Fabulous fun with forces.

This half term's topic for Year 6 is the excitingly titled  "What goes up!". Pupils have been getting to grips with all the different types of forces we encounter in everyday life- gravity, friction, air resistance and up thrust to name but a few in their science lessons. However at Newport we like to make learning active and fun so what better way than a visit to Chessington World of Adventure.

During the visit, all the pupils participated in an interactive workshop on forces held in the Education Centre. The importance of forces in the design of a thrilling ride were highlighted using the actual rides in the park. Throughout the morning, pupils  participated in quizzes, carried out experiments and learnt about other types of forces such as centripetal which keeps the water in a beaker when you spin it at high speed!
After lunch pupils were split into small groups to explore the rides that were appropriate to their height. It was an afternoon of firsts for many, including the staff, not just having their first ride at an adventure park but also overcoming their fears. Encouraged by their fellow pupils, in a very kind and caring way, many of Newport's pupils found they actually enjoyed rides that they might not had had the courage to go on alone. Mrs Wiseman's group loved the  Bubble Works ride so much they had four goes on it during the day! Vampire, Kobra and Dragon's fury were sampled by our more confident thrill seekers including Mrs Fry however Scorpion Express was a favourite with Mrs Fieldgate's group. Some  pupils also  managed to visit the Sea Life centre with fish of all shapes and sizes including stingrays and sharks.