Ashford Prep - STEM

STE(M): Real-World Learning Experiences

Each branch of the STE(M) tree is relevant and important for young students whose curiosity and drive to explore and understand the world is the starting point for their learning.Beyond the benefit of learning Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths, STE(M) assists in the problemsolving and exploratory learning that fuels success across a variety of tasks and disciplines.

Listening to one another’s ideas and building upon what is said exposes children’s preconceived ideas, opens their eyes to alternatives and lets them find the truth of these. Taking turns and sharing are important contributions in developing a systematic approach to problem solving, building up thinking, patience and resilience. These skills are transferable into life inside the school as well as out.

The creation of a STE(M) faculty will see Science, Design and Technology, Home Economics, Computing, OAKS and the EYFS work in partnership to provide a rich environment for discovery. Students will engage with hands-on and integrated experiments to fully embed the real-world context in their understanding of these subjects.

Termly STE(M) activities are planned to raise the STE(M) profile and children’s excitement. These learning opportunities will provide the children in EYFS to Year 6 the chance to work together and collaborate, allowing for deeper learning. These include explicit e-safety days, astronaut challenges, visiting speakers, design and invention competitions and utilising our school garden to grow and sell produce as well as numerous charity initiatives.

As a faculty we aim to promote the core STE(M) subjects which is key for securing positive opportunities and career paths for future generations. Primary school is the perfect starting point to encourage children to explore and begin to understand and realise the links between these subjects and why we study them.

Design & Technology

In Design and Technology, we encourage children to become creative problem solvers, both as individuals and as part of a team. Children learn how to improve items and invent new ones! They have access to a variety of equipment and tools, including a 3D Printer, vacuum former, and 3D pens.

Year 3 explore the history of kites and design, making and flying their own. They make pneumatic monsters and investigate how air can produce movement and how this can then be used in simple pneumatic mechanisms. In the summer term they take part in a weaving project, producing individual items and a Year 3 installation.

Year 4 children are set the task of making their very own pop-up cards and show it to the younger children. With the Tudor topic, they develop their hand-sewing skills by creating a Tudor blackwork embroidery sample.

Year 5 explore how toys work and move. They make a Victorian zoetrope and use woodworking skills to make an acrobat toy. During the summer term, they explore the life of William Morris and design and make an appliqué cushion inspired by his work. Children participate in outdoor activities, producing colourful sun prints and silk paintings. They learn hand sewing skills and have an introduction to the sewing machine. Finally, the children grow and use plants from the school garden to dye fabric using natural.

To coincide with their WW2 topic, Year 6 design and make their very own Spitfire planes! They learn soldering skills and use 2D design software to create a unique roundel for their planes. During their biscuit topic they design and make packaging for a new biscuit. The children develop their sewing machine skills during their final term to create a 1960’s themed bag. Other projects include tie-dye and a design a desk tidy for a teacher activity. A variety of Lego, building and engineering, invention and Art and Design challenges are on hand to keep everyone inspired.

Computing

Ashford School is committed to using technology only where it enhances the student’s learning and development.While our mission at Ashford School is to provide students the best e-learning opportunities through the use of technology, we are also committed to providing a holistic approach to learning, by blending more traditional teaching practices with new digital experiences.

All studentsat Ashford Prep Schoolreceive a 1:1 iPad which they are responsible for charging and taking to all lessons. New apps are learnt, which complement their curriculum in other subjects.

In Pre-Prep computing, children explore a range of digital skills, starting with crafting imaginative miniature adventure stories and capturing them through photography. They develop photo enhancement and collage creation using editing tools, showcasing their creativity with additional images. The curriculum emphasizes online safety, covering tips for staying safe, managing emotions, understanding digital responsibility, and exploring the concept of a 'digital footprint.' Sphero activities provide hands-on programming experiences. Students also develop Seesaw skills, learn word processing, touch typing, and basic algorithms through engaging activities. Storyboarding and simple animation creation reinforce online safety principles, fostering foundational digital literacy and creativity in Pre-Prep students.

In Year 3, students will advance their digital skills through a multifaceted approach. Beginning with email communication, they will learn to send and edit messages, incorporating attachments while instilling the importance of responsible digital citizenship. Building on ScratchJr from the previous year, students will progress to the more advanced Scratch application, mastering the use of loops to program animations, stories, and games. Video filming and editing skills will be honed through the creation of book trailers, promoting multimedia proficiency. The curriculum also includes a focus on online safety, covering topics such as identifying fake news, adjusting privacy settings, handling upsetting online content, and safeguarding personal information on social media. The goal is to not only develop technical proficiency but also nurture critical thinking, creativity, and responsible digital behaviour.

