Winning schools announced

WOW! So many facts and figures, presented in a fascinating way. Insects forever! (David Bellamy OBE)

The winners of this year’s Great Bug Hunt competition have been announced! The competition, organised by the Association for Science Education and the Royal Entomological Society, takes science learning out of the classroom and brings it to life outdoors. 

The winning entries were judged during National Insect Week 2016 by Dr Luke Tilley from the RES and Rebecca Dixon-Watmough from the ASE on 28th June.

David Bellamy smiling talking to children about an insect he is holding.
David Bellamy and some children on a bug hunt. © Butterfly World

Children had spent their time exploring habitats before recording their observations and researching the insects. Photos, pictures, poems, graphs, and songs were all used to creatively show off the little things that run the world, insects.

The Great Bug Hunt competition is a brilliant way of bringing science to life for children and shows you can go on a journey of discovery in your own backyard. Not only does the competition do a great job of capturing children’s imagination, it also fits in well with the science curriculum. Using the natural environment when teaching is an important part of science education and something the ASE strongly advocates through its Outdoor Science Working Group 

Marianne Cutler, ASE Professional Development (Projects) Lead

First prize of a school ‘insect day’ from the RES went to Year 4 at Wickham Market Primary School in Wickham Market, Suffolk.

The winners from each age prize category were:

Years 1 and 2 – St James CofE, Weybridge, Surrey
Years 3 and 4 – Swaffield Primary School, Wandsworth, London
Years 5 and 6 – Manor Farm Junior School, Hazlemere, Buckinghamshire

The prizewinning day will take place in October 2016, and the three other winning schools will receive certificates and insect goodies.