MAKING rockets to launch across the classroom, solving a murder, programming Lego robots and building bridges out of newspaper were the fun tasks set as an induction to secondary school life for more than 130 girls.
Swapping their primary classrooms for the labs at Chelmer Valley High School, the girls, aged nine and 10, from nine different schools, spent a day taking part in science and engineering experiments.
"This is really cool and exciting," said Samantha Stacey, 10, from Great Waltham Primary School.
Chelmer Valley has been holding these girls-only engineering days for its feeder primary schools for about seven years.
Its director of engineering Suzanne Mycock explained: "The aim is to show young girls that engineering and science are not macho subjects. They require skills such as creativity, team working and problem-solving, all of which many girls have a natural ability for. Since we have started promoting these subjects to girls we have seen a much bigger intake in the subject by females at GCSE and A-level."
Dressed in a NASA spacesuit, physics teacher James Hannan swills a water cooler bottle with alcohol, then lights a touch paper and sends it flying across the room. Highly impressed, the girls then create their own rockets from plastic bottles.
Emma Pass, 10, from Ford End Primary School, said: "It's brilliant. I never realised science could be so much fun."
Emma is working with Eloise Barron, 10, from Boreham Primary School, who said: "It's nice to meet different people and make new friends."
In another room girls are using newspaper to make a bridge which will support weights of between four and five kilograms. They are aided by representatives from Chelmsford-based E2V.
Chris Hawkins, apprentice manager at the company, said: "They're doing really well. The first group came up with some fantastic designs, which were really strong and could hold a heavy weight."
Katie Mitson, 10, from Great Waltham, said: "I'm really enjoying it today."
In the technology rooms the girls are using simple programming to make a Lego robot move around a straight line course.
They test the robots and have to tweak the programs until they are successful. Sue Anderson, head of technology, explains the task and then sits back and allows the girls to get on with it.
"They all rise to the challenge," she said.
"They quickly learn the task is about problem-solving decision-making, cooperation. They're totally focused."
Upstairs in a biology lab the fourth and final task is taking place
Ten-year-old Nyah Law, 10 of Little Waltham Primary School explains: "This is a CSI investigation. There has been a murder and there are three suspects. We had to use chemicals to find the DNA of the guilty person.
"I liked science before I came here today but now I think it's even more fun."
The primary schools involved in the day were: Great Waltham Primary, Little Waltham, Broomfield, Boreham, Newlands Spring, Ford End Great Leighs, St Pius and Melbourne Park.
