Today saw the beginning of a weeks worth of STEM enrichment across the whole school, with Sixth Form at its heart. Mr Short, our STEM Coordinator has worked tirelessly to secure the Institute of Civil Engineers Bridge building event to be held in school across the entire week! We certainly feel very proud, as the last time we saw this event was at one of the Independent Schools we visited.

Throughout the week the Design Technology students in Year 12 who have an interest and passion for Engineering, will be working with a qualified Civil Engineer to build the suspension bridge. Today they have been trained with the equipment and taken on the problem solving and logistics of the whole operation! Peter, a Director the The Three Rivers Learning Trust and member of ICE is passionate and enthusiastic about supporting and developing STEM opportunities across the Trust.

The Year 12 students, one of whom is studying Bridge Design as part of his Extended Project Qualification, are thrilled at the prospect of getting hands on practical Engineering experience  – almost work experience but in a different format. The students will be mentoring over 80 Year 10 Design Technology students over the course of the week and finishing on Friday with a Girls in STEM event, where we will host Year 8s from our local Middle Schools.

This really is an exclusive experience for the students to develop their problem solving and logistical skills. To work side by side with a Civil Engineer for a whole week, as well as mentoring others will be invaluable for their communication and team work skills. Check out our Social Media feeds for updates on their progress and success.