Undoubtedly, the STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths) are excellent subjects to develop in school and take forward into a future career. Indeed, much of the British economy relies on these skills and our school has a duty to inspire students in these areas and give them an opportunity to develop, understand and build on the skills and mind-sets that bring success in these fields.
GKN Engineering came into the school to spend a day fostering skills in design, creativity and teamwork and developing an awareness of green energy, aerodynamics and aesthetics.
The session included building a wind turbine capable of producing high voltage and a main activity of designing and building a rechargeable, electric drag racer. The competitive racing at the end was the final test and the perfect way to round of the excellent sessions.
The basis of STEM is sound literacy (English) and numeracy (Maths) and on top of that come the specific skills honed in practical experienced and training – and these were perfectly provided by GKN.
This STEM project builds on much of the work we have been doing in our Raising Aspirations Programme ranging from apprenticeship talks to work experience, and mock interviews to university talks.
