 'Brilliant Club' to extend pupils' awareness of university study. Sessions, which offer academic extension, are delivered by a PhD student. This term, the focus has been on 'Deadly Diseases'. Tutor Rory Ormiston is a practising doctor (trauma and orthopaedic registrar) but is also a PhD candidate, interested in machine learning and artificial intelligence in orthopaedics. In the sessions, the Year 8 pupils involved have been learning about what causes disease and also how doctors and public health bodies treat and prevent them. This week, pupils developed public speaking skills by giving short group presentations on 'What is Disease', How we can prevent the spread of diseases, vaccinations and malaria. They used their presentations to showcase what they had learned in the sessions and Rory provided positive feedback and also areas for development in public speaking. The group will now move on to a piece of extended writing on how a disease outbreak can be limited. These Year 8 students have been well-engaged with Rory's inspiring sessions.

Ms Burden, Lead for Aspiration and Enterprise