Case Study - The Eden-inspired Dome

Inspired by the construction of the giant Biomes at the nearby Eden Project, members of the science and engineering club at Newquay Tretherras School in Cornwall decided to create their own dome.

With support from the Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths Network (STEMNET) the school was awarded a £10,000 grant from Awards for All which helped them purchased a 7.75m-diameter from Solardome.

The dome was installed in a quad which was already being developed as an environmental studies area and was officially opened by Tim Smit, co-founder of the Eden project in November 2007.

The Solardome has already housed a wide range of experiments, from exploring the effects of different coloured light on rates of photosynthesis, to studying the acoustic properties of the dome itself. Flowers grown within the dome by club members and fed with their home-made fertilizer even took first prize at the Royal Cornwall Show.

Current projects include powering the Solardome's water feature using solar power and installing a gravity-fed irrigation system.

The science and engineering club's project has proved to be a catalyst for other work within the school.

"The construction of the raised beds we installed in the dome was a great learning opportunity in itself," said science teacher Jenny Ellis Davis. "Club members created a brief and a budget for the work and contracted fellow pupils to construct them for their 'design and make' project as part of their design and technology course work."

Food technology students have successfully grown salad crops and are considering supplying their produce to the school canteen.

Installing a 'mini-Eden' has created significant new learning opportunities and a huge sense of achievement. It has also generated great enthusiasm for additional projects.

Case Study - The Kimberley School

Innovative Solardome complements forward looking technology school.

The Kimberley School in Nottingham (www.kimberleyschool.co.uk) is a comprehensive school for around 1320 pupils aged 11-18. It became a specialist Technology College in September 2006 and has received significant investment in new facilities under the Government's 'New Deal for Schools' initiative.

In 2007, three bright sparks from the school battled their way through a fiendishly tricky brainteaser as part of the Quorn Brighter Future Memory Challenge and past 170 other secondary schools to scoop first and runner-up positions. Their prize - an innovative Solardome - which now provides much needed additional space and complements the school’s image as a forward looking technology school.

The Student Council is keen to use their Capella (6.11m/20ft diameter dome) as their Council Chamber, and the dome has enough space to seat the Council with ease.

Commenting on the arrival of the Solardome, Mike Jones, Bursar of the School, enthused:

"I am writing to tell you how pleased we are with the Solardome Capella. Staff and students returned to school to find the impressive structure in situ. It is already a hot topic of conversation."

Chris Teal, Head Teacher of The Kimberley School, said:

"The pupils' tremendous achievement mirrors the philosophy across the whole school that children do their best and are rewarded for their achievement. The school will benefit from much needed space from the Solardome and the innovative, technological structure will complement the school’s image as a forward looking technology school."

The Challenge was part of a larger promotion launched by Marlow Foods, the manufacturer of the range of Quorn products, for secondary schools nationwide. It raised awareness of the impact nutrition can have on the concentration and performance levels of students. Quorn decided that a Solardome would be a fitting prize due to its ability to inspire young people outside the classroom across a range of different subject areas. Many schools throughout the UK use a Solardome to recreate ‘mini Eden projects’ in their school grounds, where students nurture exotic plants and produce their own fruit and vegetables to complement their school meals.