An expert panel of judges assessed the entries for this year’s science competition.
Dr Helen Eccles has extensive experience in the field of education. She began her career in education teaching chemistry and physics, and rapidly moved into assessment through writing A Level chemistry examination papers and then joining Cambridge Assessment in 2000.
In this organisation she initially worked in OCR, the UK exam board, leading in the assessment of science and subsequently setting standards for all subjects. She then moved to Cambridge International, the international exam board, working in curriculum design, curriculum/textbook support and whole-system education design and implementation.
She has worked with several governments internationally on national education systems, and in the UK with the regulator Ofqual on national syllabus and assessment design and implementation.
Dr Eccles has retained her interest in science throughout her career, building on postdoctoral work in cancer research and electron spin spectroscopy. She has a particular interest in practical science and its assessment, and in ensuring appropriate progression in science syllabuses throughout the 5-19 age range.
She is the author of several chemistry textbooks and a reference work on the Periodic Table.
Dr Rachel Garsed is a Senior Engineer at CMR Surgical - a Cambridge medical devices company developing a robot for minimal access surgery. Rachel works in the research and development team for the Versius medical robot, where she is responsible for integrating all of the system components. She has also been responsible for ensuring that the design meets the required safety standards.
Rachel gained her PhD in Electrical Engineering in 2016 from the University of Cambridge. Her research was into the design of liquid crystal displays for 3D holograms. She became a Chartered Engineer in 2018 with the Institute of Engineering and Technology.
Dr Elaine Wilson is a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty and is a Fellow of Homerton College. Elaine was a secondary school chemistry teacher in Bath and Cambridge and was awarded a Salters' Medal for chemistry teaching.
She has also received two career awards for teaching in Higher Education; the University of Cambridge Pilkington Teaching Prize, in recognition of excellence in University teaching and a National Teaching Fellowship in recognition of excellence in teacher education leadership.
Elaine teaches PGCE, Masters and Doctoral students. Her research interests are in
- Implementation and Improvement Science
- Education Reform
- Teacher Education
- Digital Technology.
Dr Judith Roberts is Head of Cambridge Primary and Lower Secondary, Development, in Cambridge International.
Judith started her career as a biological researcher. She achieved a PhD in parasitology from the University of Cambridge and then conducted post-doctoral research at Durham University and the University of Cambridge.
In 2009 she completed a PGCE in secondary science teaching followed by an MEd in science education, focussing on practical science. She joined Cambridge International in 2013 and since then has worked on a wide range of science curricula and qualifications for learners aged 5 to 18.