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STEM students practise their skills
Posted: 19th July 2019Quick-fire STEM challenges enabled students to practise all they have learnt in their specialist school.
Gratnells, manufacturers of trays and trolleys used in education and healthcare, took their What’s In My Tray activity to BMAT STEM Academy.
BMAT STEM opened a year ago with a focus on science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects to help fill the skills gap in the area.
Dr Katherine Forsey set up five activity stations covering different areas of the curriculum to reinforce what the Year 10 students have learnt in their first year at BMAT STEM.
The activities included –
- BrightSparks – Saving the Planet where students had to complete circuits and adjust them to save energy
- Wind Powered Buggies where students had to construct a buggy out of minimal materials
- STEM Challenge – Dinosaurs Love Bridges where students had to build a bridge to hold as many toy dinosaurs as possible
- Go Slow! where students had to construct a marble run
- a quiz
Dr Forsey said: “Students had to work as a team to complete the challenges which helped them to develop their teamwork and communication skills.
“There was a high level of engagement and enjoyment as students got stuck into the activities. They got very competitive which is wonderful to see.
“We want young people to get excited about science and STEM.”
Students were given the opportunity to come up with their own challenges to be used by Gratnells in future.
Dave Ramsey, assistant headteacher, said: “This has been a fantastic opportunity. Students had to work quickly to complete the challenges within seven minutes each.
“It’s about having a more practical approach to learning new skills and thinking creatively.
“It was useful for students to see where they can end up after their time at BMAT STEM. They have had a fun experience which has shown them what working in STEM can be like.”