On Wednesday 11 February 2026, pupils in Years 4, 5 and 6 attended a special assembly to celebrate the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. We were especially delighted to welcome Georgia Yiasoumi, cousin to Sophia (Yr6) and Valentina (Yr8), as our guest speaker. 

Georgia is currently completing her PhD at the John Innes Centre in Norwich, an international centre for excellence in plant science. Her research focuses on developing robust strains of wheat that can withstand the impacts of climate change, playing an important role in tackling food poverty. Georgia explained how her work takes place in a variety of settings and has given her opportunities to travel to different countries, providing pupils with insight into the diverse skills and experiences involved in modern scientific careers. 

The assembly beautifully complemented the inspiring Science curriculum across the Junior School. Year 6 pupils have been studying the life of Mary Anning, bringing her remarkable story to life through fact files and video dramatisations.  

Meanwhile, Years 4 and 5 have been creating presentations about Women in Science, which they will be sharing during Science Week and reflecting on why women are vital to scientific progress. As part of this reflection work, pupils spoke about fairness, equality and challenging stereotypes, with one pupil explaining that “science is not just for boys – girls like it too”, and another noting that “without women in science, many important discoveries would not have been made”. Another powerful comment captured the mood perfectly: women “are vital to the world of science and have always been. They’ve had to take massive risks, and without these risks many things wouldn’t exist.” 

The celebrations continued with an exciting Space Virtual Reality Workshop. Through an immersive VR experience, Years 4 and 5 journeyed beyond Earth to explore the Solar System, deepening their understanding of planets, space and our place in the universe. The experience brought their learning to life and sparked plenty of curiosity and thoughtful questions through cutting-edge VR technology. 

Together, these experiences enriched pupils’ scientific knowledge, introduced inspiring role models, and reinforced a clear message: science belongs to everyone.