Bawdeswell Smarties

Dave Hart, Institute of Food Research and Denise Bristow, Bawdeswell Primary School

My new TSN partner, Dave Hart, a Research Scientist from the Institute of Food Research approached a school dinner table in the corner of the hall surrounded by pupils. They were gamely attempting science using various old bits and pieces liberated from a dusty drawer in the staff room.

Undaunted by this introduction, Dave Hart returned to work with a small group of bright pupils in years 3-6. ‘Dave the Dude’, dressed in motif laden T-shirt, baggy ‘cool’ trousers and the suggestion of a pigtail, formed an instant rapport with the pupils and dispelled any stereotypes of bespectacled, white-coated eccentric scientists.

The children chose to study the perception of taste and it’s link to colour. Initial research involved eating vast quantities of smarties. It was at this point that queues began to form to join the science group as first reserves.

The original group consisted of seven boys and girls from years 3-6. They designed a test using flavoured and coloured water and prepared to ‘experiment’ on the staff and pupils. The children were asked to identify the flavour of prepared and coded drinks. The flavours were strawberry, blackberry and tangerine but in usual and unusual colours. The children found that although the colour of the drink had a powerful influence on taste perceptions for some ßavours, for others it didn’t.

At the school fete, parents and visitors were also roped into the testing, (whilst Versatile Dave juggled and made animals from balloons!).

As the group worked alone with Dave an important feature was for them to explain to me and to the rest of the class what they had been doing and for them to present to us what they had found out. The enthusiasm and confidence displayed, particularly by the girls, was a reflection of Dave’s abilities to communicate his own expertise and knowledge at the children’s level. The group have now shared their knowledge of food flavourings and E-numbers with the class (beware of red Smarties!). We are now following up with the whole class in maths and science.

As the school’s Special Needs Co-ordinator it is rewarding for me to see able pupils working on complex projects and on one occasion to hear an eight year old girl questioning ‘her’ scientist on the ethics of his research.

Thank you Dave and TSN from all of us at school; staff, pupils and parents for allowing us to benefit so much.