On Friday 1st March, our Sixth Form Physics students and staff woke up bright and early for an exciting day trip to the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Switzerland.

Our budding physicists were treated to a unique opportunity, immersing themselves in the realm of particle physics through a meticulously guided tour of CERN. They engaged deeply in the ground-breaking research conducted there, including exploration of the Large Hadron Collider, the largest and most complex machine ever built.

Alex Gentry (Upper Sixth) reflected on the whistle-stop tour: “Our trip to CERN truly was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I thoroughly enjoyed. Not only did we get to explore exhibits where we could engage with concepts we learnt about in physics lessons in a fun way, such as air hockey electron tunnelling and augmented reality tennis to demonstrate Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle, but we also had a private tour of the CERN facilities.

“It was fascinating to see in real life the cutting-edge technology we discuss in physics lessons, and the opportunity to talk to CERN researchers about their work and the future careers we could have at CERN was so exciting. Finishing the day with a walk around Lake Geneva ensured we got a taste of Switzerland as well, completing our whistle-stop tour. Overall, the day was not only valuable for our current physics education, but also an insight into where it could take us in the future, and I would highly recommend it.”

Olivia Davies (Lower Sixth) added: “Despite being awake for 23 hrs, CERN was CERN-tainly one of the best days out with school that I've done so far, and provided a great insight into the inner-workings of the world’s most relevant science experiment of this millennia.

We began by going around the CERN exhibition, located at the Science Gateway. Everything from the design of the buildings themselves, to the choice of focusing on interactive activities for learning, made the whole exhibition experience cohesive and engaging. Some of my favourite pieces included the art installation 'Chroma VII'; a reflection of the fluxes in our universe that produce an ever-changing spectacle that mirrors the dynamic nature of the cosmos. Plus, I can't miss out proton football; a simplified simulation of the collisions happening within the LHC, where the footballs are replaced by protons and you and a partner attempt to create an accurate collision between them.

In the afternoon, we toured CERN's main industry sites. Our guide, Vitaly, a physicist at CERN, showed us LINAC 1 and 2, old control rooms, LEAR and the iconic bright red H2-filled metal gas canister essential for LHC work. Then, Elizabeth Wursten, an antimatter physicist, led us through the Antimatter Factory (ELENA), explaining antimatter's concept and ongoing experiments. To end our visit, we made a short excursion into the City of Geneva in order to view Geneva Lake; a perfect end to a busy day, with the added bonus of getting a great view of France's largest Glacier, Mer de Glace, on top of Mont Blanc.

Mrs Smart (Physics Teacher) said: “The students were a real credit to the school. The guides and several fellow passengers all commented on how polite, bright and enthusiastic they all were. One of the guides even said that their enthusiasm had given her a renewed energy for her research.”