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Pupils visit theme park, and meet police dogs to learn importance of Stem subjects
Students from the Coopers and Coburn School taking part in the STEM festival. - Credit: Archant
Science would not normally be your first thought when making sherbet, or engineering spring to mind when you visit a theme park, but students have been discovering a new way to look at everyday activities.
Coopers’ Company and Coborn School, St Mary’s Lane, Upminster, focused on giving pupils first hand experiences of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (Stem) on Thursday, July 6 to encourage them to take up future careers in these fields.
The school’s director of science Esther McCall said: “All in all, it was a really successful day.
“The headteacher [David Parry] has this vision of the school becoming the centre of Stem excellence, where students do eventually go on to study one of these subjects.
“It has become a big problem and there is a government initiative to get young people interested in becoming part of these industries as there is going to be a huge shortfall in the engineers, scientists and so on.”
To show students there is more to the subjects than what meets the eye, those in Year 12 took part in a number of activities including making bath bombs with cosmetics company Lush, and entered a competition to build an air-powered rocket car.
The contest was run by Bloodhound SSC and the winning team will have their names written on the Bloodhound car when it attempts to break the land speed record next year.
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Police officers also brought in dogs to talk about how they are trained and firefighters from the London Fire Brigade attended to discuss how Stem subjects are used for fire investigation and basic fire and safety.
As well as these, other year groups were treated to the Big Bang London event at Newham College, taught basic life support by the London Ambulance Service, learned about “explosive foods” from the Royal Institution and some even got to spend the day at Thorpe Park to find out more about what goes into making a ride.
The day was organised by both Esther and the school’s Stem co-ordinator Nick Galvin.
Esther said: “The school can’t wait to hold the day again next year.”
