LEARNING for budding boffins from Tiverton High School took an explosive turn this week as they explored the wonders of science.

Thanks to a partnership between the science departments at the school and Petroc in Tiverton, 75 Year 10 High School pupils spent a morning in the college labs with BTEC forensic science and A-level students performing a programme of tests and analysis.

The visit by pupils, currently studying a science GCSE equivalent, was designed to awaken them to the wonders of science.

The day was also a good opportunity for Petroc students to share their skills and chat with younger learners about their own experiences.

Activities were based around a range of scientific techniques, including blood typing of suspects’ blood samples, thin layer chromatography of lipstick to identify its different coloured pigments, and titrations to determine the vitamin C concentration of a range of apple juices found in a supermarket.

The session finished with a quiz based on what youngsters had learned.

Lynda Broomhead, science lecturer at Petroc, said: “Both staff and students from the High School were very positive about the benefits of this event.

“Some of them said it had been a real eye-opener to career opportunities and that it would help them to focus further on attaining a high level of achievement in their science.”