HUNDREDS of primary school children discovered that the proof of the experiment is in the eating.

The youngsters made ice cream in Wycliffe College's new food experiment labs, part of the £850,000 refurbishment of the school’s science block.

More than 400 children took part in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) day. It also involved 88 Wycliffe sixth formers who taught or acted as guides during the science day.

Throughout the day they enjoyed lessons and talks on everything from biology to steam cars.

The primary schools taking part were: Stroud schools Minchinhampton; Amberley, Rosary and St Dominic's; Wotton schools The British School, Charfield and Bluecoat and Stonehouse schools Park Juniors and Hopelands.

Children made slime, engines and structures with spaghetti and marshmallows, wrote code and watched birds of prey in action. They also learned about the technology behind Bloodhound, a project to construct the first 1,000mph car.

Companies and organisations supporting the day included Messier Dowty, Renishaw, IDS, Advantis, Mantra Learning, Stroud Beekeepers, and the James Dyson Foundation.

The STEM is the brainchild Matthew Archer, Head of Science at Wycliffe. “If you can get children enthused and enthralled about science at an earlier age then they are likely to pursue it longer in school and hopefully as a career. That is what today is all about. To make children saw ‘Wow' when they think about the sciences.”

For nine-year-old James Clark, from Minchinhampton, the ‘wow’ moment was making slime. “It was so cool. I liked looking at the plankton too.”