An inspirational Towy Valley teacher has been exploring the origins of the universe on a trip to one of the most famous science laboratories on earth.

Andrew Goudge, head of physics at Ysgol Bro Dinefwr in Llandeilo, was one of 16 Welsh teachers chosen to visit CERN, the ground-breaking home of scientific exploration in Europe.

The group of forward-thinking teachers travelled to the prestigious Swiss centre and saw the Large Hadron Collider, the multi-billion pound machine which seeks to simulate the instant after the Big Bang.

Mr Goudge has been able take his experiences at the forefront of science back into the classroom to inspire the generation of scientific pioneers.

He has been using the knowledge and experience gained from the trip to encourage students to embrace science, as well as becoming part of a team developing resources to share with other science teachers in Wales to use next academic year and beyond.

CERN, which is the European Organisation for Nuclear Research, conducts the most ambitious experiments ever undertaken in the field of particle physics, and the teachers were chosen to study this work first hand as part of the Welsh Government’s Focus on Science campaign, designed to get more young people interested in pursuing scientific careers.

The aim of the trip was to give teachers the opportunity to listen to lectures and hear about CERN’s facilities, functions and operation from the scientists and engineers who work there, including Dr Lyn Evans from Aberdare, former Director of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) project and active supporter of the Focus on Science campaign.

Mr Goudge said: “There is such an incredible amount of expertise at CERN, and it was great to have the opportunity to see this first hand.

“I’ve been teaching particle physics for some-time, but can now really bring it to life for the pupils. T

“here are a number of Welsh scientists working out in CERN, and I hope this inspires pupils to also follow science as a career path.”

Minister for Education and Skills, Huw Lewis said: “Enabling teachers from Wales to spend a significant amount of time with the world’s foremost physicists creates new opportunities for us to encourage more of our young people to study science-related subjects.

“I am sure Andrew’s pupils will be fascinated by his experiences at CERN and inspired to consider science as a route to a potentially rewarding and fulfilling career.

“Our Qualified for Life: Focus on Science campaign aims to spread the message of the value of science, that the skills and knowledge gained in science lessons are directly relevant to many jobs and industries, and that science really can pave the way to a successful future.”

The visit to CERN was facilitated by Welsh Government and the National Science Learning Centre. Dr Lyn Evans is passionate about inspiring teachers and students in physics by engaging teachers directly in the work of CERN.

The latest campaign resources for the ‘Focus on Science’ campaign include posters, infographics and FREE Resource planners for teachers. These have all been sent out to Heads of Science in Secondary Schools across Wales. For further campaign information download the online resources at learning.wales.gov.uk/science.