Hulme Grammar Pupils Take Part in Exciting Book Launch with SEERIH at Oldham Athletic

As part of this year’s World Book Day, a group of eight Year 6 pupils from Hulme Grammar had the incredible opportunity to attend a special book launch at Oldham Athletic Football Club, hosted by SEERIH—the Science and Engineering Education Research and Innovation Hub at the University of Manchester. This inspiring event was part of SEERIH’s outreach programme, designed to engage young learners in science, technology, and engineering.

The day began with an interactive ice-breaker task, where students explored key historical dates and positioned different technologies on a timeline. They were then introduced to the fascinating work of Diodes, an Oldham-based company that manufactures microchips for cutting-edge electronics.

Exploring ‘These Chips Can’ with Author Jules Pottle

A highlight of the event was a reading from Jules Pottle, author of These Chips Can, a compelling story following a Bangladeshi family’s journey in Oldham through generations of evolving technology. Illustrator Rufus Thomas also provided an engaging workshop on drawing techniques, demonstrating the role of simple shapes in illustration.

To bring the book to life, students were encouraged to create model houses from cardboard boxes, representing Oldham’s streets. Hulme pupil Willow was specially recognised for her insightful answers and was rewarded with a personal copy of the book.

Hands-On Learning with Circuits and Micro-Bits

The event continued with a practical workshop led by the University of Manchester team, where pupils had the chance to build circuits, experiment with logic gates, and programme micro-bits to control a set of diodes. This hands-on experience helped students understand the principles of electronics and coding in a fun, interactive way.

Hulme Grammar was delighted to share this experience with Coppice Primary, strengthening connections between local schools. We are incredibly grateful to SEERIH for organising such a valuable enrichment opportunity, and we look forward to all of our Year 5 and 6 pupils reading These Chips Can together in the coming months.