Abstract
A Physics A-level student at Havering Sixth Form College recently received a prestigious medal for his coursework project on the advantages of fuzzy logic, one of the latest innovations in electronic control technology. James Sinclair was one of six finalists who presented reports on their coursework to two judges: the topics covered ranged from electronics and atomic physics to the history of the universe. His award was a Sir William Siemens medal and a £50 book token.
The Sir William Siemens medal programme has been promoted to schools close to the Siemens' locations in the UK, and with whom the company already has close contact. No more than 50 medals are awarded in any one year and candidates must be in the second year of an advanced course in physics or electronics. Medals are given in recognition of achievement in the research and analysis paper of the Nuffield Advanced Physics course, and constitute a means of raising the profile of science and technology amongst young people.
A national award for recognizing teaching excellence has been received by Paignton Community College for the second successive year. The Times Educational Supplement Schools of the Year award was made for the college's exceptionally thorough involvement with the Neighbourhood Engineers scheme. This scheme, under the auspices of the UK Engineering Council, links professional engineers and technicians in small teams to work with their local post-primary schools. Currently some 12000 volunteer engineers are providing practical support to 2000 schools.
Seventeen schools were selected as finalists for the 1996 award, and of these, three received distinguished commendations, with five being highly commended. Paignton College's prize was £1000 and a plaque to mark the event.
Inventive work from UK sixth-form technology students will form a major feature of the 1996 Design and Technology Education exhibition, which will take place at the National Exhibition Centre on 14 - 16 November. A trial display was mounted last year in cooperation with two GCSE examining boards, and received such an enthusiastic response that all examining boards were invited to participate in 1996. Some of the innovative and standard-setting work entered for A-level should give a representative display for the whole country, therefore, and it is hoped that this will again be well received by teachers visiting the show.