Not a good start our link high school rang to cancel so I had to run round and add an extra ten pupils I had selected for the Rapid Response Challenge. This was organised by our local BEP and five engineers from the Environmental trust were delivering the course with assistance from the Maths department. The morning was spent looking at the effects of a hurricane in a developing country. The highlight of the afternoon was when the pupils built a water delivery system around mountains and shelters. These were then tested when the hurricane hit in the form of huge buckets of water. At least this year the weather was kind to us - it was sunny. A couple of years ago I think we had an actual hurricane in the afternoon that added to the realism.
Also in school all day were a team of Traveller Showmen. After a talk in the morning the pupils looked at the art & design used on caravans before making a model caravan. In the afternoon pupils had a go at making candy floss fortunately none of them made themselves sick and we can go back to healthy eating next week.
Tuesday
The ICT department tested a new programme Mission Maker with a group of pupils who had to design a ‘virtual’ world for a subject in school. A wide range were designed even one poignant project linked to the Holocaust.
Wednesday
The school is linked to the locally based ‘Just Youth’ group and one of the members from New Zealand came in to talk about her culture and make T-shirts based on Maori designs.
The school is also looking at setting up a Lego centre and a representative from the company came in to work with one of our feeder primaries in the morning making small models. This was enormously successful and set our own pupils tasks to complete in the afternoon using computerised buggies.
Thursday
The school has been working with Dr Kevin Tan, from the Engineering Department of the University of Manchester, developing new resources for interesting pupils in science and technology. The pupils were involved in a game using two dance mats linked to a VDU where they had to identify numerous materials, then place them in the correct recycling bins. At first the pupils were very reserved but after a couple of attempts they were dancing to the accompanying music as they played the game.
Friday
BEP were in school again and making giant Tetrahedrons with year 7 linking with the work they do in maths and on structures in Technology. The excitement of the pupils as they eventually all stood inside the structure was there for all to see.
Whilst these activities had been going of our pupils studying GCSE Textiles were attending an Aim Higher workshop at Salford University designing a variety of outfits. One of the pupils did so well she was given an unconditional entry to the university in three years time!!
Because this was going on all week we postponed a Ready Steady Cook event until the following Thursday. Here a chef from a top local restaurant worked with GCSE Food Tech pupils to prepare a meal from a range of random ingredients. The standard was excellent and we had a difficult task selecting the winners who get a free meal out at a restaurant next term.
So another Technology week was over. The pupils seemed to have had an enjoyable experience and staff from a range of departments and outside agencies all contributed to this.
Deputy Headteacher Pete Fisher said,
“Is it a hugely worthwhile and popular extension to the curriculum an experience which positively impacts across the school. The response from pupils is so positive because learning is so much fun”.