In Year 4, computing focuses on collaborative online work, emphasizing the understanding that software can be used collectively as a team. Students will learn the value of constructive comments and suggestions on collaborative documents, enhancing their collaborative skills. Additionally, they will explore the creative aspects of presentations, incorporating images, text, transitions, and animations in slides. In the realm of programming using Scratch, children will develop a foundational understanding by creating simple scripts, employing decomposition, and comprehending variables. The curriculum also extends to honing research, word processing, and collaborative working skills, delving into the creation of web pages and sites. Students will explore changing layouts, embedding images and videos, and linking between pages. Equally important is the cultivation of informed, safe, and respectful internet navigation skills, contributing to a wellrounded and responsible digital literacy.

In Year 5 computing, students develop advanced digital skills, focusing on effective internet searching, using search engines with keywords, and critically evaluating information. The curriculum explores various forms of digital communication and emphasizes the importance of discernment in recognizing and fact-checking online information. Programming advances to the Micro:bit platform, where students create animations, predict outcomes, and understand inputs and outputs. They also explore the Mars Rover's data collection, reading binary numbers, learning binary addition, and identifying input, processing, and output components. This comprehensive approach equips Year 5 students with advanced digital literacy, critical thinking, and programming proficiency.

In Year 6 computing, students explore the history of Bletchley Park, delve into code-breaking, and learn about historical figures in computer science. They master Python programming fundamentals, including testing, modifying, and explaining their code, while also understanding loops and algorithm decomposition. Practical applications involve designing electronic products with CAD software, coupled with website design, video editing, and persuasive language skills for product promotion. The curriculum emphasizes critical thinking through the evaluation and adaptation of code, debugging programs, and effective online research. This holistic approach equips Year 6 students with a diverse skill set encompassing history, coding, design, and digital communication.

In Reception, we will often use stories as a ‘hook’ for children’s learning. Using the ‘Supertato’ character as a starting point, children explored the properties of ice as they tried to rescue the frozen vegetables from the ‘Evil Pea’. We are very much led by the children and their interests so during a topic ‘Topic around the world’, one class focused on space while another explored the life of pirates. There were endless STE(M) opportunities with questions and investigations being set by the children themselves.

Mathematics is considered a specific area of learning too and encompasses a range of different skills including working with number and shape, space and measure. Activities that involve problem solving are led by the children, with specific adult-led tasks planned, linked to prior learning.

Within ‘characteristics of learning’, children are encouraged to create and think critically, opportunities for active learning and making mistakes in a safe environment, help children to feel confident about trying new things and coming up with their own ideas. They begin to correct their mistakes for themselves, instead of using an increasing force to push a puzzle piece into a slot, they try another piece to see if it will fit.

Engineering skills can also be found in the EYFS, though they are not in one simple category and can instead be found in several different areas of learning. For example, ‘Uses simple tools to effect changes to materials’ and ‘Handles tools, objects, construction and malleable materials safely and with increasing control’ can be found as part of their physical development. ‘Uses familiar objects and common shapes to create and recreate patterns and build models’ is part of their mathematical development and ‘Children recognise that a range of technology is used in places such as homes and schools, selecting and using technology for particular purposes’ is the Early learning Goal for understanding the world. So, whilst there is not a specific area dedicated to engineering skills, we can see that this kind of learning is certainly supported by the EYFS.

Curriculum Planning

Animals Including Humans

How can I look after myself?

Improving iPad Skills

Animals Including Humans

Which animal is the most amazing? Why?  Scientists and Inventors

Which everyday object do you wish you had invented?

Everyday Materials

Which material is the most useful?

Plants

Could plants grow without water?

Plants

What do plants need to grow best?

Why is it important to learn new skills?   Spheros

What is the most exciting part of programming Spheros?

Jam Tarts

Why did the Jack of Hearts steal the jam tarts?

Animal Masks

Christmas Biscuits

What food do we traditionally eat at Christmas?

How can I make a mask that resembles my favourite animal?

Digital Imagery

How do you make sure your photos look great?

Cakes

What ingredients do you need to make a cake?

