An innovative education event in Preston earlier this month saw
400 primary and secondary school pupils enjoy a hands-on, interactive STEM
educational experience which introduced them to the engineering behind
Bloodhound. The collaboration between the Bloodhound team, Institution
members and local engineering employers delivered work-based professional
development, a community lecture and a super learning day for students
that established a blue-print for future member-led education events inspired by
Bloodhound.
Ashton Community Science College in Preston, Lancashire hosted an innovative,
high profile education event for Year 8 students and primary school
pupils. The event was supported by the Institution and was a collaboration
between the college, the Bloodhound team, Institution Member Ian Grant and his
employer Springfield Fuels Limited (part of the Westinghouse Nuclear group of
companies), whose apprentices and engineers helped the students.
The event was designed as a full day of hands-on, interactive STEM
educational experiences for the 400 youngsters - just under 200 twelve and
thirteen year old students and the 200 primary school pupils - introducing them
to the engineering behind Bloodhound through talks by rocket engineer Daniel
Jubb, and getting up close to the life-size show car. The Year 8 students
were able to experience ‘super learning’ opportunities by designing and building
their own rocket car – and then launching it.
Sarah Connon, STEM Senior Leader at Ashton, and Ian Grant – who has been a
regular volunteer at the College to inspire students about engineering -
explained rationale for the event. Ian said: “We organised this Super
Learning Day with a focus on encouraging the students to experience the
practical side of learning, in a fun and enjoyable way.”
Sarah continued: “When children are having fun, they learn more. As
teachers, we have to find the balance between meeting the requirements of the
national curriculum, which can be very proscribed, and delivering the creative
approach needed to inspire students and get them excited about
engineering. My students have been excited all week and have been looking
forward to the event. Even the Bloodhound show car being delivered and
manoeuvred onto the school yard was exciting for them and provided a memorable
learning experience.”
The students were full of enthusiasm as they talked about building and
releasing their rocket-propelled cars. Jem formed a team with friends Adam and
Nathan. He said: “All three of us are really interested in science and
engineering. We had a lot of fun building our car, and we had no idea that
the car would go as fast as it did – about 60mph! It’s not like the
teachers could allow us to let off rockets in the classroom for our normal
lessons, so this has been an amazing chance to see what a rocket actually looks
like and how it behaves. I’ve really seen what engineering is and what it
can do.”
Ella, Amy and Briony formed another team. Briony said: “I didn’t know
anything about engineering before today. The first thing I learned was
that the rocket car had to be ‘pointed’ which makes it aerodynamic. It was
really interesting hearing our apprentice, Alistair, talk about his job in
engineering while he was helping us work on the car. Ella told all of us
that she wanted to be an engineer because of the things that she’d done
today. I really didn’t think it was going to be this good!”
Amy added: “I loved making the car, and I loved launching it and watching it
go. I feel I learned so much today. I’d never thought about engineering
before, but now I understand a lot more. It’s really good. Everyone
today will understand engineering a lot more now and will be far more interested
in it.”
Summing up the experience for the students, Sarah said: “What today proved is
that a practical learning event like this ensures that children of all abilities
can achieve, learn and have fun. This Super Learning Day will not be a
one-off: it will be about growing exposure to, or encouraging learning about,
engineering in school.”
The culmination of the learning activities was an evening lecture at the
college, given by Jonathan Ellis, the Ambassadors Director for Bloodhound.
A large, knowledgeable audience comprising local Institution members, local
people and students from the college listened with interest as Jonathan gave an
insight into the Bloodhound project. Real highlights were Jonathan showing
how the technical data about Bloodhound can be communicated to STEM students by
means of a ‘Top Trumps’ game of the Bugatti Veyron – the fastest production car
in the planet – versus Bloodhound; and some of the students’ responses to
Jonathan’s challenge of whether a rocket or a Formula One engine would be the
best method of powering Bloodhound.
On the back of the success of Super Learning Day, the Institution is
encouraging members to consider running similar education events which bring
together Bloodhound, working engineers and technicians, and students. Ian
Grant is currently developing a toolkit to enable members to do just this, and
is a passionate advocate for the benefits to Institution members of innovating
to open up these inspirational educational opportunities to a much larger
audience. He said: “Without doubt, Bloodhound is a project that resonates with
people of all ages, and as a result, it is relevant at all stages of engineering
education: from primary school to professional development for established
engineers.”
“For example, before the Bloodhound team and the show car came to Ashton,
they were taking part in a safety workshop that I had organised for my
colleagues at the nuclear fuel manufacturing plant at Springfields. This was
part of professional development training which showed how the Bloodhound team
addressed risk management and had successfully overcome hazards.”
“Today has shown that partnerships between education and industry
really work. We could not have put on this event without the co-operation
of companies like my employer Springfield Fuels Limited which kindly allowed
nine apprentices and several engineers to help the students today, and of
course, the team from Bloodhound.”
To organise a Bloodhound education event, contact bloodhound@imeche.org.