Science Week 2026

MSSW 2026 Concludes with a fantastic Final Day

After months of planning and an exciting day of activities, MSSW came to a successful close with our highly anticipated Final Day celebration.

Through the day, children had the opportunity to take part in a wide range of STEM focused activities designed to inspire creativity, encourage teamwork and showcase innovation. Our exhibitors were extremely busy over the morning, we thank all of you for your time so generously donated free of charge.

Our exhibitors:

• Burgess Hill Academy – Explore engineering and technology through an interactive car display and hands-on 3D printing demonstrations.
• BSE|3D – Build your own LED torch using just four simple components and discover the basics of electrical circuits.
• West Sussex County Council Recycling Team – Learn about effective recycling practices and discover how everyday waste materials can be transformed into new products.
• STEM Innovation – Meet and interact with an advanced robotic dog while exploring the exciting world of robotics and automation.
• OnyxGeo – Investigate the factors that influence crystal growth and examine how different conditions affect their structure and properties.
• Broadcast Bionics – Gain an insight into broadcasting by learning how to create and run your own radio station.
• Artemis Marketing – Discover the fundamentals of website design and how social media can be used to engage audiences and promote businesses.
• Edwards Vacuum – Witness the fascinating effects of a vacuum on everyday objects, including what happens to a marshmallow when the air is removed.
• Comply Sense – Experience immersive virtual reality technology through a hands-on firefighting simulation.
• Gatwick Airport – Put your practical skills to the test by removing and installing an airfield landing light against the clock.
• KGN Pillinger – Challenge your precision and concentration by navigating the London Skyline wire maze without triggering the buzzer.

The highlight is always the schools presenting their projects to our judges and to compete for this year’s prizes. The standard of work produced was again exceptional making the judging process incredibly difficult.

Congratulations to our 1st Place winner:

Our congratulations to St. Lawrence who have won this for the second year in a row and receive a most rewording prize of a visit to the STEM Centre at Gatwick Airport and a selection of books from The STEMHub in Canterbury.

Message from St. Lawrence School –

‘The Mid Sussex Science Fair provided a fantastic opportunity for children to think and work like scientists, engaging in a hands-on project that developed their collaboration, critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Working alongside our STEM Ambassador, Simon, whose enthusiasm, expertise and encouragement inspired the pupils throughout, the children carried out an investigation into voltage and ‘edible’ batteries.

The children’s curiosity, thoughtful questions and sustained enthusiasm-both in and beyond the classroom-demonstrated the impact of the project. While 12 pupils represented the school at the fair, the entire Year 5 cohort was involved throughout the process, sharing in the learning and discovery.

As a result of this experience, many children have begun to see themselves pursuing future careers in STEM and have developed a greater appreciation of the real-world applications of Science and the possibilities of future scientific innovation. Above all, the project showed them how curiosity can lead to meaningful discoveries and gave them first-hand experience of the excitement and satisfaction of scientific investigation.’

Message from their STEM Ambassador, Simon Daniels, Founder S&T Controls:

“It was a real privilege to be part of Mid Sussex Science Week and to work with the pupils at St Lawrence CE Primary School. Seeing their enthusiasm, creativity and problem-solving skills in action was brilliant. At S&T Controls, engineering is all about finding practical solutions, so being able to share that mindset with the next generation was something I was proud to do. To see them go on to win the final made it even more rewarding.”

2nd Place Project:

3rd Place Project:

Presentation Prize – Harlands Primary, Haywards Heath and STEM Ambassador Isobel Holloway of Wakehurst Place

Thank you to Gatwick Airport and KGN Pillinger for on-the-spot prizes on the day.

• Gatwick Airport kindly gave an engraved airport landing light and presented this to the student who could remove and reinstall the light in the fastest time. 
• KGN Pillinger brought along their London Skyline Buzzer game, unfortunately no one managed to get all the way to the end without buzzing, however a £20 book token along with an engineers book was presented to the student with the fewest buzzes in the shortest time.

Best Quote of the day – “I’ve had a cool time and enjoyed the whole day”

Feedback from Ambassadors:

University of Sussex – ‘Thank you for arranging all this. I had a really interesting week, everything was extremely well organised and everyone was very friendly and supportive.’

Following the prize presentation, which this year was led by Phil Todd of BSE|3D and chair of MSSW and Richard Cox of BHBPA, we were delighted to welcome back one of our long-standing supporters, Mims Davies MP. We were also privileged to hear from Ruby Wood, a Graduate Engineer at Gatwick Airport, who shared her personal journey into engineering. Her experiences provided an inspiring insight into the opportunities available within STEM careers and were greatly appreciated by both students and staff.

To round off the day, our ever-popular science show was presented by Ian Dunne from Do Science. As always, his engaging demonstrations, enthusiasm and sense of humour captivated the audience, ensuring the event concluded on a high note with plenty of laughter and excitement.

We look forward to returning in 2027. Be sure to follow our website for the latest updates, announcements and event information as plans for next year’s event develop.

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Report from the onboarding meeting 8th May

BSE|3D were delighted to host the onboarding event for the Mid Sussex Science Week last week, bringing together schools and STEM Ambassadors ahead of what promises to be another inspiring week.

Firstly a little background provided by Philip Todd. The event was created to strengthen the connection between education and industry, giving young people greater exposure to careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, while supporting schools with meaningful industry engagement. Through his work with the Learning Trust, it was identified that whilst secondary schools were actively promoting STEM opportunities, there was still something missing at primary school level in particular in encouraging and inspiring young girls to engage with STEM subjects from an early age. A key part of the event  focused on the importance of collaboration and the positive impact businesses can have in shaping future talent pipelines.

Richard Cox from BHBPA spoke about how the association became involved with MSSW and how he helped to play a vital role with helping organise STEM Ambassadors. How he himself is also a STEM Ambassador and how much is gained from a business perspective and it’s value within the local area to support such an amazing event and how rich in industry and what is offered locally.

We also heard from Sarah Cook from OnyxGeo, who shared what it means to be a STEM Ambassador and gave attendees an overview of the innovative work undertaken by the business. It was fantastic to hear first-hand how industry professionals can inspire the next generation by bringing their experiences directly into schools.

The afternoon concluded with schools and ambassadors being paired together, providing an excellent opportunity to exchange contact details and begin planning activities and engagement for the upcoming programme.

Thank you to everyone who attended and continues to support the future of STEM education and careers. We look forward to seeing the partnerships develop over the coming months.

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We’re taking a break over the summer and will be back at the start of the academic year.

In the meantime ‘Save the Date’…

Monday 15th – Friday 19th June 2026

If you’d like to know more, or be involved next year please get in touch using our online form or emailing secretary@midsussexscience.org