PHYSICISTS from Cern demonstrated the inner workings of the world’s largest and most powerful particle accelerator for the benefit of young people in Leeds.

Sam Gregson, Dr Ben Still and Dr Aidan Randle-Conde, all physicists involved in research at the Large Hadron Collider, gave an interactive talk at the Grammar School at Leeds.

The Large Hadron Colliding event launched a new science education partnership between local schools, including Horsforth School and Prince Henry’s Grammar School.

There was plenty of audience participation with flying beach balls to demonstrate colliding particles, a giant elastic band encircling three student volunteers representing the strong nuclear force, and a sledgehammer to illustrate taking something apart to see how it works, using the right tool for the job.

The new Leeds and Harrogate Ogden Schools Science Partnership will see schools share their resources to provide science activities for their students.

The partnership scheme is supported by The Ogden Trust, a science education charity.

Tom Rogerson, head of physics at GSAL, said: “The support of the Ogden Trust means that we can work together with other schools to improve attainment and inspire pupils about physics, by providing experiences that demonstrate its relevance to so many areas of our lives.”

Ogden Schools Science Partnerships have been established nationwide to provide a means of sharing science enhancement activities for pupils of all age groups and abilities, promote physics at GCSE, A-level and beyond, support teachers and encourage more physics graduates to become teachers.

GSAL is the hub school for the new partnership. Other partner schools are St Aidan’s C of E High School, St John Fisher Catholic High School and Ashville College, all Harrogate; Prince Henry’s Grammar School, Otley; Fulneck School, Pudsey; Batley Girls’ High School; and Leeds schools David Young Community Academy, Allerton High, Corpus Christi Catholic College and Horsforth School.