STEM

CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVERS...

…our children are taught to think critically and solve problems by providing them with a good foundation in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.

Every year, I am amazed by the creativity and the thought process that happens in your children’s STEM lessons. I will often have an idea of most of the ways that a given problem is likely to be solved but without doubt there is always another solution or workaround presented in your children’s work.

RECEPTION TO YEAR 2

Reception to Year 2 lessons have focused on the fundamental skills of measuring accuracy, sawing, cutting, weaving, assembly and basic coding principles. Coding both on screen and with robotic toys, the children have navigated around courses building up their familiarity with algorithms – the delight on their faces as their BeeBot crosses the finishing line never gets old. Within their Design Technology lessons, building and creating are key, with wooden cars, catapults, boats and houses all allowing for them to get (sticky) hands-on experience.

YEAR 3 TO YEAR 6

In Year 3, the chocolate bar project was, again, a firm favourite and was their first taste (pun intended) of the solution-based project learning they will continue to experience through to Year 6. The research, the packaging, the adverts, the 3D models all push them towards manufacturing their incredible chocolate bars, ready just in time for Christmas! Sustainability is a key ...amazed by the consideration in the projects creativity and thought throughout and the Year 4 process that Wind Turbine design project happens in STEM studied how wind turbines lessons. work, and the children investigated innovative designs for testing. Year 5’s Mission to Mars saw teams of children take on a variety of challenges requiring both coding and robot design to complete them. The more challenges completed, with the least amount of human interference, and in the fastest time leads to the winning team. Year 6’s Escape Room challenge was their final project of KPS.

We had a jail, a detective’s office, a bedroom, a games arcade, a cinema, and an old house. It was an incredibly open group project where they designed and created challenges which drew upon all the learning strands they have covered from Year 3.

Teaching STEM in the way that we do combines the Design Technology and Computing curriculum into one learning experience. Some lessons will naturally have a greater focus on Computing and others, Design Technology. To help guide our learning journey, we have Learning Strands and groups of curriculum elements, to help guide our planning of projects and the children's learning. Most lessons will have elements of multiple strands. In brief:

• Design Thinking: Problem solving, product research and iterative design development.

• CAD and CAM: 3D Modelling, 3D Printing and CNC Routing.

• Coding: Scratch, Kodu, BBC micro:bit, Crumbles, Sphero,

BeeBot, ProBot, Botley programming.

• Construction: Using wood and construction kits (Lego,

K’nex etc.).

• ICT Skills: Use of applications such as the Microsoft Suite.

• Online Safety:Tools and knowledge to improve online safety awareness.

CLUBS

As well as the core curriculum elements, there are STEM based clubs to choose from depending on your child’s age.

These will vary each year dependent on the staff available but those which will be staying for 2022-23 are the Green Goblin (Y6) and Coding Club (Y3-6).

Green Goblin is an opportunity for the creating of an electric go-kart and then to race in the Greenpower League. Coding Club is coding based activities based on a theme, a particular skill or free code and children have access to the robotics programmable equipment, micro:bits and Crumbles.

If you have any questions regarding STEM, or are interested in supporting STEM learning at KPS, please contact: dmurphy@kingswood.bath.sch.uk

PRE-SCHOOL

Pre-School children learn STEM from an early age, whether taking photos of each other on the iPads, learning woodworking skills in Forest School, cooking tasty treats or sewing.

There are always junk materials available to them if they want to make something, practising their skills of cutting and joining. This can be on a large scale, such as a pretend vehicle for their room, or on a smaller scale such as making individual rockets inspired by their story of the week.

YEAR 2 STEM