Easter

Can you name any food we have at Easter?

Junk Model Rockets Building pirate boats

Can I explain why I have used my chosen materials and tools?

Online Safety

What do you do to stay safe online?

Gingerbread

What is a traybake?

Design and make a gingerbread person

What was your favourite tool when making your gingerbread person?

Rocks

Can we learn new things from a rock?

Emailing

Forces and Magnetism

Could we live without gravity?

How would it look?

How do you ensure responsible digital citizenship in your online communication?

Fruit, fruit salad, fruit kebabs, local and foreign fruit

What is seasonal produce? How can we adapt recipes to use seasonal produce?

Apples, apple tasting, and apple muffins

How many different types of apples do you know?

Light

Would you prefer the sun to be too bright to see or no sunlight at all?

Video trailers

How would you make your video trailer interesting with different features?

Animals Including Humans

Would you rather be hungry and fit or overfed and unfit?

Scratch

Flowers

What would happen if we didn’t have insects?

What's the most exciting part of coding an animation in Scratch, and how does it spark your creativity?

Famous Scientists and Explorers

Who was the most important scientist and why?

Online Safety

How does fake news online affect people?

Survival

What was it like to live in the Stone Age?

Pneumatic Monsters

How can you make something move?

Fire

How can you start a fire?

Kites

How have kites impacted the world?

Weaving

How is weaving done today?

Tools

How useful is a hammer?

Sound

Would you rather the TV always be too loud or too quiet?

Electricity

When is electricity safe and what makes it dangerous?

Collaborative learning

What do you like most about collaborating with your classmates on a shared online document?

Healthy Eating

How can we achieve a balanced diet?

Preservation jam making

How and why do we preserve food?

Animals Including Humans

Could we survive without teeth?

How?

Website design

What makes a website successful?

States of Matter

What is matter and why does it matter?

Survival

Could you survive in the wild?

Pop up cards

How can we engineer pop up cards that will amaze and impress anyone who receives them.

Senses

Living Things and Their Habitats

What would happen if there was only one season?

Further coding with Scratch

Ever wondered what it would be like to bring your ideas to life through coding and animation?

Fair-trade tea and chocolate

What is Fair-trade and how does it improve lives?

Vacuum forming chocolate moulds

What is vacuum forming and how does it work?

Online safety

Ever wondered how to surf the internet like a pro while ensuring your online safety?

Tudor Blackwork

Why is it called blackwork?

Are your senses heightened outside? Knots

How useful is a piece of string?

Evolution and Inheritance

Would humans still be the dominant species if dinosaurs still existed? Electricity

How is electricity used and what can I do with it?

Living Things and Their Habitats

Would you rather be a virus or bacteria? Light

What are the properties of light as a wave, and how does it behave?

Animals Including Humans

Is it possible to eat unhealthily and still be healthy?

Inventing a product

Bletchley Park

Have you ever wondered what the first ever computer looked like?

Gingerbread Houses

Intro to Python

Ever wondered about the language that brings computers to life?

Climate Change

What is global climate change, what causes it and what can we do?

Ready to transform your electronic invention into a masterpiece? Online safety

Ever wondered about the secrets to navigating the vast internet safely and respectfully?

Biscuits

How can we produce an original biscuit design?

Biscuit Bake Off packaging, branding, 3D printed biscuit cutters

Does packaging influence what you buy when you go shopping?

What Christmas traditions do they have in other countries?

Could you survive in the wild?

Spitfire plane and 2D Design roundel

Why is the

Spitfire such a special plane?

Design a Desk tidy

If you were given the challenge to create a new invention that could make people's lives easier, what would it be and how would it work?

Are your senses heightened outside?

1960’s Tie Dyed Drawstring Bags

How has the fashion of bags evolved over time?

Does the natural environment change through space and time?

Assessment and Marking

We use a varied range of methods to assess children’s understanding of each unit of work including:

Peer assessment PSB markers

Answering of hook questions

End of Unit quizzes in Nearpod/ LBQ lessons

Showbie assignments

Enrichment Programme

Self-guided coding with checklists

Our enrichments are reviewed termly but, in the past, have included:

Green Goblin Challenge

Building and Engineering Club

Gardening Club

Little Inventors

Minecraft Club

Sphero Club

Junk Construction

DT Club

Outdoor Club Prep and Pre-Prep

Campfire Crafts

Self-marking activities

Success in raising money for charity