POTENTIAL scientists of the future took part in an activity-packed week dedicated to developing their interest in the subject and raising aspirations.

Pupils at County Upper School, Horringer Court Middle School and Westley Middle School in Bury St Edmunds and Barrow CEVC Primary School took part in a range of activities for National Science and Engineering Week.

As part of the week, which involved all the schools in the Bury St Edmunds Academy Trust, County Upper School hosted a two-day visit from students of Takamatsu Dia-ichi Senior High School, one of five specialist science colleges in Japan, and all four schools had a maths problem-solving morning.

Alison Earl, headteacher at the Barrow school, said: “The aim of the science week was to develop children’s interest in science and raise aspirations for their future learning.

“It was an exciting time with a range of activities taking place within school and with the schools of the Bury St Edmunds Academy Trust.”

The week had included a visit to the school by scientists from NAPP, a pharmaceuticals company in Cambridge.

She added: “The highlight of the week was sharing the learning at the science fair when there was a display of work from the week – projects that parents and children had completed together and interactive experiments that were enjoyed by both adults and children.”

Vicky Neale, headteacher of County Upper School, said it had been “an honour” for their school to have been chosen by the Japanese science college.

“They enjoyed doing the science together, but it was quite obvious there was a cultural benefit as well,” she said.